firsts

Aurosage

The aurosage was manufactured in 1921. It is an electric carbon "hearing treatment" device. A battery housed within the case drove the earpiece which in turn massaged the ear. It was claimed that "upon continued use it would gradually restore hearing by circulating blood to dormant parts of the ear".

Vibraphone

(1923) Also known as the "Radium Ear" due to a radium coating. It supposedly exerted a "favorable influence on all tissues and resulted in marked and permanent improvement" in the hearing of individuals that had conductive hearing loss.

Electrical Aural Vibrator

The electronic (non battery type) aural vibrator was manufactured in 1925. It was an "ear massager" that was supposed to treat deafness and tinnitus. One could control the strength of the stimulus via a dial on the front of the unit.

Ear Candle

An ear candle is a hollow, conical tube made of fabric and wax. The smaller end of the candle is placed into the outer ear canal and the opposite tip of the candle is lit. The flame is thought to create a vacuum and along with the heat, soften the wax. The goal was to extract the impacted wax before you set your hair on fire!

Hush-Tone x-700

The Hush-Tone, manufactured in 1967, was an acoustic ear insert with a tiny tuning fork inside the device. Advertising suggested "the device was useful in amplifying sound and attenuating noise"!