In Advice to the Deaf: The Present State of Aural Surgery (1840), John Harrison Curtis addressed to deaf individuals the importance of seeking out an aurist to receive a through examination of the ear. Acknowledging that some of his distant patients might be unable to find a skilled aurist in the countryside, Curtis describes how he put together a list of 61 questions to better serve distant patients and be able to diagnose them from their answers.

As seen below, the questions were developed in accordance with Curtis’ friend, Dr. Schmaltz of Dresden–but as I’ve discussed before, these questions were also used in Curtis’ practice at the Royal Dispensary. Some of the sources I’ve come across strongly suggest that the answers to these questions would determine the outcome of a deaf patient’s treatment. How overwhelming and terrifying it must have been!

P.s. Sorry for the poor quality of the photos–I really should invest in a scanner instead of relying on my iPad camera…