A contribution to the pathology of congenital deafness / by Edward Cock.

  • Cock, Edward, 1805-1892.
Date:
[1838]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A contribution to the pathology of congenital deafness / by Edward Cock. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    In the third case, not a vestige was to be found of the fenestra rotunda on either side; the usual situation of the membrane being occupied by solid bone. The temporal bones of this child were exceedingly large, although soft and spongy in texture. The cavities were more than usually capacious; and the Eustachian tubes presented a remarkable development, being three or four times larger than common. On one side, the aqueduct of the vestibule readily allowed the passage of a large bristle: on the other side, the canal could not be traced through the bone, although its two extremities were more than usually expanded. Sup- puration had taken place in one tympanum. With the exception of these malformations, and the scrofulous affections of the tympanum mentioned above, which were probably of recent occurrence, no deviation from the healthy state could be discovered in either of the five subjects examined. The Eustachian tubes were pervious; the bones, muscles, and membranes, entire and natural: the labyrinths were filled with their transparent fluid. In no instance did the auditory nerve present any peculiarity, although carefully traced from its origin to its distribution. The chorda tympani was present in every instance; but I cannot vouch for the integrity of all the little nervous fibrillae, which pass into the tympanum, and ramify on its walls, re- quiring the aid of a microscope for their dissection. In addition to these three cases of malformation, I may state a fourth; which was dissected by my friend Mr. Dal- rymple, and is now in his possession. In this instance, the aqueduct of the vestibule was so large as to admit the pas- sage of a small probe; whereas, in the natural state, a fine hair can with difficulty be introduced into the canal. In the same Number of the Medico-Chirurgical Transactions will be found a communication from Mr. Thurnham; which I read with considerable interest and satisfaction, since it de- scribes a similar malformation of the semicircular canals dis- covered in the ear of a deaf-and-dumb person. I am not aware of any other investigations having been made in this country. I have regretted, that, in the examination of the different ears which afforded the above results, the cochlea was not in every instance traced out with all the care that might have