A Historical Vignette “Be proud of yourself: you have a history!” “How do you like your labyrinth: straight or mixed?”

“How do you like your labyrinth: straight or mixed?” Usually, people think that a precise date, that of Cotugno’s publication concerning the aqueducts of the ear, is the interface between the concept of a labyrinth full of air and the concept of a labyrinth full of fluids. However, there is then a period of doubt lasting about a century! This paper endeavours to demonstrate that, in historical terms, dates are useful, but artificial, markers. It also provides an analysis of this period based on the types of criticism directed against the doctrine of the implanted air of the ear.