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The author admits that the most universally accepted theory of hearing is that of Helmholtz. Other authors have advanced ideas of audition, some based on and others in contradiction to the Helmholz theory, but Dr. Mink can rank them only as hypotheses. Most of those hypotheses were advanced as preconceived ideas — that is, arguments were found to substantiate conclusions previously accepted. The author apparently is not satisfied with the theory of Helmholtz or the other theories of audition. As an introduction, he states that he is not to be embarrassed by a preconceived idea, and in his investigation of audition he is accepting the anatomic and physical conditions as he finds them.
The anatomy and physics of the middle ear is briefly discussed, and the impulse that is transmitted by the footplate of the stapes is accepted as a guide in the investigation of the labyrinth. This