Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1825-06-22
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covered system tor the removal OF lmped-
iments of Speech and Defective Articula-
ton.
Among the numerous calamities to
which our nature is incident, there are
few so generally distressing as that of
defective utterance, whether it appears
in the mild form of hesitation in
speech, in the more confirmed stage Of
continual slammering, or in its crisis of
muscular contortions.
The experience Of every person who
has mixed much with society, will fur
nish him with examples of all these
varieties of imperfect articulation; but
unless they have been observed within
the circle of his own friends. or within
the sphere which circumscribes the
exercise of his own feelings, he has,
perhaps, never reflected on the ago.
MES to which its victim is exposed, or
on the heart breaking an,icipations
which it excites in all those who are
interested in his welfare. To Young
men Of great talents, of refined wit, and
of extensive information, who seems
destined to enliven and adorn the, cir
cles ia which he moves, the occurrence
of such calamity is perhaps the great
est 10 which Providence can subject
him. Conscious of powers which he
cannot exercise, without being the OBJ
ject of rldicnle, or without giving pain
to those who hear him, he resigns him.
self to the tranquility of silence; and
so far as retards the pleasures of social
intercourse, he is GU level with those
who are utterly destitute f,he organs
Of speech. To those who are destined
for public life, for the bar, the pulpit, or
the senate, the evils of defective utter
ance are still more appalling. All the
early hopes of professional success. are
at once extinguished. and the unfortu-
nate patient either becomes burden to
his friends and 10 himself, OF must en-
bark in new profession, for which
perhaps, neither his talents nor his edu-
cation have prepared him. When i'm
perfect articulations detorms the female
voice, its effects are yet more distress
sing. Under its mildest form, all the
entertainments of youth and beauty dis
appear;-every accomplishment, how
ever great, is thrown into the shade,
and all the hopes Of female ambition
are forever blighted.
The disease TO which we have allud-
ed, is admitted on all hands TO be beyond
the power of medical skill, and those
who have devoted themselves to its
cure have generally been teachers of
elocution, who have considered defects
of voice as coming within the range of
their profession. Without depreciating,
in the least, the humane and skilful
efforts Of these respectable practition-
ers, we may be permitted to say, that
no decided methods of cure have been
discovered, and that the causes Of de-
fective utterance have been as little
understood as they have been studied.
In this state of our knowledge on SUBJ
ject of the highest importance to socie-
ty, we were surprised to hear that MIR.
John Broster of Chester had discovered
method of removing impediments of
speech and defective articulation. Such
discovery we were strongly disposed,
along with many others, to rank among
those extrayagant pretensions, which
are so often intruded upon the public;
and Mr.. Broster seems to have been
so sensible of the prevalence of such
an opinion, that he appears to have de-
clined making himself known in Edin-
burgh in any other way than by the
cures which he performed. Several
cases of very striking nature soon
occurred to show the success of his
method.
A parsonage of rank and fashion,
whose defective utterance had been
generally known from constant inter-
course with society, was SO completely