The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-06-02
How to Cure Stammering.

Probably no human infirmity has been
the object of such diverse or such blum
dering and unscientific treatment. Even
so good surgeon as Diefenbach cut
wedges out of the tongue of the patient;
Itard made them speak holding gold
fork in their mouth; Series advised q
waving motion of the arms during
speech; Bertrand caused them to regu-
late the words to a rythmical motion of
the fingers, or to keep time to stick as
in the orchestra. He also placed sub
stances in the mouth. This had been
done centuries before by Demosthenes,
according to that unveracious gossip,
Plutarch. These might be termed me-
chanical attempts at cure.
Next to them came Gin the lecture of
which this is a Condensation musical
methods, and foremost among them
singing; it being well known that many
confirmed stammerers sing with perfect
articulation. Secondly, so-called Sc
cret method, which consisted in either
whispering or speaking in gruff, I'M
melodious tone. Thirdly, the very OPP
posite of this, as recommended by
Marshall Hall, namely, chanting or
monotoning. Fourthly, preceding all
abrupt and consonantal sounds by a
vowel such as E, recommended by
Arnott. Filthy, the plan of running
all the words of long sentence into
one, and thus acquiring as it were an
articulatory momentum.
Intellectual or rational methods
brought the lecture to close. First
among these is pausing and deliberate
ness. The stammerer may be compared
mechanically toa steamship which over
runs her crew, and treated similarly.
Secondly, the imitation of good models,
by reading in unison with an artculate
speaker. Thirdly, and perhaps best of
all, prefacing every sentence by deep
breath, which relaXes all the muscles of
speech, and enables them to start fairly
one against another. Fourthly, plan
was suggested which had succeeded adj
mirably in the lecturers experience
namely, that of learning a new Ian
guage. For this purpose none was bet
ter than French. Its pronunciation is
so thoroughly different from that of En-
glish that it requires and establishes a
| totally new coordination of muscles.
Moreover, its mode of habitual acquire
ment is entirely different from that of
English. Any one who will watch a
French child just rising out of infancy
must notice that whereas the charac-
ter of an English child's incipient
speech is "smudging" and confusion,
the others is slow, pompous and delib-
crate. 1t is not till later in life that the
French acquire that lightning-like
rapidity of speech which is the terror
of foreigners; while young they speak
well and slowly. The third lecture en-
ded with a few directions how to pro-
coed in case of stammering, and some
suggestions as to the prospects of cure.
As to the former, it is obviously desir-
able to examine carefully for the exact
seat and the exciting cause. of the de-
feet; most of the systems in vogue hav-
ing erred by exaggerating a particular
treatment to the exclusion of others
equally admissible. AS to the latter,
there is no doubt that stammerinp can
be cured. This was proved by such in
stances as Demosthenes, Wilberforce
and Kingsley. But it was equally
proved by the three names thus enumer-
ated that to conquer the vicious habit
required no usual amount of patience,
ability and determination. London
| Nature.