Jackson County sentinel. (Gainesboro, Tenn.) 1914-current, 1921-09-29
DOCTORS STUDY
SPEECH DEFECTS
United States Public Health Serv-
ice Takes Up Problem.
FINDINGS IN U. S. HOSPITAL

Investigations Of War Nsurosls Throw
Much Light on Suffering and other
Disorders Of speeoh-Dr. Blanton
Tells American Medical Association
Treatment Should Not Be Left to
ouacks and charIatans - Makes
Study of School Children.
Along with its other activities for
the benefit of ex-service men who were
obliged to have hospital care and
treatment following their return from
France, the United States government,
through its public health service, has
been studying speech defects and treat
Ing the former soldiers afflicted with
them. Speech defects developed in a
fairly large number as the result Of
the exigencies Of war.
What has been done In work along
this line was explained at the annual
meeting of the American Medical asso-
citation by Dr. Smiley Blanton, asso-
ciate professor Of speech hygiene, and
associate in neuropsychiatry at the
University of Wisconsin Medical
school, and attending specialist at the
speech clinic Of the United States pub
lie health service. DIR. Blanton's paper
appears In full in The Journal of the
American Medical Association.
The experience gained by those who
have been studying the matter leads
them to believe that disorders of
to adapt emotionally to social situa-
tons, or to a faulty motor mechanism,
either hereditary or acquired. Also,
| that the most worthwhile results
which are obtained at present are
those which aim at the underlying
cause and general hygiene and muscle
! training; and that training aimed at
the alienation Of the symptom alone
is pernicious because 1t obscures the
Issue and in hysterical cases actually
"sets" the disorder.
The physicians feel that this prob
lem, for so many years left In the
hands of quacks and charlatans and
unframed people, is most distinctly q
medical problem, and that neuropsy-
chiatric training is necessary for the
diagnosis and treatment of these pa
tients. DR.. Blanton strongly urged the
necessity for training medical students
In the value Of speech disorders as a
significant symptom.
DR.. Blanton began his paper by call
Ing attention to the fact that at birth
the speech area has not yet been de-
monstrated in the brain, and there
fore the development of speech is not
Inevitable. An intact auditory appa-
ratus, the presence Of intelligence, and
tenn are required for its proper devel
opment, plus certain emotional and so
cial demands and situations under the
stimulus of which 1t is organized.
Speech Disorders Form a Key.
Speech disorders, then, are early and
invaluable symptoms Of anomalies Of
intellect and emotional growth as well
as organic difficulties of the nervous
system he says.
II shall not touch on the organic
aphaslas, but shall confine the dis
cussion to the four tentative groups"
said DR.. Blanton; SD delayed speech;
(2) letter substitution; (8) oral mac
tivities of the articuatory organs; az
suffering, which includes the disor-
der Of stammering. These disorders
should be regarded as symptom COM
plexes rather than as disease entities.
These types are rarely simple and
clear cut"
The physician defined each of these
defects and told at length how they
were occasloned, SO far as is known.
Then he continued:
"Much light has been thrown on the
problem of suffering by the study Of
the war neurosis cases. At Base hos
pital, No. u, which, was receiving
hospital near the front, probably ~
per cent of the men had some sort of
disturbance of the speech. or break
In the rhythm, or of the type Of speech
which RCussy and Ihermitte called
'niggerbOy' speech, and which we clas-
sify as oral inactivity.
1--WE have had opportunity of MAX
ing intensive study of the postwar
neurosis cases suffering from speech
disorders at the speech clinic of the
United States Public Health Service.
hospital, No. 81, organized at the re-
quest of DIR. Lawrence Kolb, director
of the hospital, in January. 1920. Fiji
ty-two cases have PASSED through this
clinic. Statistics We're gathered from
10 of these eases i'm Which intensive
studies have been made.>
Before concluding that most of the
soldier speech cases Mere caused hv
psychOneurotic mechaniSns. comple,,
study of the physical condition was
made, as we'll as psychologist tests for
intelligence and menta! ima gery.
"The patients in the clinic, besides
having the benefit &c the General STAFF
of the hospital, are given individual
training b. the speech clinic staff.
Only a small part uf the treatment
deals with the speech per Sc, but con-
Germs itself with General muscle train