Early hearing aid. Hashed out on another thread. I think muawiyah was the first one with the answer, and someone else chimed in with a link to contemporaneous similar device.
Here’s the thread.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2615864/posts?q=1&;page=51
I agree that’s the most likely explanation (early hearing aid). At the same time, I don’t know many people who talk into their hearing aid, as this lady clearly appears to be doing.