He was standing beside a mortar which, unexpectedly to him, was fired, causing rupture of the tympanic membrane, followed by hemorrhage from the ear.
Similar cases were reported in the recent naval engagements between the Chinese and Japanese.

Wilson reports two cases of rupture of the membrane tympani caused by diving.

Roosa divides the causes into traumatic, hemorrhagic, and inflammatory, and primary lesions of the labyrinth, exemplifying each by numerous instances.

Under traumatic causes he mentions severe falls, blows about the head or face, constant listening to a telegraphic instrument, cannonading, and finally eight cases of boiler-makers' deafness.

Roosa cites a curious case of sudden and profound deafness in a young man in perfect health, while calling upon the parents of his lady-love to ask her hand in marriage.