Introduction

Abstract

For the century from 1830 to 1930, we look at hearing loss as a bereavement in human communications, and at the evidential difficulties of recovering the emotional experiences of even the most famous hard of hearing people. A major running theme is the changing prerogative of the medical professions, especially looking at how the role of the otologist evolved, moving away from aural surgeons’ attempts to ‘cure’ deafness to a more adaptive role that sought to assist hard of hearing adults with life’s practicalities.