an ordinary mortal to tell at first hearing the different shades of meaning attached to the multiplicity of vowels in the Fiji language. Except in the case of mutes who at some time in their past life have been able to hear and speak, the mind is a perfect blank as to the meaning of sounds, and, therefore, all that could be done at a first trial was to ascertain whether the audiphone enables them to hear with such distinctness as to recognize any difference in sounds, and to this extent the experimental test of last Saturday was quite satisfactory. One of the most experienced teachers in the institution stated to the Journal representative, during the evening, that, although he did not think the audiphone would put an end to his occupation as a teacher of deaf mutes, yet he did believe the instrument would prove very serviceable to persons whose auditory nerve had not been destroyed by disease. Those who were partially deaf would doubtless be able to hear with the aid of the audiphone much more easily and correctly than they could with an ear-trumpet; and it seemed evident from what had been witnessed that evening, that many cases hitherto considered hopeless might gain benefit from the new invention. Mr. Rhodes, the inventor, says he has known of several persons whose powers of speech have been recovered with the ability to hear, and mentions particularly the case of two sisters who had lived together, but had not heard each other's voice for a number of years, who were able during the first hour of using the new instrument to talk quite freely. Until last Saturday Mr. Rhodes had not exhibited the audiphone outside of Chicago, where he resides, and he chose the Indiana institution for his first test, because he recognized the fact that the benevolent institutions of this state are noted all over the country for their progressive management and the excellent educational advantages provided.” FROM THE INDIANAPOLIS DAILY NEWS. (Oct. 13, 1879.) Spectacles for the Ears-Interview with the Inventor of the Audiphone-A Boon to the Deaf. "Saturday afternoon a News reporter met Richard S. Rhodes, of Chicago, the inventor of the audiphone, a device that enables the deaf to hear through the medium of the teeth, and the deaf and dumb to hear and learn to speak. The external ear has nothing whatever to do in the hearing with this instrument, and in this respect it differs from all other helps to hear. In shape the audiphone is simply a large square Japanese fan, made of carbonized rubber, on the back of which is a cord stretched from the upper edge to the handle. By means of this cord the instrument is tuned, and the tension is regulated according to the distance the sound has to travel. Mr. Rhodes, when accosted by the interviewer, had one of these fans. He has himself been deaf for twenty years, unable to hear only the loudest noise. He placed the upper edge of this rubber fan against his two middle upper teeth. ear. "This fan,' he said, 'responds to vibrations just as the drum of the ear does. Sound is communicated to the brain and understood, as it produces the same vibrations on the auditory nerve as are produced through the medium of the Of course the deaf mute has to be taught what these vibrations are. When they can understand them they can hear by this instrument, and can talk, as the audiphone enables them to hear their own voice and to modulate it.' "How long have you been thinking about this instrument?' "Four or five years. The first were put on sale July 26, of this year. I had only a hundred made at first, and have had thus far only 1,300 manufactured. When I got 1 the first lot of the audiphones I took a ten-year old boy, a deaf mute, not extra bright, either, home with me, and in two weeks, with little more than half an hour's instruction each evening, I taught him to understand the alphabet, to count as far as ten, and quite a number of small words. Any one who knows the difficulty of teaching deaf and dumb children will appreciate this rapid progress. There are now deaf and dumb children in Chicago who, by means of this instrument, can hear and repeat whole sentences. The movement of the lips have nothing to do with it, for they can hear as well blindfolded as with their eyes open. The Princess of Wales is deaf. I sent her an audiphone a while ago. She probably got it last week. The son of John Bright, the great English statesman, while in Chicago, a short time ago, bought two. A gentleman bought one of me to send to a missionary in Turkey. Several have been sent to San Francisco. A lady and a gentleman of this city each have one. The gentleman is E. T. Johnson, an attorney here. I will show the audiphone at the Indiana Institute for the deaf and dumb this evening, the first institute of the kind at which it will have been exhibited. am convinced that the first institution that introduces it will be the first to teach by articulate sound. Deaf mutes can comprehend music before everything else, by means of this instrument, and can measurably enjoy it.' I "Mr. Rhodes, your audiphone seems to be as wonderful as that instrument told of by Thomas Hood in his Tale of a Trumpet, "I sold her a trumpet, and the very next day she heard from her husband at Botany Bay.": "Ha! ha! The instrument is not wonderful. I don't claim that; it is simple. I haven't been trying to sell any great number of them yet. People will find out what it is. You have no idea of the amount of correspondence I already receive. There is seemingly no end to the inquiries. I have had it patented everywhere and can afford to let it advertise itself. I certainly can make a fortune out of it in seventeen years. There are some persons, perhaps one in ten, of those called deaf mutes, to whose infirmity this invention can afford no help. It is those in whom the auditory nerve has been destroyed by disease. False teeth do not stand in the way of using the instrument if the plate fits tightly. Can I hear through the telephone? Oh yes, with this fan in my teeth. I hear the patter of the rain outside now, and the street noises. I can not hear whispers. The sounds must be articulate. The more I draw up this string at the back the more and the sharper the vibrations. I need to draw it up considerably to hear a bass voice distinctly. In is somewhat easier to understand female voices.' 66 "A bent piece of metal a tuning fork to teeth and seyeral similar experiments first gave Mr. Rhodes the idea of his instrument. Saturday evening he showed it at the parlors of the deaf and dumb asylum, several of the pupils manifesting unbounded delight upon discovering that they could hear music and the tones of the human voice. One young lady who had not spoken since she was quite a child was induced to attempt to pronounce her name. She did so with the audiphone to her teeth and was overjoyed to find that she could hear her own voice." FROM THE INDIANAPOLIS DAILY SENTINEL. (October 14, 1879.) The Audiphone-How it Works. "Mr. Cox, the agent for the new instrument called an audiphone, explained its workings to a Sentinel reporter yesterday. It is astonishing that it has only been invented so recently. It consists of a sheet of carbonized rubber, about 8 by 10 inches in size, to which is attached a handle. From the top of the fan extends a couple of cords, which are brought down and held by a small fastener in the handle. By this the tenston can be increased or diminished at pleasure. The edge of the fan is placed between the teeth, or allowed to rest on them, and the sound of a voice from in front passes over the fan to the teeth, and from thence to the auditory nerve, thence through the bones of the face. A deaf and dumb person can hear by means of this simple instrument, and of course can learn to speak. It will do away with the necessity for the aslyums over the country for such unfortunates. For the worst cases there is an additional sheet of a smaller size placed on the under side of the instrument, to assist in conveying back to them the sound of their own voices. The experiments made at the asylum on Saturday were highly satisfactory to all parties. The cost of the audiphone is $10 for the simple, and $15 for the compound." Letters patent for the Audiphone have been secured throughout all the world. The instrument can be procured by enclosing the price, and addressing RHODES & McCLURE, Methodist Church Block, Chicago, Ill. PRICE: Conversational Audiphone, Opera Audiphone, Extra Power, $10.00 2 |