Don Jaime's Ear

In the Foreign News section of TIME, under the heading Spain (Aug. 13), was printed an unconfirmed newspaper report (carried by The New York World and other journals) that Don Jaime, second son of Alfonso of Spain, was cured of congenital deafness by Dr. Curtis H. Muncie, Brooklyn osteopath. Corrections are in order from varied sources:

1) According to interviews attributed to Dr. Muncie upon his return, while his patient was said to be a European prince, it was expressly denied that it was Don Jaime. A meager description of his methods of " finger surgery " was given, whereby he claims to " reconstruct" the eustachian tube by manipulation through the mouth while the patient is under anaesthesia.

2) The Journal of the American Medical Association, in an editorial under date of August 11, recounts the history of Jaime's malady and the frequent sensational stories of his cure by members of various healing cults. Earlier investigations proved their falsity, and the Journal ends with the unqualified statement: " Meanwhile Don Jaime is still deaf."

3) A consensus of opinion among a number of competent otologists is to the effect that the anatomy of the eustachian tube would preclude its " reconstruction " by finger manipulation.