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18
In the cases dealt with, however, the condition responsible for the
hearing loss has yielded readily to treatment and there has been substantial
improvement in hearing in almost every case. The parents
co-operate by attending with their children regularly.
The results of the Audiometer Tests and Treatment, as represented
in the preceding tables, are also presented in graphic form (see following
pages).
Graphs AA and BB relate to the Audiometer Tests and show the
comparative percentages; in the case of Graph AA, of children who
passed and failed, in two groups, that is, Infants (4 to 7 years) and
Older children (over 7 years), and are further sub-divided into groups
of Boys and Girls. Graph BB shows in percentages, three groups, the
result of the hearing tests:—
A. Those with normal hearing.
B. Those with slight defect.
C. Those with severe defect.
Graph CC is a record of the ears which were treated and not a
record of ears in which some defect was found. In a number of cases,
e.g., where there was a large dry perforation, no treatment was given.
The figures represented by the check columns relate to the measure of
hearing defect BEFORE treatment, that is to say, there were 95 ears
included within the degrees of normal hearing. These are shown to the
left of the vertical dotted line. This line indicates the division between
6 units and 9 units and is the threshold of defective hearing. These
95 ears were the better ears of children who had defective hearing in
one ear only. Those to the right of the vertical line were of varying
degrees of subnormal hearing in one or both ears.
AFTER treatment the redistribution of the totals at each intensity
is shown by the black columns.
As a result of the treatment instituted for the defective ear, the
hearing in the better ear frequently became more acute. This is seen
in the column relating to 6 units loss on Graph CC, where the numbers
of these ears are less after treatment than before, some having been
transferred to other columns showing greater acuity of hearing.
The tests have been carried out by Mr. Cowan and Nurse Whitaker,
and the Department is indebted to them for the enthusiasm they have
shown. The graphs have been prepared and drawn by Mr. Cowan. The
illustration (Fig. 1) is reproduced by courtesy of the Editor of "The
Teacher of the Deaf."