A NAVAL DIFFICULTY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 March 1907, Page 1

A NAVAL DIFFICULTY.

SOLVING THE QUESTION OF GUN DEAFNESS.

When in the war between Japan and Russia, the former captured the Variag it was found that the Russian crew weec not only deaf, but' absolutely dazed and helpless, through the concussion of the big guns, and Surgeon-General Suzuki, of the Japanese navy, stated that the cotton-wool plugs, which were served out to every man in the Japanese fleet before going into action w>ere found to Iw ineffective. . , At the present moment the tinted States navy is on the look-out for an efficient car-phi", and "" ' lic navies of the world would be glad to adopt any means of instrument by which the ears of the officers and men could be saved from the. shock of the "blast" and the devastation of the continued noise of heavy firing, while allowing thorn to hear the orders given. . , ... M the Royal United Service Institution recentlv Mr Arthur H. Cheatlc, aura surgeon to the Kings College Hospital ami to the King Edward VII Hospital for Officers, addressed a gathering of officers belonging to both services on the suojeet of gun-deafness and its prevention. The majority of the naval officers passim- through the &'»'-? ''''ward VII Hospital suffer from deafness, and among iho officers connected with the artillery arm of the army the same defect is observed. Nearly every gun crew in the navy suffer from deafness, and during a severe naval action it is probable that the tiring of guns and the bursting of the. enemy s sjiells woukU produce not only deafness, temporary or permanent, among the personel of the ship, but also a dazed mental condition which would have the effect of physical disablement. Mr Cheatle believes that he has come across an ideal material for an ear plug. It is a mixture of animal wool and modelling clay, and is easily worked into the ear" and* easily removed. Being plastic, it fits all aural passages—for no two ears are exactly shaped or sized—and while it saves the "shock of the "blast," it allows the wearer to hear the words of a highpitched human voice. So, at least, Mr Cheatle claims for it, and he produced a subject, filled his ears with the material., and then showed that the man could hear a high-pitched human voice. But there was no heavy gun-fire available to demonstrate tho other Essential condiThe discussion supported Mr Chcatle's views, and all the officers who spoke, agreed that a careless disregard of the effect >f gun-five upon the hearing sflbuld he reprobated by the authorities. There is no cure for 'established gun-deafness, and no power on earth can restore a shattered auditory nerve. Prevention alone, can deal witli it, and the meeting seemed to agree that .Mr Cheatle had advanced the solution of an important minor pro bletn ol iiav.il and military warfare.