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142
The following diagram shows the case of two brothers of a family with a history
of deaf birth who were pure dominants; their marriages with normal women each
resulted in deaf birth.
The cases of sporadic deaf birth (31) and aphasia (1) presented no special points
of interest. The deaf birth was arrived at by exclusion, and, in the absence of
facilities for spcial tests, one can at present reach no further as to causation. The
acquired cases, 162 in number, are as has been previously pointed out, of the greatest
interest from the point of view of prevention. The following table gives details of
these cases:—
1. Diseases of the nervous system—
Meningitis— Boys. Girls. Totals.
Epidemic cerebro-spinal 0 1 1
Measles 0 1 1
Traumatic 0 1 1
Causes not ascertained 2 1 3—6
2. Infectious diseases—
Scarlet fever (suppuration) 4 5 9
Measles (suppuration) 2 2 4
„ (catarrhal) 4 3 7
„ (internal ear) 0 1 1
Diphtheria (suppuration) 0 4 4
,, (catarrhal) 1 1 2
Pertussis (suppuration) 1 1 2
„ (catarrhal) 1 1 2
Influenza (catarrhal) 0 1 1— 32
3. Other infective diseases—
Pneumonia (suppuration) 0 2 2
„ (catarrhal) 1 0 1
Congenital syphilis 1 6 7— 10
4. Primary ear diseases—
Middle ear catarrh 18 38 56
„ suppuration 20 20 40
„ „ results of 7 6 13—109
5. Injury 4 1 5— 5
162
It is noteworthy that diseases of the nervous system account for only 3.8 per
cent. of the acquired cases, a very great diminution, more apparent than real and
probably due to the increased number of middle ear cases called up for examination.
One case only was attributable to "spotted fever," a notable diminution, bearing
out the remarks in last year's report concerning this disease. In 50 per cent. of the
cases of meningitis there was no clue as to its causation.
Of the infectious diseases there were 32 cases, or 19.8 per cent. of all acquired
cases, as against 16.8 per cent. in 1925. As usual, the chief items are, in order of
frequency, measles (37.5 per cent.), scarlet fever (28.1), diphtheria (18.7) and whooping
cough (12.5). The preventabilitv of deafness in these cases is again well demonstrated.
In 19 the deafness was due to suppuration, in 12 to catarrh. In the former
the mastoid operation had been required four times on the right, once on the left,