The nature and causes of catarrhal, "throat", or hereditary deafness : an explanation of paracusis willisii the mechanism of aural accommodation, the regulation of labyrinthine fluid pressure, the tightening of relaxed tympanic membrances and joints, the relief of tinnitus aurium with the description of a new method of treatment and some illustrative cases / by Charles J. Heath.

  • Heath, Charles J. (Charles Joseph), 1856-1934
Date:
[1912]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The nature and causes of catarrhal, "throat", or hereditary deafness : an explanation of paracusis willisii the mechanism of aural accommodation, the regulation of labyrinthine fluid pressure, the tightening of relaxed tympanic membrances and joints, the relief of tinnitus aurium with the description of a new method of treatment and some illustrative cases / by Charles J. Heath. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The well-known difficulties which have been ex- perienced when attempting to improve the hearing of patients with this kind of deafness have resulted in a common belief that no treatment is likely to do it good. Though its cause has never hitherto been satisfactorily explained, yet paracusis has long been observed to be such a bad sign in a case of deafness, that a prominent specialist formerly on the staff of an Ear Hospital, and now in charge of the special department at a General Hospital, recently informed me, that if deaf patients on consulting him were found to have paracusis, he told them not to come to him again as such deafness was incurable. Drug treatment has been tried for it. Such drugs as quinine and pilocarpine have, indeed, an effect, yet one that is usually only temporary, is always uncertain, and often pernicious. Note 1—continued Thus paracusis may be observed in one ear and not in the other. In a quiet room paracusis can often be demonstrated on a deaf person by applying a watch to the ear, and then placing a deep-toned vibrating tuning fork on the vertex* this often brings on a reflex- protective muscular action of the tympanic muscles, and if the hearing is thereby improved the patient may be regarded as having pnracutic deafness.] [* Barony has recently devised a “ noise machine ” which can be used for this purpose against a chair on which the patient is sitting ; it is, however, too noisy to be used in contact with the head or ear.]