AUDITORY

AUDITORY, something belonging to the sense of hearing. See HEARING.

AUDITORY, AUDIENCE, is also a collective name, denoting an assembly of persons, hearing, or attending to a person who speaks in public. See ASSEMBLY, ORATION, etc.

AUDITORY is also used for the seat or bench where a magistrate, or judge, hears causes. See BENCH.



At Rome, the several Magistrates had Auditories or Seats of Justice according to their Dignity—Those of the superior officers were called Tribunals; those of the inferior, Subsellia. See TRIBUNAL, etc. The Pedanei had their Benches or Auditories in the Emperor's Portico.—Those of the Hebrews, at the Gates of Cities—The Judges appointed by the ancient Lords distributed Justice under an Elm, which was usually planted before the Manor-House, and served them for an Auditory.
Auditory Nerves, in Anatomy, a pair of Nerves arising from the Medulla Oblongata, and distributed, the one to the Ear, the other to the Tongue, Eye, etc. See EAR and TONGUE. The soft and spongy Branch of the Auditory Nerve being diffused through the Labyrinth and Tympanum of the Ear, is the immediate Organ of the Sense of Hearing. See HEARING. The Auditory Nerves make the seventh Conjugation, according to the way of reckoning of the Moderns; and the fifth according to the Ancients. See PAIR and CONJUGATION. Anatomists observe a singular Mark of the Wisdom and Contrivance of the Creator in the auditory Nerve’s being thus dispatched to different Parts; an admirable and useful Consent being hereby established between them.—Hence it is that most Animals upon hearing any uncouth Sound, are found to erect their Ears, and prepare them to catch it; to open their Eyes, to stand upon the Watch; and to be ready with the Mouth to call out, or testify their Danger: Accordingly most Animals when surprised or terrified, shriek or cry out, etc. See CONSENT OF PARTS. Dr. Willis observes a further use of this nervous Communication between the Ear and the Mouth; which is, that the Voice may correspond with the Hearing, and be a Kind of Echo thereof; that what is heard with one of the two Nerves may be readily expressed with the Voice, by the help of the other. Cereb. Anat. Cc. 17. Meatus Auditorius, or Auditory Passage, in Anatomy. See MEATUS.

AUDITORY