Destruction of the Membrana Tympani. 443 
was therefore so immediately apparent, that it could not be 
doubted by the most sceptical observer. 
Case 3. Mr. Round, of Colchester, consulted Dr. Baillie 
respecting his son, Mr. John Round, aged 17, who had laboured, 
from his birth, under such a degree of deafness as would have 
incapacitated him from engaging in business. Dr. Baillie, 
having satisfied himself that there was no nervous defect in the 
ear, referred him to me. I found that this gentleman had been 
born with an imperfect state of the fauces, which rendered him 
incapable of blowing his nose ; that the Eustachian tubes had 
no openings into the throat, and, therefore, that he was unable 
to force air from the mouth into the ear. The auditory nerves, 
however, were perfect ; for he could distinctly hear the beating 
of a watch, if placed between the teeth, or against the side of 
the head ; and he never had perceived any buzzing noise in his 
ears. I therefore advised him to submit to the operation of per- 
forating the membrana tympani ; to which he cheerfully con- 
sented. The moment this was done, a new world was opened 
to him ; and the confusion produced by the number of sounds 
which immediately struck his ear, made him sink upon a chair, 
almost in a fainting state. From this state he recovered in about 
two minutes ; and, finding that his hearing was completely re- 
stored upon the one side, he wished the operation to be performed 
upon the other; which was immediately done, with the same 
happy result, and without his experiencing the same confused 
sensation as before. 
Near two months after the operation, I had the pleasure to 
receive an assurance from him, that he had suffered no relapse, 
nor any inconvenience from the opening which 1 had made, 
and that his hearing continued perfect. 
3 L 2 
