The Deaf | Page 9

secondary malady or ailment. The
larger portion is of the latter type, probably less than a fourth resulting
from original ear troubles.[19] In either case deafness occurs usually in
infancy or childhood, and does its harm by attacking the middle or
internal ear.

From diseases of the middle ear results over one-fourth (27.2 per cent,
according to the census) of all deafness, and from diseases of the
internal ear, one-fifth (20.7 per cent), very little (0.6 per cent) being
caused by disorders of the outer ear. Of the classified cases of deafness,
according to the census, 56.3 per cent are due to diseases affecting the
middle ear, and 42.7 per cent to diseases affecting the internal. Of
diseases of the middle ear, 72 per cent are of suppurative character,
often with inflammation or abscess, and 28 per cent non-suppurative, or
rather catarrhal in character. Of diseases of the internal ear, 89 per cent
are affections of the nerve, and 10 per cent of the labyrinth. It is to be
noted that when the affection is of the internal ear, the result is usually
total deafness.
By specified diseases, the leading causes of deafness are scarlet fever
(11.1 per cent), meningitis (9.6), brain fever (4.7), catarrh (3.6),
"disease of middle ear" (3.6), measles (2.5), typhoid fever (2.4), colds
(1.6), malarial fever (1.2), influenza (0.7), with smaller proportions
from diphtheria, pneumonia, whooping cough, la grippe, and other
diseases. A large part of deafness is seen to be due to infectious
diseases, the probabilities being that fully one-third is to be so ascribed,
with one-fifth from infectious fevers alone.
After birth and under two years of age, the chief causes of deafness are
meningitis, scarlet fever, disease of middle ear, brain fever, and
measles. From two to five scarlet fever and meningitis are far in the
lead, with many cases also from brain fever, disease of middle ear,
measles, and typhoid fever. From five to ten scarlet fever alone
outdistances all other diseases, followed in order by meningitis, brain
fever and typhoid fever. From ten to fifteen the main causes are
meningitis, scarlet fever, brain fever, and catarrh; from fifteen to twenty
catarrh and meningitis; from twenty to forty catarrh, colds and typhoid
fever; and from forty on, catarrh.
The following table[20] will show in detail the several causes of
deafness and their respective percentages.
CAUSES OF DEAFNESS

Total classified 48.5 External ear 0.6 Impacted cerumen 0.2 Foreign
bodies 0.1 Miscellaneous 0.3 Middle ear 27.2 Suppurative 19.6 Scarlet
fever 11.1 Disease of ear 3.6 Measles 2.5 Influenza 0.7 Other causes
1.7 Non-suppurative 7.6 Catarrh 3.6 Colds 1.6 Other causes 2.4
Internal ear 20.7 Labyrinth 1.8 Malarial fever 1.2 Other causes 0.6
Nerves 18.5 Meningitis 9.6 Brain fever 4.7 Typhoid fever 2.4 Other
causes 1.8 Brain center 0.3 Miscellaneous 0.1 Unclassified 45.3
Congenital 33.7 Old age 0.3 Military service 1.0 Falls and blows 2.8
Sickness 2.7 Fever 2.0 Hereditary 0.3 Miscellaneous 2.5 Unknown 6.2
In fairly approximate agreement with the returns of the census, are the
records of the special schools for the deaf in respect to the causes of
deafness in their pupils, with information also as to the amount from
the minor diseases. The following table will give the causes by specific
diseases, as found in one school, the Pennsylvania Institution, for two
years:[21]
CAUSES OF DEAFNESS OF PUPILS IN PENNSYLVANIA
INSTITUTION
1906 1907 PER CENT PER CENT
Total number 510 100.0 500 100.0 Born deaf 213 41.8 206 41.2 Scarlet
fever 43 8.2 47 9.4 Meningitis 36 7.1 40 8.0 Falls 24 4.7 25 5.0
Diseases of ear and throat 13 2.6 23 4.6 Catarrh and colds 13 2.6 -- --
Measles 18 3.5 18 3.6 Brain fever 17 3.3 16 3.2 Convulsions 14 2.8 13
2.6 Abscesses 10 2.0 12 2.4 La grippe 10 2.0 7 1.4 Accidents (not
stated) 9 1.8 7 1.4 Whooping cough 7 1.4 7 1.4 Typhoid fever 7 1.4 6
1.2 Diphtheria 6 1.2 6 1.2 Mumps 5 1.0 5 1.0 Paralysis 5 1.0 4 0.8
Marasmus 2 0.4 4 0.8 Pneumonia 4 0.8 2 0.4 Dentition -- -- 2 0.4
Dropsy of blood 2 0.4 -- -- Chicken pox 1 0.2 1 0.2 Poisoning 1 0.2 1
0.2 Intermittent fever 1 0.2 1 0.2 Blood clotting on brain 1 0.2 -- --
Cholera infantum 1 0.2 -- -- Gastric fever -- -- 1 0.2 Sickness (not
stated) 10 2.0 8 1.6 Unknown 37 7.3 38 7.6
POSSIBLE ACTION FOR THE PREVENTION OF ADVENTITIOUS
DEAFNESS

In respect to present activities for the prevention of adventitious
deafness, we find the situation very much like that of marking time.
Deafness, since the beginning of time, has largely been accepted as the
portion of a certain fraction of the race, and any serious and determined
efforts for its eradication have been