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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    length be relieved of their deafness, may have their hearing restored by the treatment which I Note 73— continued these two instances neither the patients themselves, nor the general practitioners in charge, can justly be blamed for the loss of hearing. At the time they first sought specialist advice this loss could have been prevented by conservative mastoid operation ; at the time they underwent operation the disease had been allowed to go too fa/r, and fifty operations would not ha,ve availed to restore them. The loss of those ears was due to the misleading teaching of text-books, and on their writers the responsibility lies: on the men who should know enough of this disease to be able wisely and correctly to lead medical opinion, instead of which they follow old custom and treat the wrong end of the disease. Perennial flow the drops into the ear In futile wash of outfall not of source. They recommend treatment of the effect, and not the cause of disease. The enormous, yet preventable loss of hearing which now takes place through unchecked aural suppuration while patients are under treatment by orthodox methods, can only be due to a want of knowledge or a want of courage; a want of know- ledge that the disease may progress (as in the two cases just mentioned) and destroy the hearing in spite of the assiduous use of drops and powders, or, knowing this, a want of courage in not insisting on the perform- ance of an operation which is known to be necessary, in order to prevent the disease from destroying the hearing.*] [* A recent invitation tc lecthre abroad on this subject, which I received from a foreign teacher and writer on Otology, was accompanied by the following remarks : “We are all coming to your way of thinking, that suppurating