HEARING WITHOUT EARS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 133, 4 June 1880, Page 4

HEARING WITHOUT EARS.

" Aunt Eanny " contributes tp /Scribner*s Illustrated Magazine for Girls and Boys the following interesting account of experiments with the newly-discovered audiphone : — " I was invited, with some very ex.cellenfc and humane people, to witness the wonderful scene of a number of deaf persons from the Deaf and Dumb Institute, who were made to hear through their teeth 1 They all had been deaf, — some from birth and some from infancy. There were four pretty^ pleasant -looking girls, and six or eight bright boys. One of the boys bad lost both arms, but the poor fellow had been taught the sign-language by his loving, patient teacher, and could show that|he understood ifc by waving and lifting his poor stumps of arms. As soon as we all were seated, a finelooking gentleman got up aud said : "I have been deaf for twenty years* I have tried all manner of epeaking-j trumpets, which did me very little) good, and I have made up my mind that, for the reßt of my life, I must never hear my children's voices, never listen to the sound of sweet music, but just lead a sad, silent life: 'One day I was talking to a friend with my watch in my hand, and carelessly! placed it against my teeth. To my astonishment I heard the ticking of thd watch, though it was utterly silent when placed at my ear. I began td make experiment*. I held a piece of bent metal to my teeth. I tried a tuning fork. I remembered that Beethoven, tbe great composer, who beoame very deaf, held a metallic roi between his teetb, the other end resting on the sounding-board of bis piano, and by this means he was able to bear the perfect music which bis brain had produced. I tested various ways of beot iog through the teetb, and , now after many trials, I have perfected this," and he held up wbat looked exactly like, a f&n. " Thip," he continued, "is (he audiphone. It is made of flexible, polished, carbonized rubber. Fine silk cords, attached to the upper edge, bend it over, and are fastened by. a wedge in tbe handle. The tension is. adjusted to suit the sound, as an opera-glass is adjusted to suit distance. The top edge of the fao ! rests on the upper teetb, and the sound waves strike its surface; the vibrations are conveyed by the teeth and the bones of the face to the acouatio nerve ' communicating with the brain." It was almost impossible to believe, ' but the gentleman called up one of the , deaf mutes, and standing just in front of him, gave a tremendous shout, which made ua all fairly bounce on our chairs, but the boy did not start, or move so much as an eyelash, which showed very plainly tbat ha had heard nothing. Then Mr Rhodes, for this is

the came of the inventor of thp audiphone, arranged the tension, [and placed cne in the boy's hand* adjusting it lo his teeth in this wayj. "A, B, C," said Mr Rhodes, in an ordinary tonp. At the Bound, the boy started, his face flushed, and he raised his band with a quick surprised motion!, He hea t dfor the first time in his life! He did not know wbat the sounds meant because to a deaf person English might es well be Greek: — a deaf persoD'a mind is a perfect blank as to the meanings of sound, though he may be able to talk fast enough on his fingers. Then Mr Rhodes went behind the boy and said : "A, B, C," a little louder, and his teacher made the sign of the letters, at tbe came time,— th« boy gave a ekip of delight, making the letters also. Wonder of wonders J he heard, and knew the sound of three letters! Then a lady played on the pianoj and the boy heard music for tbe first time! His hand moved up and down with a rhythmic motion, as if keeping time to pleasant sounds, for it was only tbat as yet to him, — he did not know it was called music. Then another boy was called, and the same experiments were tried, the first boy looking eagerly on, aod talking aa fast as bis fingers would go to the rest of the class. The second boy said in the sign language that he could. hear " very loud sounds." Mr Rhodes shouted at him enough to nearly crack his skull, but he showed no signs ot hearing, so his "very loud " must have been like a broadside of cannons. Bufc with the audiphone fco his teeth, he heard everything. All the boys were tried in turo, with nearly the same success, even to the poor fellow without arms. The audiphone was held to his teeth, and such a flood of happiness came over his face, and poured out of his eyes, that my own eyes were blinded with tears. The rich tones of a parlor organ, which a gentleman present played upon, seemed almost to translate him from earth to heaven. Ifc was not mußic to ,him ; ifc was a sweet melodious sound, the revelation of a sense which gave him a new and intense happiness. And now one of the girls, a pale, pretty little thing, was called fco the table. The audiphone wais placed to her teeth, and Mr Rhodes made a sound. I hope you understand that ifc was of no use for him to ask a question, because a deaf person has to begin like a baby to understand the meaning of sound ; the deaf must be educated as to what an articulate sound is to tell them. Ifc would be with them exactly like teaching a baby to talk. When the girl heard the sound, what a study her face became ! Waves of rose color passed over her cheeks, her eyes were uplifted, her hand was raised, the forefinger pointing to heaven. She

was asked in sign language to try to make an audible sound herself. Her face changed, her throat swelled with a great effort, and presently there issued from her mouth a dismal and prolonged groan. But she heard herself, and she continued the doleful sound, in her joy in a newly discovered sense, until the audiphone was taken away. She was not aware how unpleasant the sound was to others, — she was so absorbed in the great wonder of hearing herself. All the girls were experimented upon, — first with the human voice, then with music, and all heard. How they watched each other ! How their fingers talked back and forth ! How eagerly they pointed to ears and lips, nodding and smiling afc each other, rejoicing in tbis new found happiness ! But now. Mr Rhodes brought out a number of flat boxes, each holding an audiphone. He took them oufc, and gave one to each of tbe deaf mutes. Then a lady present sang an echo song, very sweetly, wiih the accompaniment of the piano. What a eight it was, — ns wiih audiphones at their teeth, the class listened to this mysterious sweetness, these harmonious sounds ! The pale, young girl stood motionless, rapt, absorbed, with parted lips, aud wide, uplifted eyes. A flood of light flowed over her faoe ; her capacity to understand what such [sound meent seemed greater than .that of the others • one almost would have thought that Bhe was having a glimpse of heaven. As tbe sweet voice of the eingor roße higher, higher, the young girl's hand and arm were raised to the utmost, the forefioger pointing upward ; but wiih the soft echo of the song, tho hand floated down with a qeutle wavering motion, aDd moved softly to and fro, in perfect accord with the time. As the swelling tones were raised a^ain, up went her hand, but her eyes never changed tiieir uplifted, almost spiritual, look, and her breath caose quick and trembling. Ch f c*n anyone measure tbe happiness that filled that child's sou', and so transformed that email, pale face ? That view of the first ineffable joy of hearing is something never to be forgotten ! The oiher children were {.fleeted in different wayp,— some waved their hands, some looked eagerly delighted ; the maimed boy's eyes looked big and black, end a broad smile opened his moutb, as if he were laughing, but he made no tuiible sound. After the song, Mr Rhodes requested the company to siog v Nearer, my God, to Thee." We rose from our chairs, and the beautiful hymn was sung, with the full accompaniment of the organ. I cannot describe the delight of the deaf girls and boys as the sweet, solemn Btrains struck upon the precious audiphones, held eloso to their teetb. They waved (heir hands to and fro, their faces glowing ; the young girl, as before, looking upward, raising her arm, witb pointing finger at the high notes, and lowering it gently at the low tones.. Big tears stood in the eyes of many of tho singers, and I for one shall never forget the scene. Mr. Rhodes bas sent an audiphone as a gift to the Princess of Wales, who is \ very deaf. These fans can be decorated and painted so as to be very beautiful, and a lady using one would never be v supposed to be deaf, if she playfully placed her fan against her teeth when she was conversing.