530 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1741. 



There is another kind of deafness, which proceeds from a violent clap of thunder, 

 noise of a cannon, or the like. In this case, it is probable, that the position of the 

 membrana tympani is altered, being forced inwards on the small bones, and so 

 becomes concave outwardly. In this case no vibration of sounds will be com- 

 municated to the drum, till the membrane has recovered its natural position. 

 The means proposed to remedy this disorder are, first, (if the person heard very 

 well before, and it be not too long after the accident has happened) to oblige 

 the patient to stop his mouth and nose, and force the air through the Eustachian 

 tube into the barrel of the ear, by several strong impulses ; which will pro- 

 bably push the membrane back to its natural state. 



But if, by any accident, the excrement is hardened in the tube, or its orifice, 

 which opens into the barrel of the ear, should be stopped up, so that no air 

 can be forced that way, the 2d method proposed, is to introduce into the 

 meatus auditorius externus, an ivory tube (fig. 1 1) as near to the drum as can 

 be done, and so exactly fitted, that no air can go in or out, between the skin 

 of the internal meatus and the tube. When it is thus fixed, take the farther 

 small end in your mouth, and by degrees draw out the contained air ; and it 

 will act like a sucker on the membrane, and draw it back to its natural state ; 

 then the person will hear as before. If this should fail, probably the violent 

 shock this membrane has suffered, may have dislocated some of the small bones; 

 in which case there is scarcely any remedy. And for the diseases that are called 

 nervous, he leaves them to the learned gentlemen of the faculty. 



In this ivory tube may be fixed a brass cock, (fig. ] 2) which, being turned, 

 will hinder the rushing in of the air, while the person who sucks, takes breath, 

 and can renew his suction. 



The flexible silver tube, for injecting the Eustachian tube, may be used without 

 the sheep's ureter, by being screwed on to a small silver syringe, as at fig. 13. 



Concerning a violent Hurricane in Huntingdonshire, Sept. 8, 1741. By Mr. 

 Stephen Fuller, Fellow ofTrin. Col. Camb. N" 46l, p. 851. 



This was the most violent hurricane of wind in these parts, that ever was 

 known since the memory of man. Cambridge was not in the midst of the 

 hurricane, so that it has escaped very well. Mr. F. happened to be at Blunt- 

 sham in Huntingdonshire, about 10 miles north-west of Cambridge. They 

 were there in the midst of the hurricane. The morning, till half an hour after 

 11, was still, with very hard showers of rain. At half after 11 it began to clear 

 up in the south, with a brisk air, so that they expected a fine afternoon. The 

 south-west cleared up too, and the sun shining warm drew them out into the 

 garden. They had not been out above 10 minutes, before the storm was seen 



