Abstract
IF the external auditory meatus is filled with saline solution and an alternating current is passed through the ear by means of an electrode immersed in it, a tone is heard. The pitch is determined by the frequency of the alternating current and may correspond to its fundamental or first harmonic1,2,3,4,5,6. If at the same time the stem of a vibrating tuning-fork is placed on the head, it is easy to obtain regular beats by adjustment of the A.C. frequency. This shows that the electric stimulus and the bone-conducted stimulus travel along a common pathway before they enter any all-or-none-mechanism. As v. Békésy7 has shown the same regarding air conduction and bone-conduction, it is clear that in electrical stimulation of the cochlea the same peripheral mechanism is involved as in stimulation by air-borne sounds.
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BÁRÁNY, E. Electrical Stimulation of the Cochlea. Nature 139, 633 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/139633b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/139633b0
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