1190 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



HEALTH NOTES 



DEAF PEOPLE — WHAT HAS SCIENCE DONE FOR 

 THEM ? 



Can any one estimate what spectacles 

 have done for the sight? Why, it seems to 

 me T could hardly live without the help of 

 my eye-glasses; and yet I suppose people 

 got along after a fashion before lenses 

 were indented. Well, for years past I have 

 been wondering why something could not be 

 done for the ears (or to a certain extent at 

 least) what science has done for the eyes. 

 Various contrivances claim to do this very 

 thing. On page 868, Dec. 1, 1913, I gave a 

 lengthy account of my experiments with 

 the acousticon, ear-phone, ear-trumpet, arti- 

 ficial ear-drums, etc. ; and I concluded by 

 saying that I received more benefit with my 

 bare hand placed back of the ear than with 

 any contrivance I could find advertised or 

 get hold of. Another thing in favor of this 

 method is' that you always find your hand 

 " on hand '" — always with you ; whereas 

 your ear-trumpet or ear-drum might be 

 somewhere else when you want it most. 

 Well, during the three years that are past 

 I have still been answering advertisements 

 and testing all the advertised appliances. 

 A year ago I got some little ear-drums 

 from a company in Detroit. For a time I 

 thought I could hear a little better with the 

 ear-di'ums; but after careful and repeated 

 experiments I decided they were of no bene- 

 fit to me whatever. I emphasize the word 

 me because I have had satisfactory evidence 

 showing that they are a benefit to some 

 people. Perhaps I should add, hoAvever, 

 that this evidence has always been in print. 

 I have never met and talked with any deaf 

 person who felt, after a lengthy trial, that 

 he had received any benefit from artificial 

 drums. Perhaps you may not be aware 

 that the venders of helps for hearing have 

 a list of the names of deaf people. I do 

 not know how they get them; but I am 

 getting cii'culars continually. Even when 

 in my Florida home as well as here in Me- 

 dina 1 get circulars from the Wilson Ear- 

 drum Co., of Louisville, Ky. The price 

 of their ear-drums is $5.00. I told them 

 I was willing to test their device, but added 

 that, so far as I could learn, if no benefit 

 was I'eceived the whole $5.00 was wasted. 

 They made no reply except to send a lot of 

 testimonials : and a short time ago they sent 

 me quite a little book of testimonials prais- 

 ing in extravagant terms their ear-drums; 

 and they said these testimonials were all 

 of recent date, and that T might write to 

 anv one of them, tho they were scattered 



all over the United States. Finally I wrote 

 as follows : 



Wilnon Ear Drum Company: — In reply to yours 

 of a receut date, I enclose $5.00. That so many 

 people have been benefited is a big showing, of 

 roiirse; but I can find no word anywhere in regard 

 to the number that are not benefited at all. I 

 presume there must be some, and may be a great 

 number of them. Wouldn't it be honest to say, 

 " Quite a few receive no benefit whatever " ? It 

 would hurt your trade somewhat, no doubt ; but 

 isn't the honest truth worth more than dollars? 



I am nearly 77 years old. I have used some ear- 

 drums made in Detroit. I thought at one time they 

 were of a little benefit, but later I could see no 

 difference. If I receive any benefit whatever I will 

 gladly publish it in our journal. If I do not, I 

 will also publish it, because I think it's due the 

 great public to know that not everybody is helped. 

 If you don't object, I wish you would tell me 

 about what per cent of your customers fail to re- 

 ceive any benefit whatever. A. I. Root. 



The drums came promptly, and with 

 them the following letter : 



Mr. A. I. Root: — Your letter with check for 

 $5.00 has just been received, and in compliance with 

 your request we are sending under separate cover 

 by mail today a complete set of our ear-drums with 

 the hope that you will be greatly benefited by their 

 use. Full instructions for using the drums will be 

 found in the little box; and after reading the same 

 carefully you should have no difficulty in inserting 

 and removing them at will. 



Should it be necessary to exchange you will have 

 the privilege of doing so free of charge at any 

 time. 



We wish to state that it would be impossible 

 for us to know how many people we have benefited 

 and how many we have not benefited; but we take 

 it for granted people are benefited when they write 

 and order new sets, and some write and state that 

 their only regret is that they did not get the drums 

 many years sooner. We wish to assure you that we 

 will do everything in our power to assist you in 

 getting the best results by making any change nec- 

 essary. Wilson Ear Drum Co. 



Louisville, Ky., Sept. 14. 



These little rubber drums are certainly in 

 some respects an improvement over the 

 ones T received from Detroit, and I follow- 

 ed directions most carefully with much 

 faith and enthusiasm; but when tested by 

 the ticking of the clock I could perceive no 

 benefit. If anything I could hear a little 

 better without the drum. 



Let me mention another thing in closing. 

 The directions for using the ear-drums in- 

 clude washing out the wax and accumula- 

 tions most thoroly with castile soap and 

 water, even using antise^Dtic cotton to re- 

 move all accumulations. If the ear-wax 

 has become so hard that even the soap and 

 water do not get it away, the directions 

 are to apply sweet oil until the hard cakes 

 are softened up, and tlie ear can be thoroly 

 cleansed. Now, this treatment alone vdll 

 improve the hearing witli most people. A 



