Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-05-06
OF INTEREST TO sTUTTERERS.
Fact. which NAV BE of Service to Sufferers
from the Habit of Stammering.


stammering Is an affection Of the
vocal organs, causing hesltancy ana
difficulty of utterance. The best author
tiles now regard itss origin as distinct
from any physical defect.
There can be no doubt that the i'm
pediment is aggravated by physical
weakness or debility OF any kind, put
these influences have nothing TO 90 WIN
the primary cause OF the iniirmlty.
A nervous dread OF speaking Is
usually associated with stammering,
but this is rather result than q cause.
n constitutional nervousness was pro-
ductive of stammering the number OF
cases would be much greater and IN
cIude an excess of females over males,
whereas the fact is that men furnish by
far the greater proportion OF those SO
affected. besides stammererS are not
In general persons OF weak nerves
otherwise than in the act of speaking.
Nervousness is associated with speech
in stammering because of the conscious
ness that the defect Ia made the subject
Of observation.
The strength OF the impeachment lies
in habit, in mismanagemcnt OF the
breath and organs of utterance, rem
dered habitual in extreme youth; and
the requirement Of voluntary control
over the organs of speech.
Children have often been known to be
Infected with the habit by the most
casual example. If, on the first appear
ance OF this defect on the part OF
child, parents and nurses were careful 10
check it by patient direction and In
struction, an unfortunate habit of Q
lifetime might always be prevented.
Stammering usually makes its appear
ance at about the fifth year, but harsh
ness and Impotence with children,
especially II there is constitutional TIM.
idity combined with natural slownese OF
mental action, may induce it at even a
much later period.
The varieties Of stammerng are very
great. Sometimes there is great mus
cular disturbance and painful effort to
articulate certain letters. This trouble
arises from disordered respiration and
disappears when the habit Of closing the
CLOTHS is overcome and the air is
allowed to pass freely in and out OF
the lungs.
Another trouble consists In the re-
iteration OF syllables before words can
be fully formed. The source of this
difficulty arises from the habit of trying
to speak with the mouth rather than the
throat. All effort of speech should pro-
cced from the throat, and when this
change is made, tlueney can be easily
regained
Stammering is In nearly every case
quite durable by the cultivation OF q
habit of correct speaking. This car
only be acquired by studying the pro
cesses Of speech, the relation of breath
| to articulate sounds, the position OF
| the tongue and other vocal organs
and a patient application OF those
principles in slow and watch1u
exercise.
The lungs constitute pair of bellows
and the mouth in all its varying shape,
the nozzle of the bellows. The passage
of the throat must be kept open ant
the breath expelled. by means OF Thu
ascent of the diaphragm, not by down
ward pressure of the chest
All sound originates in the throat, an
all effort in speech must be thrown bac
behind the articulating organs, While
must be kept passive, yielding to tn
air, always opening to give it ext
and never resisting it by tho ascent
the tongue or of the jaw.
The head must be held firmly on tn
neck to give free play to the organs
and the fact never forgotten that lluene
of speech depends upon the unrestraine
emission of the mate rial of speech
which is breath.
The one difficulty found In curln
stammering by the application of thos
common-sense principles is that IL
victim of the habit has not the needle
patience and persistence to apply then
-IChicaCO r-Ocean.