PRIORITY, PIRACY, AND PRINTED DIRECTIONS: JAMES YEARSLEY'S PATENTING OF THE ARTIFICIAL TYMPANUM

UK Patent No. 2737 is one of the earliest patents applied to a hearing aid device and sought by aural surgeon James Yearsley (1805-1869) for his "Artificial Tympanums for the Ear." Although Yearsley never filed for Letters Patent, the provisional patent specifications cover both his device-a pellet of cotton wool affixed with a fine thread-as well as his method for applying the device into a patient's ear, which Yearsley argued was pivotal for ensuring the device's success. Yearsley first introduced his artificial tympanum in 1848 but did not file for a patent until 1856, at the height of his priority debates with Joseph Toynbee (1815-1866). Toynbee had introduced his version of an artificial tympanum in 1853, without acknowledging Yearsley's prior creation. This article examines the motives behind Yearsley's patent filing, arguing that Yearsley believed patenting the artificial tympanum would not only claim his priority and end piracy, but also preserve the integrity of his surgical method.