Stammering Nature And Treatment - 1860

BOSTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

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Ol

S

TA M M E R

I

N G

AND

STUTTERING, THEIR

NATURE AND TREATMENT, BY

JAMES HUNT,

PH.D., F.S.A., F.R.S.L. F.E.S.,

[Honorary Secretary of the Ethnological Society of London.)

FOREIGN ASSOCIATE OF THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF PARIS,

CORRESPONDING MEMBER OP THE UPPER HESSE SOCIETY

FOR NATURAL AND MEDICAL SCIENCE, AUTHOR OP

A "manual of THE PHILOSOPHY OF VOICE AND SPEECH," ETC., ETC.

247

*

LONDON: LOXGIMAN, GREEN, LONGIMAN, A.ND ROBERTS,

PATERXOSTER ROW. MDCCCLXI.

%

j

LANGUAGE

IS

TO THE MIND

WHAT BEAUTY

IS

TO THE

BODY." Aristides the Rhetorician.

,

TO MY PUPILS.

To

you,

my

dear pupils,

who have felt

the physical

and mental pangs attending impeded utterance, and the feeling of relief

find vent

'

in

when

the

'

thoughts that breathe

words that burn,' I dedicate

I cheerfully acknowledge the

have received from you, has been

and I

many

am

my privilege to remove or

this

'

readily

volume.

tokens of gratitude I

equally thankful that alleviate

it

your infirmity

so that you are now enabled to do the work assigned to

you in

this world.

That you may succeed and prosper you have chosen,

will always

in the respective paths

remain the sincere wish of

Your

Ort House, near Hastings.

December, 1860,

faithful Friend,

JAMES HUNT.

PREFACE

The

third edition of

my

Stammering" being out of

" Treatise on the Cure of

print, I

have embraced this

opportunity of issuing the present work

another edition of the Treatise. the

latter

necessarily

is

Though a

embodied

in

I trust,

improvements made, that

considered as essentially a

now

new

book.

The

lieu

of

portion of

this

yet the whole has been so altered and so tions and,

in

volume,

many it

addi-

may be

reader

may

search without disappointment for every phase of

defective utterance, as the present

volume contains, in

a condensed form, a comprehensive survey of nearly all

theories and remedies proposed in relation to impedi-

ments of speech, from the

earliest period to the present

time.

For reasons stated tliat

in the text,

it

is

not pretended

a mere perusal of these pages will enable afflicted

persons to cure derive from

it

themselves

;

but they certainly will

everv information as to the nature of

their

infirmity,

as

well

as the

conviction that im-

pediments of speech, so long held to be incurable, are as

amenable

human One

to

treatment as other disorders of the

frame.

main objects of this work

of the

is,

moreover, to

impress on parents and guardians the great importance of meeting

the evil in

embryo,

so.

as to prevent

it

taking root.

In expressing,

finally,

favourable reception subject have fession,

it

acknowledgments

it

for the

former contributions to this

met with from the Press, the Medical Pro-

and the Public generally,

add that little

my

my

has been

my

volume as complete

I

may be

allowed to

anxious desire to render this as possible, in order to

more worthy of the favour bestowed on

its

make pre-

decessors.

JAMES HUNT. Ore House, near Hastings, December, 1860.

—

—

CONTENTS. CHAPTER

I.

Introduction. Impediments of Speech a real

affliction

—Production

of Voice and Speech — The Vocal Cords — The Organs of Articulation — The Principal Nerves distributed

paratus pressive

upon

—Alalia

the

Vocal and Articulating

Ap-

—Synonyms

ex-

and Dyslalia

......

of Impediments of Speech

languages

CHAPTER

in

Page

1

n.

Stammering and Stuttering Defined. The Meaning of Words

various

,/

— Stammering as contra-dis-

from Stuttering— Stammering and — Consonantal Stammering—Action of Velum — The Chief Causes of Stammering— Stut^ — Vowel Stuttering— Consonantal Stuttering

tinguished

its

Causes

the

tering

Principal Causes of Stuttering

CHAPTER

Page

.

11

III.

Minor Defects of Articulation. Defective Enunciation of the Consonant tural

and

the

castle

burr

moval

of

Lingual R

R

Alcihiades

— Demosthenes—Method for the

Defect

—Affected

The Gut-

— The Netvthe

Re-

Rhotacism

Sigmatism —Rhinism — Cluttering and Pattering

— ^

Page 25

Vm

CONTENDS.

CHAPTER

IV.

Statistics ok Psp:llism.

— The Female — Injinence of Languages on Impediments of Page 35 Speech — Stuttering among Savages

Number of Stutterers and Stammerers Sex

.

.

CHAPTER

V.

External Influences ox Articulation. Hereditary Transmission

— Temperament — Emotions

—Influence ofTemjjerature Injluences — The

Psijchical

— Illustrative

Cases

— Remarks

on cer-

tain received Opinions in relation to Stamynerinq

and

Page 40

Stuttering

CHAPTER

VI.

Historical Review of the Chief Theories and Modes of Treatment. First Period First

Scripture

Hippocrates

Galenus

Records

— Herodotus —

Aristotle

—

— Plutarch — Demosthenes— Celsus—

—Meaning of Terms CHAPTER

.

.

.

Page

55

VII.

Historical Review, &c.

Second Period. Mercurialis— Bacon — Amman — Sauvages — Frank Ita rd— Deleau — Serres — Rullier—3Ic Cormac — Hervez de Chegouin — Arnott— Midler— Schul— Bell — Voisin —Marshall Hcdl— Lichtinger — American Theory and Method — Jourdant — thess

Carpenter

Pa(;e Qb

IX

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER

Yirr.

Surgical Operations.

— Aetius — Fahricius Hildanm — — Phillpp and Velpeau — Amussat— Bonnet — Petreipiin — Lang^ihacli — The American .Surgeons — The English Surgeons— Danger and Usclessness of Operations—Dr. Claessen —

Galen

Diefferibacli

Frorlep

....

these

Summary of Operations

CHAPTER Is PsELLisM

The

late

Page 110

IX.

A Disease ?

— Gellius-Ulpian — and Chorea — France —Psellism some

Mr. HnnVs Opinion

Organic Defects

— Cases—Psellism

Treatment of Chorea

in

in

Cases the Cause and not the Effect of Disease,

CHAPTER

Page 120

X.

System of the late Mr. Hunt and Peactice OF the Author.

—System of Thomas Hunt—StateAuthor —Benefit derived from Perusal of Written Instructions— Self-cure—Remarks on elder HunVs System — Treatment — Psychical Treatment—How Detect Organic Malformation — Effects of Removal of Im-

Secret Remedies

ment of

the

the

the

to

the

the

Page 129

pediment

CHAPTER

XI.

jVIanagement of Stuttering Children.

—Joseph Frank— When Stam—Importance of Meeting Outset — Elocution — Relapses—Re-

Ihe Flogging System mering

is first

Evil at the

noticed

marks by Dr, Warren— Concluding Remarks^

the

Page 145

CONTENTS.

Appendix A,

—

Memoir of the late Thomas Hunt Dr. Forhes and Messrs. Mr. Liston on Mr. Hunfs System Chambers and Forster Death of Mr. Hunt-^

—

—

Pretenders

System

to his

Appendix B. Hints

to

Appendix

Stammerers

.

^

.

.

.....

Page 156

Page

167

Page

172

C.

Testimonials,

^x

CORRIGENDA.

Pace 40.—Heading

of Chapter

Toa

Articxdation read External Ivflxienccs

Page 71.— Bottom

ox

External Influences of Articulation.

line for Medicals read Medicales.

CHAPTER

I.

INTEODUCTION Among the many calamities incidental

to

human nature

there are few so distressing as confirmed stuttering, especially

cular

that variety

contortions.

which

attended with mus-

is

Those persons

occasionally met with cases

who have

only

of defective utterance in

general society, can have but a faint idea of the agony of its victims, unless they have witnessed

domestic

circle, or in subjects

feel interested.

It is, indeed,

see a youth, born to a lect,

in

its effects

in the

whose welfare

they-

a melancholy spectacle to

good position, of refined

intel-

possessing extensive information, seemingly des-

tined to gifted,

adorn society, and yet,

though so highly

unable to give oral expression to his thoughts,

without inflicting pain on those

who

listen ^to

him, or

B

— STAMMERING AND STTJTTEKING.

2

subjecting himself to ridicule is pitied,

the stutterer

But not only

is

;

for,

while the deaf-mute

generally laughed at.^

the victim of defective utterance

is

debarred from the pleasures of social intercourse, he

must

up

also give

all

hope of professional success, at

the bar, the pulpit, the senate, and the chair, and

must

some new path

strike out for himself

perhaps, neither his talent nor inclination

Nor

when

it

is

an impediment

affects a

—" Foeminaa is

becoming

license.

is, if

serve to

graces a yoimg lady

may

of Horace,

stammering

a slight singularity

draw attention

possess

that confirmed stuttering throws of youth and beauty

— that

not sheer irony, a poetical

It is just possible that

may

him.

fit

The adage

verba hatha decent^''

of enunciation

which,

of speech less distressing

young female.

in females

for

;

all

to other

but certain

it

is,

the enchantments

into the shade,

and must even-

tually blight her happiness.

A

popular author has well depicted this distressing

affliction in

*

the following verses*.

To laugh

at the mi; fortunes of our fellow-creatures is

grimaces of

certainly very wrong, but so ludicrous are the

most

stutterers, that

in the face. (/7

tartaglia)

it is

The lud an

next to impossible not

to

to play the part of the stutterer."

Univ. J. Frank).

laugh them

stage had, in ray time, a special actor (P/a.r.

Med.

—

—

;

INTRODUCTION.

Complaint*

Tlie Stammerer's

" Has't ever seen an eagle chained to the earth

?

A restless panther to his cage immured A SAvift trout by the wily fisher checked A wild bird hopeless strain its broken wings r" ?

?

'*

Or ever felt, at the dark dead of night, Some undefined and horrid incubus, Press down the very soul, and paralyse The limbs in their imaginary flight From shadowy terrors in unhallowed sleep

*****

"

Then thou In

real,

can'st picture

:"

— ay, in sober truth

unexaggerated truth

The constant galling, festering chain that binds my mute interpreter of thought The seal of lead enstamped upon my lips, The load of iron on my labouring chest, The mocking demon, that at every step, Captive

Haunts me, and spurs me on '

I scarce (I

would wonder

if

—to burst in silence.

a godless

name not him whose hope

is

man

heavenward),

A man whom lying vanities hath scath'd And harden' d from all fear — if such an one, By this tyrannical Argus goaded on, Were

to

be wearied of his very

life.

And daily, hourly foiled in social converse By the slow simmering of disappointment. Become

Were

And

a sour'd

and apathetic being,

to feel rapture at the

long for his dark

approach of Death,

hope— annihilation,"

* Ballads for the Times.

By Martin

Tupper.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

4

Production oj Speech.

The

production of speech

agency of the

is

organs. ^'Hie function of respiration

independent of articulation

;

by the conjoint

effected

and articulating

vocal,

respiratory,

may be

carried on

but voice and speech

cannot be produced without the action of the respiratory organs.

The

respiratory

apparatus includes the lungs, the

trachea (windpipe), the rU^s, and

all

the muscles con-

nected with them, the diaphragm and the abdominal muscles.

The production

of the voice takes place in the larynx

— a cartilaginous box situated

at the

anterior part of

the neck on the top of the windpipe, with which

connected by membranes and ligaments.

downwards

On

it

is

looking

into the interior of the larynx, there

may

be observed on each side two folds of the mucous lining

membrane.

These

folds,

which are composed of

highly elastic tissue, have received the name of vocal cords or vocal ligaments.

The cerned are

inferior

in

called

membranes

membranes are the organs

the

production

of

voice

;

chiefly con-

hence

they

the true vocal cords, while the superior are

termed the

false

vocal cords.

The

INTRODUCTION.

5

narrow opening between the true vocal cords

called

is

the rima glottidis (chink of the glottis) or simply the glottis.

The vocal cles,

cords are acted upon by a variety of mus-

which have the power of shortening, elongating,

or stretching them,

produced.

by which the

But though

all

varieties of pitch are

the fundamental sounds are

produced in the larynx, they may, by the action of the organs between the glottis and the external apertures,

such as the pharynx, the soft palate, the tongue, the

become

teeth,

&c., be

sounds

— a combination of which constitutes speech.

so modified

The muscles by which

as

to

articulation

articulate

effected are,

is

at first, only partially subject to the will.

Thus we

have a control over the movements of the

lips,

the

cheeks, and the greater portion of the muscles of the

tongue

;

palate,

and those muscles of the tongue which carry its

root

but over the muscles of the pharynx, the

upwards or downwards, our power

is

soft

not so com-

plete.

"

We may tell the patients,"

depress the tongue because

make many

efforts,

and

volition that the action

it

it is

is

observes Magendie " to

hides the tonsils

;

they

more by chance than by

obtained.

If they are desired

to raise the velum, the will has scarcely

any power.

— STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

6 It is the

same with regard

to the production of sounds

The voice

in the larynx

and in speaking.

Ave articulate

without exactly knowing what movements

is

are passing in the larynx or in the mouth.

marvellous

of the

results

of

animal

produced,

This

is

one

organisation.

This perfect mechanism, by which the most complicated acts are executed

is

not subject to the will

an

;

admirable instinct presides, the perfection of which will

always remain beyond

instinct

human

ken.

It

is

this

which presides over the innumerable move-

ments requisite

for the production of voice

and speech."

These opinions of Magendie have been much canvassed ;

but they are in the main correct.

does not say, as he

is

Magendie

represented, that the muscles of

the root of the tongue, the soft palate, and the pha-

rynx are not under our control, but only that they are not completely

so.

They may thus be considered

involuntary muscles in the act of deglutition

;

as

but they

are completely under the influence of the will of a perfect speaker or singer, although, like

may

not be cognisant of the state of the particular

muscles called into motion, nor of the

he

an acrobat, he

effects their

The

wliich

harmonious action.

principal nerves

of the vocal

mode by

upon which the healthy action

and articulating apparatus depends are

:

INTRODUCTION.

The

inferior

laryngeal

branch

{Pneumo-gastric) called, from

its

7

of

the

10th

pair,

peculiar reflex course

to the larynx, the recurrent nerve, supplying

most of

the muscles of the larynx. 2.

The glosso-pharyngeal, supplying the tongue and

the pharynx. 3.

The

nerve {portio dura), by which the

facial

movements of the 4.

face

and the

The hypoglossal or

lips are regulated.

lingual nerve, the principal

branches of which are distributed to the tongue, of

which

it

is

the principal motor;

to

which must be

added the phrenic nerve, supplying the diaphragm, and in fact,

most of the nerves connected with respiration.

All the muscles supplied by these nerves must act in

harmony

in the production of speech

control over the emission of voluntary

these muscles

may

and a want of

;

power

to one of

number of other muscles

afiect a

with which they are in the habit of acting conjointly."^'

"We thus perceive that the process of utterance

is

determined by a variety of nervous tracts upon which

*

For a minute description of

vocalisation and

articulation,

all

the organs concerned in

the reader

is

referred to the

Author's work, Philosophy of Voice and Speech. Co.. 1859.

Longman and

:

STAMMEEING AND STUTTEEING.

8

the activity of the muscles of the abdomen, the thorax, the larynx, the pharynx, the tongue, and the face

Though each

depends.

of these organs has

its

pecu-

liar functions,

they must act synchronously, or in certain

successions.

If,

by an

then, their association be interrupted

altered condition of any of the respective nerves

or muscles, the emission of certain sounds and their articulation,

becomes impeded.

Speech, then,

is

articulated voice

;

but the instant

of time which intervenes between the formation of the

sound in the larynx, and of the ciated,

mouth

is

so short, that

articulation in the cavity it

can scarcely be appre-

hence the production of voice and speech appear

as synchronous

(^The

its

phenomena.

perfection of speech depends

:

1.

On

the development of the mind.

2.

On

the healthy state of the vocal and articulating

apparatus. (

3.

On

the right use of

all

the organs concerned in

the production of voice and articulate sound.

The

entire deprivation of speech

may

result

from

either of the following causes .

*

1.

From

imbecility of mind, as in perfect idiocy.

2.

From

deafness, congenital, or acquired,

/3.

From

serious defects in the organs of speech.

and

INTKODIJCTION.

The not

state technically called Alalia,"^ or mutelsin, does

any

concern

further

us,

the

of this

subject

being Dyslalia,] which consists, either in the

treatise

impossibility

or

difficulty

of correctly forming

and

enunciating certain articulate sounds, or of properly conjoining the elementary sounds for the purposes of

thus embraces

Dyslalia

utterance.

distinct

every

species of defective utterance, each appearing under a

variety of forms.

Synonyms

expressive of impediments of speech in general in various languages.

Hebeevt.

—Kobad

stammer)

Greek.

;

peh (slow of speech);

loag (to

eleg (a stutterer).

— Psellismos

;

Traulismos

;

Ischnophonia

;

Battarismos.

Latin.

—Balbuties

Fkench.— Begayer

blaesitas

;

;

;

haesitantia linguae.

barbouiller

;

balbutier

;

bre-

douiller.

Italian.

—Balbetare;

* A, priv.

lalia,

speech.

tartaliagre

scingulatio.

See the chapter on deaf-dumbness,

Philosophy of Voice a7id Speech.

t

;

Longman and

Drjs, difficult; lalia,

speech.

Co., 1859.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

10

Spanish. Gaelic.

—Tartamudear.

— Gaggach

dach (lisping)

Anglo-Saxon.

German.

;

;

gagganach

(a stutterer)

— Stomettan

;

stamer

;

pblips

— Stammela;

stottern; anstossen.

— Stammer;

stut; stutter; lisp.

English.

;

man-

briot (chitter-chatter). ;

melyst.

CHAPTER

ir.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING DEFINED.

THE MEANING OF WORDS.* "

When

I

began

examine the extent and

to

tainty of our understanding, I found that

it

had so near

a connection with words that, unless their force

manner of

signification

would be very

little

were

first

said clearly

cer-

and

well observed, there

and pertinently con-

cerning knowledge."

"

He

that shall consider the errors and obscurity, the

mistakes and confusion that are spread in the world

by an

ill-use of

words, will find some reason to doubt

whether language, as

it

has been employed, has contri-

buted more to the improvement or hindrance of knowledge

"

I

among mankind,"

know

there are not words enough in our language

* Extracts from Locke's Essay on the

Human

Understanding.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

12 to

answer

all

the variety of ideas that enter into man's

discourses and reasonings.

But

when he

may have

uses any term he

this

determined idea, which he makes

which he should keep

it

it

hinders not that

mind a

in his

the sign

of,

and

to

annexed during that

steadily

discourse." It

will presently

appear

how

forcibly

remarks of our great philosopher apply

these just

to our subject.

Stammering as contra-distinguished from

Stuttering.

The terms "stammering" and "stuttering" this country

synonymously used

this subject has the exact discrimination

these disorders, which

been

to designate all kinds

In no English M'ork written

of defective utterance.

upon

laid

down with

diflfer

scientific correctness.

for

between

both in kind and in origin,

confusion of terms have arisen

and in practice,

are in

many

From

this

errors in theory

no treatment can be

efficacious

unless our diagnosis be correct. It

is,

therefore, requisite that the distinctive cha-

racter of each affection should be clearly defined at the

very outset.

Stammering {per se)

is

characterised by an inability or

difficulty of properly enunciating

some or many of the

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING DEFINED.

13

elementary speech-sounds, accompanied or not, as the case

may

be,

by a slow,

hesitating,

more or

less indis-

tinct delivery, but unattended with frequent repetitions

of the initial sounds, and consequent convulsive efforts

surmount the

to

difficulty.

Stuttering, on the other hand,

a vicious utterance,

is

manifested by frequent repetitions of

initial or

other

elementary sounds, and always more or less attended with muscular contortion^.

Having thus each disorder,

concisely stated the distinctive

proceed to consider them

I

mark

of

in their

individual characters.

Stammering and (.

Vowel Stammering.

— The

Causes.

its

belief

that

stammering

occurs only in the pronunciation of consonants is certainly erroneous defect,

nants.

sounds,

;

though not

The

the vowels are equally subject to this to the

proximate

may have

same extent causes

as the conso-

of defective

vowel

their seat e'ither in the vocal ajjpa-

ratus, or in the oral canal.

The

original sounds

may

be deficient in quality, from an affection of the vocal ligaments, as in hoarseness

;

or the sounds

may be

altered in the buccal and nasal cavities, from defects,

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

14

or an improper use of the velum

Enlargement of the

vowels are frequently aspirated. tonsils, defective lips

and

teeth,

may be

may

also influence the

But the whole speech-

enunciation of the vowels.

apparatus

and yet the enun-

in a healthy state,

ciation of the vowels

which cases tho

in

;

may be

faulty,

from misemploy-

ment, or from defective association of the various organs

upon which the proper depends.

articulation

of

the vowels

In some cases the faulty pronunciation

may

be traced to seme defect in the organ of hearing.

Defective enunciation of Consonants.

Consonantal Stammering may, like that of the vowels,

be the result of an organic affection, either of the vocal

When, for

apparatus, or of the organs of articulation.

instance, the soft palate, either from existing apertures

or inactivity of

its

muscles, cannot close the posterior

nares, so that the oral canal

may be

separated from the

nasal tube, speech acquires a nasal timbre, and the articulation of

B

many

consonants

is

variously affected.

and p then assume the sound of an indistinct

f/and

t

sound somewhat

like n

;

and g and k

The action of the velum during speech cribed by Sir Charles Bell.

is

m

;

like ng.

thus des-

STAMMEKING AND STUTTEr.ING DEFINED " In a person after the

whom I

had the pain of attending long

bones of the face were

I could look

and

velum rose convex, so

rupt the ascent of breath in that directon

palate, the

On

whom

I

it

was

in

and when the person pronounced the

explosive letters, the

lips parted, or

in

During speech

ation of the vchim palati. ;

lost,

the palate, I saw the oper-

down behind

constant motion

15

as to inter-

;

and

as the

the tongue separated from the teeth or

velum recoiled

forcibly."

the other hand, closure of the nasal tube either

from a

common

cold or other obstructions, affects the

articulation of m, b, d, g,

n, n^,

which then sound nearly as

hard. {Sec Rhinism).

The Chief Causes of Stammering.

The

variety of defects

result either

which constitute stammering

from actual defective organisation

from functional disturbance.

may be enumerated

:

Among

or

organic defects

hare-lip, cleft-palate,

abnormal

length and thickness of the uvula, inflammation and

enlargement of the

tonsils,

abnormal

size

and tumours

oC|he tongue, tumours in the buccal cavity, want or defective position of the teeth, &c.

Dr. Ashburner, in his work on Dentition, mentions

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

16

a very curious case of a boy who, though not deaf,

This he attributed to the smallness

could not speak.

of the jaws, which taking at length a sudden start in

growth by which the pressure being taken dental nerves, the organs

learned to speak.

became

— for

sounds, including even the dentals, aid, as is

all

may

the speech

be pronounced

the case in toothless age

certainly not a little singular that the

—

it

is

mere pressure

on the dental nerves should produce such an is

from the

and the boy

Considering that the teeth play but

a subordinate part in articulating

without their

free,

off

eifect.

It

very possible that in this case the motions of the

lower jaw and of the tongue were impeded, but even then,

not easy to account for the fact that the

it is

child never attempted to articulate,

however imper-

fectly.

When person to

the organs are in a normal condition, and the

unable

is

to place

produce the desired

functional. lips, &c.,

them

effect,

the affection

is

said to be

-Debility, paralysis, spasms of the glottis,

owing

to a central or local affection of the

nerves, habit, imitation, Sec, to

in a proper position

may

all

more or less tend

produce stammering.

From

these observations

stammering

is

either

it

anay be inferred that

idiopathic,

when, arising from

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING DEFINED. causes it is

icit hin

17

th e vocal and articulating apparatus

symptomatic, when, arising from

;

or

cerebral irritation,

paralysis, general debility, intoxication, &c.

Children

stammer, partly from imperfect development of the organs of speech, want of control, deficiency of ideas,

and imitation, or dominal

in

affections.

consequence of cerebral and ab-

The stammering,

or rather falter-

ing of old people chiefly arises from local or general

The

debility.

cold stage of fever, intoxication, loss of

blood, narcotics,

mering

when

may

the slowness of thought keeps pace with the

imperfection of speech.

It

may

produced by sudden emotions. great volubility, real

Stam-

and permanent in imbecility,

idiopathic

is

produce stammering.

all

when

also

be transitorily

Persons gifted with

some

abruptly charged with

or pretended delinquency

may

only be able to

stam7ner out an excuse.

Stutteri7ig.

The main difficulty

in

feature of

conjoining

less

thrown out

in

and fluently enunciating

lables, words,~and sentences.

more or

consists

stuttering

The

the syl-

interruptions are

frequent, the syllables or words being

in jerks.

Hence the speech

of stutterers has

STAMMEKING AND STUTTERING.

18

been by Shakspeare* (and by Plutarch before him) to the pouring out of water

compared

aptly

bottle with a long neck,

or

is

interoiittent

that his glottis

from a

in a stream,

the patient in the former case, feeling

;

is

which either flows

open, endeavours to pour out as

many

words as possible before a new interruption takes place.

The stoppage

of the sound

may

take place at the second

or third syllable of a word, but occurs more frequently at the

first,

and the usual consequence

ning of a syllable difficulty is

The j

no

is

it is

now and then

the

difficulty in articulating the ele-

mentary sounds/in whiqh respect he ;

tlie

stu tterer , unless he be at

the same time a stammerer, which

latter

that the begin-

several times repeated until

is

conquered.

case, has generally

is,

differs

from the

in the combination of these sounds in th^

formation of words and senteiices

that his infirmity

consists.

Stuttering does not obtain to the same degree in all persons. little

* I

In the most simple cases the affection

perceptible

"I

;

pr'ythee, tell me,

would thou

who

is it

?

quickly, and speak apace.

man out of thy mouth, as wine comes out of a narrow much at once, or none at all. I take the cork out of thymoutli, that I may drink thy

bottle, either too

pr'ythee tidings."

but

could' St stammer, that thou might' st pour this

concealed

mouthd

is

the person speaks nearly without in-

As You Like

it.

Act

3.

iSc.

2.

CHAPTER

III.

MINOR DEFECTS OF AETICDLATIOK

—

RJiotacism. enunciation of the consonant r. French, Grasseyement, parler gras. English, ra^/Z/w^, burring. German, Schnarren.

Defective

The mechanism is

very complicated, requiring considerable

various organs.* in

in the production of this consonant

This

some languages,

may be one

efforts of

of the reasons

us for instance in the Chinese,

altogether wanting, and

I

substituted for

it.

why it

is

The con-

sonant may be produced in two ways, in front or behind

we have a

so that

former

is

lingual

the result

when

r,

r, is

The

r.

the tip of the tongue touches

and vibrates against the hard or the guttural

and a guttural

;

palate, while the latter,

produced by the contact between

the posterior part of the tongue and the soft palate,

when

the vibration of

passing air current. *

men

The is

difficulty

of

very curious,

the uvula

The

lingual r

articulation e.g.,

it

in

is is

effected

by the

considered as the

the various races of

was noticed long ago by Capt.

Cook, Sir Joseph Banks, and others, that the Negro could

pronounce any English word, while the Polynesians could not pronounce any English word of more than one syllable.

— STAMMEIUXCx AND STUTTERING.

26

legitimate speech-sound, wliilst the guttural enunciation is

looked upon as a

From

fault, especially in public speakers.

the difficulty of

its

enunciation, r

letter children learn to articulate

nounce

instead of

I

until

it

at

;

is

they at

the last pro-

first

lengh the sound

is

mastered.

The

defective enunciation of this consonant has

escaped the notice of the ancients. Alcibiades "

He

had

no''

Plutarch says of

a lisping^' in his speech,

which

became him, and gave a grace and persuasive tone

Aristophanes, in those verses wherein

his discourse."

he

ridicules

called

him

Theorus, takes notice that

Alcibiades

him corax

(raven) he

instead of

for

lisped,

to

calling

colax (flatterer),

from whence the poet takes

occasion to observe that the term in that lisping pro-

With

nunciation too was applicable to him.

this

agrees the satirical description which Archippus gives of the son of Alcibiades " With sauntering step The vain youth moves

to imitate his father,

his loose robe wildly floats

;

He The *

bends the neck

—he

;

lisps. "f

correct articulation of r seems to have been one

The

translation of lisping

the meaning

we

attach to the

is

scarcely correct according to

word

;

the original

is

trauloteta.

Traulos, traulotes, evidently refer to the inability of articu_

lating the letter

r,

though

traulizo, traulismosare frequently

us ed for stammering in general. t

Langhorn's Plutarch.

MINOR DEFECTS OF AUTIOU L-YTION". of the difficulties encountered said, his

to

By

Rhetoric. is

by Demosthenes.

Cicero'^

speech was so inarticulate that he was unable

pronounce the

one

21

of the art he studied, viz.,

first letter

much

practice he effected so

that no

thought to have spoken more distinctly. Demos-

thenes was, therefore, not of opinion that the defective enunciation of r gives, as Plutarch observes, a per-

The

suasive turn to a discourse. tolerated in an Alcibiades is

and

fact

is,

that though

in a pretty girl, rattling

a grave fault in a public speaker, sometimes very

disagreeable to listen

Khotacism

among

is

to,

and in some cases insupportable.

more common among the northern than

The

the southern nations.

with among Spaniards and imitation there are

guttural

r.

defect

Italians.

rarely

is

Owing

met

chiefly to

whole provinces which use the

In our

own

country,

we may mention

Northumberland (the Newcastle burr)f

It is

com-

paratively rare that a person can neither pronounce

the guttural nor the lingual r * " Demosthenes

quum

ita

cui studeret (sc. rhetoricae) dicere."

;

but such instances do

balbus

primam

esset, iit ejus ipsius artis

literam

(so. r.)

Cicero adds, " perfecit meditando ut

non posset

nemo

planius

esse locutus piitaretur."

t In some places

and

universal, as in Denmark, in Marseilles, where the enunciation of the r seems to

it is

also in Paris,

some extent subject

to the fashion of t!ie day.

;

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

28

The main cause

occur.

of the production

guttural, instead of the lingual r is

of the

that the tongue

is,

kept in a convex position, and vibrates at the base

instead of

towards the

being concave

vibrating the

tip

palate,

the tongue against

of

the

roof.

Talma, the celebrated French actor, proposed following method

Choose is

preceded by a

r,

tdavail,

t

by inducing him

mute

will nearly drop the

pupil must

mute

must follow This method

—

/-,

will

d-, avail

more rapidly he tdavail.

The

pronounce as rapidly as

to

t

with that of

By

t.

c?,

giving

this pro-

insensibly articulated, seem-

is

ingly produced by the rapid union of

doned.

The pupil

and say

e

sound of

ceeding, the lingual r

exercises

which there

:

and pronounce te-da-

the articulation of

force to

in

r.

to pronounce

now be urged

possible, uniting the

more

this defect

— travail for instance.

for

e

the

of

and d separately thus

insensibly he will add the ;

t,

by substituting d

then pronounce

vail

word

for the first exercises a

but one

Write

the removal

for

and

t

and

d:

Other

until the vicious habit is abanis

said to have been, long before,

used to teach the production of r in the Institution for

Deaf-mutes in Erfurt. Fournier,

been

who

efiected,

By

this simple

described

and he

cites

it,

as

method, observes

numbers of cures have an instance, the pretty

MINOR DEFECTS OF

who

had,

to her defective articulation of r, to retire

from

and accomplished owing

29

AIiTICUL.^.TION.

When

the stage for a time.

Phal,

Mile. St.

actress,

she re-appeared adds

much

the gallant professor, her enunciation was so

changed that she would not have been recognised by the spectators but for her charming face.

In our

own

language, either from inability to pro-

nounce the canine

many

cases,

stituted for

letter,

from habit, imitation, and in

from pure affectation,

Roman

r.

bish, wubbish, &c.

is

pronounced Woeman

castigations,

must be stated that

affected

Lentilius, a

recent origin.

still

;

rub-

in spite of

obtains amongst

In justice to

our would-be exquisites. it

frequently sub-

is

—a vicious habit which,

Mr. Punch's weekly

ism

w

modem dandy-

rhotacism

is

not of

famous physician of the

17th century, remarks on this subject that, although

no sane man can subscribe the stupid opinion that there

is

anything graceful in stammering, yet he re-

members having known

in

Saxony some noble young

ladies who, though well able to pronounce the canine letter,

made the

greatest effort to acquire a

stammering

(dropping the r) enunciation which, in their opinion,

was more

As

graceful,

there

is

and a sign of

nothing

* Lentilius. K.

new under

Med. Pract.

gentility. "^

the sun, so

Miscell.

we

Ulmae, 1698.

find

STAMMEllING AND STUTTERING.

30

that old Ovid^'' already complained that some study

weep with

to

and

propriety,

and can

cry

any time

They moreover

any manner they please.

in

at

deprive the letters of their legitunate sounds;

they

contract the lisping tongue, and seek for grace in a

They

vicious articulation of the words.

learn to speak

worse than they actually can.

The following

extract in relation to rhotacism may,

perhaps, interest the reader.

The Wonders.] " There

is

a village in this county

surnamed Curley, and

all

named

Charleton,

that are born herein, have a

harsh and wratling kind of speech, uttering their words with

much

difficulty,

and wharling in the

cannot well pronounce the letter

throat,

and

Surely this pro-

r.

ceedeth not from any natural imperfection in the parents (whence, probably, the tribual lisping of the *

.

.

.

Discant lacrimare decenter

Quoque volunt plorant tempore, quoque modo Quid ? cum legitima fraudatur littera voce, Blaesaque

In

fit

jusso subdola lingua sono

vitio decor est,

r

quaedam male reddere

Discuut posse minus, quam potuere

Ov. Ar.

t

T. Fuller's Worthies of Leicestershire.

verba,

loqiii.

Am.

London

3.

1662,

293.

^?.

126.

MINOR

defp:cts of akticulation.

Ephraimites did

arise,

Judg.

31

because their

xii. 6.),

children, born in other places, are not haunted with that

Rather

infirmity.

it is

to be

imputed

Thus, a learned

quality in the elements of that place.

author that

(J.

some

Bandin Method. Hist. cap. families at Lnhloin, in

naturally stut and stammer,

some occult

to

5) informeth us,

Guyen,

in France,

do

which he taketh to proceed

from the nature of the waters.

"As is

the

for

inability

distinctly to

pronounce

a catching disease in other counties.

r, it

knew an

I

Essex man, (Mr. Jos. Mede), as great a scholar as any in our age,

Rex

who

could not, for his

the king had from

wanted in "

My

YCr^

him

utter

life,

Britamiice, without stammering.

The

Carolus

best was,

in his hearty prayers

what he

plain pronunciation.

father has told me, that in his time, a fellow of

Trinity College., probably a native of Charleton, in this

county, sensible of his

own

imperfection herein,

made

a speech of competent length, with select words both to his to

mouth and

for his matter without

any r therein,

show that men may speak without being beholden

to

the dogs letter."

From what

I

have been able

to ascertain, the present

inhabitants have neither this defect, nor has the " oldest

inhabitant" any knowledge of in the district.

its

ever having prevailed

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

32

Slgmatism, from the Greek dgma, comprehends the various defects in the enunciation of the sibilants or hissing sounds,

s, z,

Our own word

zh, &c.

probably -derived from the sound

German

lispeln,

:

to lisp

is

Anglo-Saxon wlisp,

Though the Greeks

French sesseyer.

used the word pselUsmos for impediments of speech in general,

it

the word

The

seems that joseZ/os specially meant a

lisper,

and

according to Hesychius, an onomatopoiea.

is,

substitution of

t,

or th for

s,

or vice versa,

most common expression of the vice of

lisping, for

certainly no beauty of enunciation, whatever

the

is

it is

may be

the opinion of our young ladies. If lisping does not proceed

tion of the tongue

from an abnormal condi-

and the position of the teeth,

the result of habit and affectation. utterance of

the sibilants, arises

it

is

This peculiar

mostly from

the

inappropriate action of the tongue against the teeth.

Our

th

seems to be the shiboleth of foreigners, who

do not possess this sound.

In their attempts to

enunciate the sound, they pronounce tinker or dsinker for thinker, &cc.

Rhinism or Rhinophonia (speaking through the nose).

— In the normal more or

less

state of articulation, the

both by the mouth and

either of these passages

is

sounds escape

nostrils.

closed, or

When

when any one

MINOR DEFECTS OF ARTICULATION.

33

attempts to speak or sing more than usually through

one channel, the sound acquires that

which thus

quality, the nasal timbre,

When

opposite causes. raised,

and the

what

is

from two

the dorsum of the tongue

by the buccal

cavity, in

There

nostrils.

commonly termed the

can only

which case

results,

from

nasal twang, and

the expression " speaking through the nose," ciently correct.

is

passes into the nasal cavity,

air- current

and escapes by the external this,

arises

soft palate descends, the air

partially flow out

the sounding

disagreeable

But the very same

effect

is

suffi-

may be

produced by the opposite cause of obstructions existing in the nasal cavities, either from inflammation of the

mucous membrane, tumours,

or

by holding the

nose, so

as to prevent the sound escaping by the nostrils.

such cases,

it is

clear the person does not speak

whole nations who

liar twang ^ which distinguishes

by obtaining a great

become adepts

rejoice in that pecu-

the genuine Yankee. It

command

vocal and articulating

through

From imitation and

the nose, but through the mouth. habit, there are

is

over the action of the

organs,

in altering the

In

that

many

persons

normal action of their

organs, and in imitating the voice and speech of others. Cluttering.

—French. Bredouillement,

is

an anomalous

enunciation, which consists in pronouncing words and

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

34

sentences with such rapidity, that the syllables appear

only half articulated, and the speaker becomes, consequently, unintelligible.

This vice must be distinguished from mere talkative-

and

ness,

lallomania

specially

— an

from

irresistible

also, distinct

aggravation

impulse to talk

no doubt, from some cerebral from

morbid

its

patterijig,

— resulting,

Cluttering

affection.

is

,

assumed by some of our

actors and entertainers, for the purpose of diverting

Pattering

their audience.

quired by unless

^feat which

practice, cluttering

is

proper time,

checked at the

habitual.

by

much

is

may be

ac-

a vice which,

may become

There are no other means of remedying it but

enjoining the pupils to articulate slowly, and recite

rhythmical exercises, and thus prevent them crowding

and gluing their words together.

With regard

natural pattering, or abnormal rapidity of utterance, will generally be

found that

temperament, are tall

little

much more

and phlegmatic.

more

and their

The reason seems

ideas,

it

persons, of a sanguine

inclined to

it

than the

to be that, in

the former, the circulation and respiration rapid,

to

is

more

possibly, present themselves

readily, while in tall

and phlegmatic persons, the

pulse being slower, and the respiration proportionally less frequent,

sedate

the utterance keeps pace, and

is

more

CHAPTER

IV.

STATISTICS OF PSELLISM. CoLOMBAT

(

Tableau

Synopt.

8f

Statistiqtie)

assumes

that there are, in France, about 6,000 persons labouring

under defective articulation, or nearly

in

1

5,000.

There can be no doubt that the actual proportion

much

greater.

Colombat himself admits that he

is

in-

cluded in his estimation such only whose impediments

were strongly marked. contained

of about

population

a

number ascertained

many

In Prussia, which, in 1830

places,

was

from

the

calculated

to

official

returns

amount

than 26,000 cases for the whole kingdom. ing

to

the

globe

number

of

taking

calculation,

this to

amount

stutterers

to

about

the

13,000,000,

the

of

more

to

Accord-

population

1000,000,000,

of the

and stammerers, would, form

an army of 2,000,000, of which London alone would possess nearly 6,000.

It

would be very desirable that

at the Census, or whenever an opportunity

may

occur,

the Registrar-General would employ the means at his

STAMMERING ANE STUTTERING.

36

ascertain the

disposal to

labouring under various

Great Britain, which,

have

I

number

actual

of persons

impediments of speech in little

doubt

will

approach

the proportion of 3 in 1,000. It is

unquestionable that psellism

in females than in men.

is

far less frequent

Jtard declares he never met

with a female stutterer, though he does not deny that such

According

exist.

to

Colombat, one

woman

only in

20,000 stutters, while the proportion, according to the

same authority, Reasoning a

in

men

is 1 in

one would imagine that stuttering

j^riori^

should be more prevalent males.

among

If the cause of stuttering

and

susceptibility,

females should

Again,

5,000.

if,

as

if

it

suffer

from

—that

than man, the probable

depends upon nervous

it

woman effect

in

greater numbers.

assume

seems

to

— without

a

thinks more rapidly

should be that the words

would not keep pace with the thoughts. (for Rullier

among

be nearly allied to chorea,

some gratuitously

shadow of reason

females than

Aristotle,

have borrowed the idea from him)

already considered that one of the causes of stuttering

was, that the words did not proceed j-jarZ/Mssw with the

thoughts, on account of the flight of the imagination.

Again, fair

if

timidity be one of the causes of stuttering, the

sex should, from their natural bashfulness, be more

STATISTICS OF PSELLISM. liable to viz

:

her

it.

37

Setting aside the theory of final causes,

that nature, in order to compensate

weakness,

weapon

with the physiological

we must,

fact, that

then, rest

the vocal and

and articulating apparatus of woman being more and mobile than that of man,

is less liable to

mity in the male sex.

elastic

be affected

by some of the minor causes which produce the

may be

for

has bestowed upon her a powerful

in the gift of the tongue,

satisfied

woman

infir-

In illustration of this fact

it

stated that, the male voice rarely, if ever,

reaches such a compass as that possessed by some

female singers, such as Catalani, or Sessi, I

have

full

&;c.

reason to believe the estimate above, far

Many

cases of

my notice,

some of

too low, at least, for this country.

female stutterers have come under

which, of a very severe nature, requiring the greatest care in treatment.

The habitual

timidity of

women

frequently aggravated by a derangement of the nervous

system, combines to produce more intricate cases than in

men, and require more time and patience to arrive

at a successful issue. It

would equally be an interesting subject of inquiry,

to ascertain, as far as possible, the influence of different

languages and dialects upon the causation of impeded articulation.

At

present, our data are insufficient to

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

38

found on tliem any correct theory. that a soft flowing language Iter

It is

may

presumable^

not produce such a

centage of stutterers as a liarsh and guttural one

climate and other circumstances

may

also

;

have a con-

siderable influence.

Colombat mentions that a son of Mr. Chaigneau, the

French Consul,

in Cochin-China,

born of a Chinese

mother, and who, from his innmcy, spoke the languages of both his parents, expressed himself with the greatest facility in the

Chinese dialect, but stuttered

much

in

spealdng French, which he was chiefly in the habit of using.

Colombat attributes this to the rhythmical

structure of the Chinese, and the peculiar intonation

required to distinguish similar words. (See Philosojjht/

of Voice and

Sj^eech,

It appears to

page 185.)

me, that

if it

be true, as has been

asserted on very slender grounds, that there are no stutterers in

China

(for

the whole nation stammer, at

least, in our acceptation of the term, inasmuch as they

cannot pronounce the canine is

not so

much owing

letter),

to the

the circumstance

sing-song, nor to the

rhythmical structure of the Chinese language, but chiefly to its being a

In Great

Britain I

mono -syllabic think there

tongue. is

an excess of the

average amount of stutterers in the north, where our

STATISTICS OF TSELLISM.

Where

language meets the Gaelic.

a

39

mixed language

spoken, the majority are unable to speak the one or

is

the other perfectly, and the result difficulty at both,

whence

that they find a

is,

arises a certain hesitation,

the forerunner of stuttering.

If this

be true, we might,

a priori, expect a large number of stutterers and

stammerers at the frontiers of countries in which the languages the

differ

;

but

I

am

not aware whether such be

fact.

Another question has been much discussed, namely, whether psellism be the privilege of All travellers,

who have

civilization or not.

among

long resided

vated nations, and whose authority

unculti-

of any \veight,

is

maintain that they never met with any savages labouring under an impediment of speech,

be

so, it is

owing

Granting

••'

it

not easy to say whether this immunity

to the

to is

more ample physical development of the

buccal cavity in savages, to the nature of their dialect, or to their freedom from mental anxieties and nervous debility, the usual concomitants of refinement lization.

My

impression

is,

and

civi-

that the latter circumstance

offers the best explanation of the alleged fact.

*

De Froberville

(Bull, de la Soc. Geogr. Juin, 1852), speaks

of a stuttering negro-tribe, the

the syllable,

shill,

Neambaga

;

they intercalate

or any other, in the middle of each word.

CHAPTER

V.

EXTERNAL INFLUENCES OF ARTICULATION. The

doctrine of hereditary transmission both of cor-

poreal and mental qualities from parent to offspring, as

shown

in external resemblance

organization, has, at

all

and similarity of internal

times met with

But while there are some who acute fevers, nearly

all

who

assert that,

favour.

excepting

affections are transmitted

the parent to the child, physiologists

much

there

totally dissent

by

some eminent

are

from this doctrine,

both as a matter of fact and theory. Dr. Louis goes even so far as to consider variation the rule

the exception.

Thus, with regard to temperament, he

observes, that children, born of the

same parents, nearly

always exhibit different temperaments bilious, others of a sanguine, or a

ment.

and conformity

;

Twins frequently

;

some are of a

phlegmatic tempera-

differ in this respect.

the famous Hungarian sisters

who

Even

lived twenty-two

years, are described as having been most dissimilar in

temperament and

dispositions, although they

were

like

EXTERNAL INFLUENCES OF AUTICULATION.

41

the Siamese twins, joined together, and had a com-

municating system of blood vessels. In accordance with this doctrine, impediments of

speech have also generally been considered as hereditary affections,

and as the male

is

believed to influence

more

the external resemblance, and the female more the internal organism, side, it is said to

family.

when

hereditary

on the

female

spread upon a greater number of a

Certain

it

is,

that

many stammerers and

stutterers consider their affection as an inheritance,

account for

it

and

that they have a parent or collateral

under the same infirmity.

relation labouring

equally true, that

many

It

instances can be adduced

is

where

the defect has descended for several generations, and I

have, myself, had under afflicted S.

my

care several children thus

out of one family where the parents stuttered.

Lucas* who assumes that not merely external

re-

semblance, and internal organization, but moral and intellectual aptitudes are directly transmitted, gives the

A

following instance of hereditary loquacity.

servant

girl talked so incessantly, either to others or to herself,

that her master found

it

she exclaimed " But,

sir, it is

* Traite Philosoph. 1847.

Physiol, de Vheredite naturelle, Paris*

et

necessary to dismiss her,

not

my

fault

;

it

when is

no^

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

42

my fault

my

;

it

mother

was just

Now

me

comes to in the

like

from

my father, who tormented

same way, and he had a brother who

me."

without at

organic defects

all

— the

denying the transmission even of deaf-muteism* having

statistics of

placed this question beyond any doubt, that

stuttering

as

such,

contend

an inheritance, not

7iot

is

I still

being, as deaf-muteism, the result of defective organi-

All that can be safely asserted amounts to

sation.

this

:

that as nervous affections are,

missible,

hereditary

causing a pre-disposition stuttering

its

at

contract the

to

whenever the subject

cumstances favourable for

more or

may be

influence

is

less trans-

work

in

habit of

placed in certain cir-

development

Injluence of Temperature.

That sudden

variations of temperature, changes of

the season, extreme heat or cold, have some influence, (as in

most nervous

affections,) in either increasing or

diminishing the infirmity, merely confirms the theory, that stuttering

is

a functional disorder.

asserts, that stuttering increases in

* See Philosophy of Voice

and

Colombat

winter and summer,"

SpeecJi,

chap. xix.

EXTERNAL INFLUENCES OF ARTICULATION.

43

and diminishes in autumn and spring, provided they are temperate and moist, and that dry air in frost and

heat act

great

This

inversely.'*''

experience and

practice

opposed to the

is

of Mercurialis,

who would

confine the patient in a dry and heated atmosphere.

The

be more sensible in the

affection is also said to

morning than experience,

No

real.

The dry

According to

in the evening.

all

these assumptions are

certain rules can be laid

or

damp

state of the

more

down

my own

fanciful than

in this respect.

atmosphere,

its electrical

condition, and the changes of the season,

influence

stuttering according to the idiosyncrasy of the subject, so that the

number

same external influences produce among a

of stutterers collected under one roof, opposite

effects.

Tempet'ument. to

—That the majority of

stutterers belong

what are termed the sanguine and nervous tempera-

ment

is

true enough

:

but

it is

they are exclusively of this yield their quota, and

which. I had under *

*'

an error

class.

to

suppose that

All temperaments

some of the more severe cases

my care were

subjects of a lymphatic,

Aetna was very furious when we passed,

as she useth

to

be sometimes more than others, specially when the wind

is

southward, for then she

Hakes of fii'e, as is

is

stutterers use to

more subject stammer

in that hole. {Howel's letters, 1655.)

tnore

to belching out

when the wind

— 44

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

temperament, who, though

than those of

less tractable

any other temperament, rarely relapsed

after

being once

cured.

Psychical Injluences.

Every action

passing emotion influences more or less the

of the

heart and the respiratory functions,

and as the

either in accelerating or retarding them,

production of voice act of respiration,

intimately connected with the

is

it

not surprising that the vocal

is

and articulating apparatus state of our feelings

is

instantly affected

and thoughts.

by the

on the one

If,

hand, slight emotions increase the infirmity of stuttering, violent emotions,

may remove

injury,

action

a

;

by the excitation of cerebral

the motor agents of the articulation receive

new impulse and

scarcely produce

may be

a

word,

On

expresses

himself

with

the other hand, voice

The

and

may

following cases, presenting

serve as illustrations

In January, 1833, three gentlemen, Mart...

could

suddenly lost under the influence of

powerful emotions. opposite effects,

who

vigour, and the person

remarkable energy. speech

wrath, fear, danger, or severe it

and Ou...,

:

MM.

Dub...

stutterers to a painful degree,

went

EXTERNAL INFLUENCES OF AETICULATION. French Academy of Sciences,

to the

for the

of being examined before a Commission prior

45

purpose to the

commencement of their treatment under Mr. Colombat, then a candidate for the prize Monthyon. the Academy, they entered

mois des

ci

des

ci

shop to

tobacconist

his address, "

commenced

leaving

Mr. Dub. ..who was the

purchase some cigars. timid,

a

On

Dooo do doo donncz

des cigarres."

It

so

happened that

the tobacconist was himself a terrible stutterer

was thus by no means surprised

least

to

;

he

have found a com-

rade in affliction, but he was certainly far from imagin-

ing that the other two were similarly affected. therefore, the

tobacconist

When,

" de-dede-de-dede-

asked

quel quel qua-qua-qu qua qualite vou-vou-voulez vous les-les cigarres,"

and

all

three began horribly to stutter;

he flew into a violent rage, thinking that they merely

came

to

have a lark.

He, therefore, seized a

belabour them, whilst he swore in the

ment

at,

and threatened them

most energetic terms, without the

in his speech.

Colombat put an end

stick to

least impedi-

Fortunately the arrival of Mr. to

the scene, by informing the

enraged tobacconist of the real facts of the case.

The

Courrier de

Lyon

(Feb., I860,) relates the fol-

lowing sad result of a practical joke

:— An *'

apprentice

STAMMERING AND STUTTEUING.

46

who had been

of that city,

out catching- frogs last

week, brought several home

alive,

and

to

play his

brother a trick, put three of them in his bed.

In

the middle of the night the frogs, finding the bed too

warm,

tried to get out,

and one of them happened to

crawl on the lad's face and awoke him. thing cold and

clammy on

fully frightened,

Feeling some-

his cheek, the lad

was dread-

and leaped out of bed, calling

help.

When

on the

floor in strong convulsions,

for

came they found him lying

his parents

which were, however,

relieved

by proper treatment, and the boy has since

resumed

his usual occupation, but has lost the faculty

of speech."

My

note-book

is filled

with such instances.

the most severe cases of stuttering

I

One

of

ever saw, was

caused by the parent stamping and calling out in a loud voice, " silence."

His son, aged eight, who was

running across the room, voice.

When

fell

on hearing his father's

he got up, he began stuttering very

violently.

A

pupil,

who

has recently

left

that his infirmity was caused

me

quite cured, stated

by the

fright of being

run after by an Irish tramp. Esquirol, in his Ireatise on the great influence of violent impressions on the organs of speech, relates

EXTERNAL INFLUENCES OF ARTICULATION. that a person

who by

47

accident had lost his power of

speech, suffered for years patiently the scoldings of his

One

wife.

day, being

more than usually

ill-treated,

he became so much enraged, that his tongue, hitherto paralysed, recovered suddenly

its

mobility,

so

that

henceforth he repaid his Xanthippe with compound interest.

There appeared extract from the effect

:

—A

named had

Cologne

Magdeburg Journal,

shoemaker

in

Torgau,

Christmas day.

From

ten years old.

the young

to join

fear the

in

woman

who

In the

man had a vision,

the responses on

young man had hid

himself under his bed covering, and

fell

into a profuse

The next day he was completely

perspiration.

an

the following

Domschutz, near

when he was

before last Christinas

which commanded him

A

to

Gazette,

Griihl, had^ a son nineteen years of age,

lost his voice

night

in the

lately,

in the south of France,

who had

cured.

lost

her

speech from sleeping with her head uncovered in the sun, recovered

it

her house was on

suddenly two years, afterwards when fire.

Herodotus gives the following account of the son of Croesus

:

—

" Croesus had

dumb.

a son,

who was

a fine j^outh,

Everything had been done

for

him by

but his

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

48

He

father.

also sent to Delphi to consult the oracle,

and Pythia answered

as follows

:

—

'

Lydian, though

thou art a powerful prince, yet of a foolish heart.

Expect not

to hear in thy palace the

thy son, that will be of no use.

desired voice of

Know

he will

first

speak on the most unfortunate day.' *

When now

the city (Sardis) was conquered, one

of the Persians approached Croesus to slay him, for he

knew him

And when

not.

Croesus perceived

careless about being struck

was

unfortunate.

But when

down, having been so

young son saw the

his

released his voice, and he spoke !

'

This was the

and he continued

to

speak

first all

:

'

Man,

patients

subjected

to

kill

word which he

not

spoke

his life."

met with

Dr. Todd terms such a loss of speech, in

inten-

and anxiety

tion of the Persian to kill his father, fear

Croesus

he

it,

some powerful

" emotional paralysis."

It

hypochondriacal habits,

and in women

occurs,

he

emotion,

says, in too.

men

of

The power

of speech returning usually in a few days, and rapidly, after the patient has gained the ability of

pronouncing

" Yes " or " No." Influence of Imitation. actions of others

is

— The tendency to imitate the

so intimately connected with the

nature of man, that Aristotle has, by

way

of distinc-

EXTERNAL INFLUENCES ON ARTICULATION. him an imitating animal.

tion, called

I

49

do not speak

here of voluntary and deliberate imitation, but of that

almost irresistible propensity to catch and to repeat the expressions and actions

with

whom we come

human

of other

This tendency ex-

in contact.

childhood and

hibits itself in its greatest intensity in

early youth.

motives,

Long

before children can appreciate our

The

they imitate our actions.

instinctive, both in

beings

faculty

man and many animals, and

is

differs

from the power cf voluntary imitation, possessed by

man

in the highest degree, that

it is

a deliberate act,

determined by various motives.

The most tion

is

familiar illustration of involuntary imita-

the irresistible inclination to imitate the act of

yawning, which will,

that

is

under the influence of the

so little

the more

we

movement, the greater

is

resist the

execution cf the

the desire to effect

history of epidemics, religious revivals,

it.

The

kc, and the

medical records, afford the most conclusive proofs of the infectious nature of emotions, and" their physical manifestations, convulsions,

The

childhood, and nothing infants

fits,

&c.

imitative propensity exhibits itself in earliest is

more common than

to

see

assume the gestures and habits of those by

D

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

50

whom bility

they are constantly surrounded.

may, it is true,

differ in various subjects in degree,

There

but not in kind.

are, in fact,

actions, manifested externally, tively imitated

by

This suscepti-

children.

but few irregular

which are not It

is,

therefore,

instinc-

beyond

question that, like squinting, winking with the eyes,

and many other arise,

in

most

habits, both cases,

Seeing, then, that the habit

voluntary imitation.

we

80 easily contracted,

sidering

it

stammering and stuttering

from unconscious, or may be,

are scarcely justified in con-

as an hereditary affection, even in such cases

where one of the parents stammers. greater

is

number of

cases

In by far the

which came under

vation, I found that the evil

my

obser-

was neither hereditary nor

congenital, but could be traced to the prodigious in-

fluence of voluntary or involuntary imitation,

stammerer or stutterer inoculate the rest

;

tracted the habit I

in a family is quite sufficient to

and so rapid

susceptible child, that

by

I

is

the contagion to a

have had pupils who have con-

a single interview with a stutterer.

must here strongly warn

stammering either

in

all

young persons against

mimicry, or for the baser purpose

of deceiving their teachers, in order to avoid as

I

One

some

task,

have hud pupils who have confessed their serious

EXTERNAL INFLUENCES ON ARTICULATION. impediment I

am

to

be the result of one of these practices.*

numerous instances of

in a condition to adduce

this kind

add two

from

my own

experience, but I shall only

described by an

illustrations, so graphically

eminent authority on this as on other subjects. " of a young man,

who used

amusement,

sisters*

to act

One day he found earnest.

slaved his

He had it.

some stammering

up a bad

He was

knew

habit,

and

relation.

become grim

that his acting had

set

I

for his little brothers

and he was en-

utterly terrified

;

he looked on

sudden stammers (by a not absurd moral sequence)

as a

son

by

51

judgment from God ;

for

mocking an

afflicted per-

and suffered great misery of mind,

cured by a friend of mine, to

whom

till

I shall

he was

have occa-

sion to refer hereafter."! *

A much, respected clergyman, of

who

lately consulted

was

entirely free of

time of

life

there

the Church of Scotland,

me, writes to the following

it till

I was five years of age,

mered very badly, and trying to imitate him,

my

father's house,

I distinctly

when

:

"I

at that

m

the habit of

who

indeed stam-

was a gentleman who was

occasionally fre(|uenting

effect

when

remember one afternoon

unfortunately he heard me, and

was very indignant, and so ashamed were my parents at my conduct, that after he had gone, I was taken to task and punished severely for it, and ever since that night I have 'been, affiicted

with this most distressing malady ."

t The Irrationah of Speech. Fraser's Magazine, July, 1859,

By

a Minute Philosopher.—

— STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

52

" One of the most frightful stammers

began

at seven years old,

ever

I

knew

and could only be traced to

the child's having watched the contortions of a stam-

mering lawyer

had a brain

But the child

in a Court of Justice.

at once excited

and weakened by a brain

and was of a painfully nervous temperament."

fever,

Remarks on Certain Received Opinions Stammerijig and

Persom do not

1.

stutter in singing,

that stuttering obtains

reason

is,

ratus

is

much less in

is

—

It is

is

undeniable

The simple

singing.

that in singing the breath

the glottis

in Relation to

Stuttering.

more regulated,

open, and the action of the vocal appa-

not so

much

interrupted as in

which requires a constant change

common

speech,

in the position of the

For a similar reason, though

articulative organs.

in a

less degree, stuttering is

not so appreciable in recita-

in declamation.

Something analogous takes

as

tive

place in intoxication

;

able to run, but finds at ease or

occur tions.

walk

now and

it

man

sometimes

is

a rather diiScult matter to stand

steadily.

The same

singular

phenomena

then in rheumatic and nervous affec-

Gaubins

cites the case of a

but not walk steadily care

an inebriated

who walked

;

man who

could run,

and Astrie had a lady under his

lame, but danced dogantly.

;

KXTERNAL INFLUENCES ON ARTICULATION. It is,

however, not true that the above rule applies

generally.

I

have had under

also

stutter in singing,

case

more complicated.

2.

why

53

— There

is

care subjects

mode

is

who

which certainly renders the

no Stuttering in Whispering.

generally there

that in that

my

—The reason

no stuttering in whispering

of utterance there

is

is,

no necessity of a

synchronous action between the muscles of the larynx

and the

oral canal, the breath being articulated without

the participation of the vocal ligaments lies, as

in a few cases

it

I

but

if

the fault

does, in the action of the articu-

lating organs, there will be,

whispering, as

;

and there

is,

stuttering in

have frequently had occasion to con-

vince myself. 3.

— When alone persons do not

stutter nearly as

much

as when in Co?npang. ^Timidity, and the fear of stuttering,

no doubt, in many instances increases the infirmity

hence, generally speaking, patients are more free in their elocution is

when reading by themselves

not invariably the case.

(July, 1860) one of

the infirmity

when

my

A

pupils,

young is

far

;

but such

lady, at present

more affected with

alone than before company.

The

fear of rendering herself ridiculous acts, in her case, as a

stimulant, strengthening

the psychical element

—the

firm will to overcome the difficulty, and actually giving

—

;

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

54

her, for the time,

more

control over the disobedient

organs. Stutterers cannot stutter voluntarily

4.

do

so.

—

I considered this alleged fact,

Warren, too curious

bound

made by the patient simply

instances, an articulation different

from

but this voluntary

his

most

normal

which indeed

when the persons are trying to speak

in their natural voice.

when they

am

The volun-

effected, in

utterance, but no removal of the defect,

difficulty

I

it.

have yet tried there was

not one in which the infirmity disappeared.

generally only exists

told to

mentioned by Dr.

to neglect verifying

to say that in all cases I

tary effort

when

Nearly

all stutterers

have no

imitate any peculiar articulation

effort

cannot be kept up, and

it fre-

quently happens that nervous stutterers are too timid to try such an expedient.

—

CHAPTER

VI.

OF THE CHIEf THEORIES AND MODES OF TREATMENT,

HISTORICAL REVIEW

Arranged

The

in Chronological Order,

literature of defective

niently be divided into

may

articulation

two periods,

viz.

earliest records to Mercurialis (1584),

:

conve-

— From

the

and from Mer-

curialis to the present time.

First Period,

The

earliest

mention of defective utterance we find

in the Scriptures. *'

I

am

slow of speech and of a slow tongue."

—Kebad peh kehad loshun Sept. — Ischnophonos kai bradyglossos brew.

anochi,

VuLG. Chap. "

He-

Greek,

ego eimi.

Latin,

Impeditioris et tardioris linguae sum.

ExOD.

iv. 10.

And

the tongue of stammerers shall speak readily

and plain."

Hebrew. — Loshun

elgim.

Greek

Sept.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

56

Kai

ai glossai ai

Isaiah, Chap, xxxii.

lingua balhorum.'* *'

And

— Ei

4.

the string of his tongue was loosed, and he

spake plain."

Among

St.

Mark, Chap

the Pagan writers

the articulation totle,

Latin/ Vulg.

psellizousai.

vii.

who

o5.

allude to defects of

may be mentioned

Herodotus, Aris-

Hippocrates, Plutarch, Galen, Celsus, &c.

The information we derive from the

writings of the

Greeks and Romans in relation to the physiology and pathology of dyslalia remarkable,

as

is

very scanty, which

oratory then paved the

is

the more

way

to

the

highest offices of the state.

The

following extracts from the works of the ancients,

arranged nearly in chronological order, contain some of the principal passages referring to the subject of disorders of the voice and speech. it

I

have considered

advisable to place the Greek and L?itin terms in

juxtaposition, in order better to exhibit the

meaning

which the respective authors and translators, apparently attached to the expressions used.

I

may

also here

observe that in presenting the reader with a panoramic

view of the principal theories and remedies proposed, first

intended to offer

in a collected form.

my comments

On

I

on them separately

further consideration,

it

seemed

—

:

THEORIES to

me

tive

A2«:D

MODES OF TREATMENT.

preferable to append

my

57

remarks to the respec-

views of the various authors quoted.

The term

battarismos

is,

according to some, derived

Herodotus (484

from Battos.

e.g.) says that the

The-

rean Battos, w^ho had been a stutterer and a stammerer {ischnophonos kai traulos) from his youth, consulted the

The

oracle at Delphi.

oracle said

" Battos, thou comest on account of thy speech, but

King Phcebus Apollo sends thee

to Libya, in the land

of sheep to dwell."

After having founded the colony Cyrene, he was,

according to Pausauias (l. 10) cured by the unexpected sight of a lion.

Herodotus also observes that Battos

meant, in the African language, a king. Aristotle (384 e.g.)

says,

"The tongue

is

broad or narrow, or of a medium shape, which the best for distinctness

or

;

that stammer and stutter. traulois.

Lib.

"

1,

An

Lat.

Cap.

it is

Gr.

latter is

free or tied, as in those

— Tois psellois

Qualis hlaesoi^um

either

et

kai iois

bulborum. Hint. An.

ii.

equable and broad tongue

is

also convenient for

the formation of letters, and the purpose of speech

being such and dilated is

free,

it

is

all

for,

eminently capable of being

and contracted in a variety of manners.

evident in

;

This

such persons in which the tongue

is

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

68

not sufficiently free, for they stammer and stutter. Gr.

enim

Psellinzontai gar et halhi

kai traulizousi.

Lat.

sunt*

Problems, — Section XI. —'Stammering Lat.

(Gr. traulotes

Blaesitas) therefore, is the inability of articulating

a certain letter is

hlaesi

;

quam

but stuttering

libet ;

the omission of some letter or syllable

tion (Jschnophonia)

is

lable with another.

the tongue

;

the inability of joining one syl-

All this arises from debility, for

not obedient to the will.

is

{psellotes)

and hesita-

Intoxicated

persons, and old men, are similarly affected, but in a

(Problem 30)."

lesser degree.

Problem 38.

—"Why are those who hesitate in speak-

ing melancholy? (ischnophonoi,

ILdX.

quilinguahaesitani).

Is it because thatto follow the imagination rapidly is to

be melancholy?

Such, however,

that hesitate in speech, for in

is

the case with those

them the impulse

to

speak precedes the power, in consequence of the mind rapidly following that

which is presented

also the case with those that

tongue

is

to

it.

This

is

stammer, for in these the

too slow to keep pace with the imagination.'*

Hippocrates (370 e.g.! Praecepta 6

De

Epid. 2,5;

" Persons *

Judicat

who have impediments De

Part.

;

Aphor.

6,

32

;

6.

An.

in their speech

Lib. 2, Cap. xvii.

—

—

;

THEOBIES AND MODES OF TREATMENT. ischnophoninen.

(Gr.

by

are freed

varices

;

ex

Lat.

linguae haesitantes)

impediment remains

the

59

if

no

varices appear.

"Those who are

stammer

{trauloi)

and

in their speech {ischnophonoi),^ are usually

hesitate

good.

bald,

tall,

A

stammerer, [traulos) bald, and hesitating in

his speech, {ischfiopkonos)

who has

a hairy body,

subject to atrabilious diseases, as also those certain syllables,

striking various times

tongue, are not masters of their

lips.

must be

to

effected if they

are

is

who

repeat

with

their

Some suppuration

acquire freedom of

speech."

Chap. are, if

vi.

— " Those who have a large head, small eyes,

they stammer, subject to auger."

" Stammerers (oitroiloi), and clutterers {tachyylossoi linguae voluhilitate), are

"

Who

much

subject to bile.

has a small head will neither be bald nor

stammer, unless he has blue eyes." Hippocrates also observes that the infirmity

owing

to

an affection of the

ears,

is

partly

and partly that the

speaker before delivering his words passes to other

thoughts and expressions.] Epid. Sect. *

3. further.

Some translate

thin falsetto voice)

— In

gouty persons, tumours

linguae haesitantei, others gracili voce, (a

STAMMERING

60

jLXD STUTTERING.

are observed under the tongue containing calculi, inters fering with articulation."

As

the prince of orators

relation to

is

constantly alluded to in

impediments of speech^

it

may

not be out of

place to give here the entire passage of Plutarch (a.d. 66), as referring to his infirmity.

" Demosthenes, in his

was laughed

at

first

address to the people,

and interrupted by their clamour;

manner threw him

violence of his

into a confusion of

periods and a distortion of his arguments. besides, a weakness

the

for

and a stammering in

He

had,

his voice,*

which caused such a distraction in his discourse that

it

At

the audience to understand him.

was

difficult for

last,

on his quitting the assembly, Eunomos the Tria-

sian, a

man now

extremely old, found him wandering

in a dejected condition in the Piraeus,

him

to set

him

ner of speaking

to

" You," said he, " have a man-

right.

much

and took on

like Pericles,

and yet you

yourself out of mere timidity and cowardice.

neither bear up against the tumult ence, nor prepare your

lose

You

of a popular audi-

body by exercise

for the labour

of the rostrum."

*Gr.— Kai phor.es astheneia, kolobotes.

Lat.

kai glottes asapheia, pneumatos

—Laboravit veto etiam vocis

inexplanata, spiritus augustia.

exilitate, lingua

Plut. Vit. parall.

THEORIES AND MODES OF TREATMENT. Another time, we are been

and

ill-received,

when

told,

61

had

his speeches

he went home with his head covered,

in the greatest distress.

Satyrus, the actor,

was an acquaintance, followed him.

who

Demosthenes

la-

mented that though he was the most painstaking of

all

the orators, yet could he find no fixvour with the people.

"

You speak

truly," replied Satyrus, " but I will soon

provide a remedy,

if

you

will recite to

in Euripides or Sophocles.

When

finished, Satyrus repeated the

propriety of action, and so

seemed quite a understood,

Demosthenes had

in character, that

he thought

compose and premeditate,

if

it

of small matter

the pronunciation and

propriety of gesture were not attended

he

built himself a

mained to

subterraneous

in our times.

form

his

for

On

this

which

re-

to.

study,

Thither he repaired every day

action and exercise

would stay there

it

Demosthenes now

grace and dignity of action adds

to the best oration, that

to

speech

same speech, with such

much

dificrent passage.

how much

me some

his voice;

and he

two or three months together,

shaving one side of his head, that the shame of appearing in that condition should keep him the Phaleiian gives an accoimt of

in.

Demetrius,

the remedies he

applied to his personal defects, and he says he had

from Demosthenes in his old age.

The

hesitation

it

and

»rAMMER[Na AKD STUTTERING.

62

stammering he corrected by practising

to

speak with

pebbles in his mouth, and he strengthened his voice

by running or walking up passage in an oration or breath which that caused.

and pronouncing some

hill,

poem during

He

ing-glass in his room, before

the difficulty of

had, moreover, a look-

which he declaimed

to

adjust his motions.

Celsus*

says, "

When the tongue is paralysed, either

from a vice of the organ, or the consequence of another disease,

and when the patient cannot articulate, gargles

should be administered, hysop, or pennyroyal

;

of

of thyme,

a decoction

he should drink water, and the

head, the neck, mouth, and the parts below the chin

The tongue should be rubbed with

be well rubbed. lazerwort,

and he should chew pungent substances,

such as mustard, garlick, onions, and make every to articulate.

breath,

He must

effort

exercise himself to retain his

wash the head with cold water,

eat

horse-

radish, and then vomit."

Galenits (died about 200 a.d.

— De

locis affectis^ 6),

appears to refer stammering to an intemperies humida. Intoxicated persons stammer, as the brain

moistened,

is

too

much

and consequently the instruments which

move the tongue, and the tongue *

itself.

Cchus dc ResohUione Linguae.

And

again,

THEORIES AND MODES OF TREATMENT. that ischnophonia^ or stuttering,

is

owing to the

63

debility

of the muscles of the tongue from the diminution of heat. It

would thus appear that translators and commen-

tators

have been much perplexed as to the proper

meaning

of

ischnophonia,

psellismos,

battarismos,

According to the etymology of the

traulismos, &c.

term ischnophonia,

{ischnos,

weak, thin, and phone

merely a defect of the voice and not of

voice,) is

articulation.

Yet

Aristotle expressly says that isch-

nophonia consists in the disability of properly joining syllables

biades lisper,

and words,

by Plutarch

is

but

lisped;

i. e.

there

he had

The word

called

traulotes,

defect in the

halbus of the

have been applied to

Again, Alci-

stuttering.

no evidence

is

a

,

translated a

that he

Romans seems

this defect,

actually

enunciation of chiefly

r.

to

hence the surnames

BalbuSy Balbinus,

Balbilius,

members

family Sempronius, were named.

of

the

Sec,

Traulismos seems, therefore, to

understood by rhotacism.

conveyed the meaning of chius, {factum a sono

who cannot

as

some

of

mean what

is

the

now-

Psellismos appears to have lisping. "Psellos," says

— an onomatopoeia,)

properly pronounce

s

—a

'*

is

a person

lisper."

Koinans frequently called a lisper blacsus

;

Hesy-

The

blacsilas

STAilMEKING AND STUTTERING.

64

would, therefore, properly mean lisping. there are

and the

derived either from typoo, I express,

atijpi,

priv- a

Then, again,

;

or from fypto, I strike

;

such persons

cannot use the instrument of the tongue with sufficient expedition

;

and ancyglossi

whose tongue

is

— tongue-tied,

those

attached naturally by the fraenum, or

accidentally from indurated ulcers.

are

cicatrices,

the result of

CHAPTER

VII.

HISTORICAL EEVIEW, WG.-iSecond Fro7n Mercurialis

The

to

the 2)rese7it time.

may,

literature of Psellisin

Period.)

speaking, be

strictly

said to date from the time of Mercurialis,

who

treats

of defective utterance at considerable length in

second book of his work, J. Groscesii,

De puerorum 1584.*

Francofurti,

Ed.

morbis.

According

the

to the

notions prevalent at his time, Mercurialis considers a

moist and cold intemperament as the chief cause of

comprehending both stammering and

balbuties,

ing.

He,

therefore, forbids

stutter-

washing the head of stam-

mering children, as that increases the moisture,

In

order to desiccate the head, he advises cauteries and blisters

on

tl^e

neck and behind the

ears,

be kept open for a considerable time. *

Hieronynus Mercurialis, born

at Forli,

which should

To dry the

1530,

and subse-

quently professor at Padua, Bologna, and Pisa, was greatest physician of his time,

philosopher and antiquary.

he cured of a erected a

fever,

monument

created to his

and equally distinguished

tlie

as a

Emperor Maximilian II, whom him a count, and the Paduaus

memory,

E

STAMMEEING AND

66

tongue, be recommends that

rubbed with

salt,

effective in curing the infirmity.

and heating

diet should be salty, spicy,

pastry,

to be allowed.

is

should be frequently

it

honey, and specially with sage, which

had proved singularly

The

STUTTERIIN" G.

Our author

is,

;

no fish, no

however, some-

what puzzled by finding that Hippocrates

attributes

stammering

To recon-

cile this

also to the dryness of the tongue.

opinion with his own, Mercurialis

assume two species of balbuties dental.

The

natural

is

is

obliged to

—a natural and an acci-

produced by humidity, the un-

natural or accidental by dryness, and that Hippocrates has spoken.

it is

of this species

Now when balbuties pro-

ceeds from dryness, as after fevers or inflammation of the brain,

we

should direct our attention to the moistening

of the tongue and the top of the spinal cord.

with woman's milk are advisable

;

Gargles

the tongue must be

frequently moistened with a decoction of marsh-mallow, to

which sweet

nymphese

The

leaves,

oil

of

almonds may be added, or some

by which the

effect

will

be greater.

spinal cord, especially the cervical region, should

be acted on by convenient liniments, apt parts.

Besides, the intemperies

humida

to soften these et frigida^

im-

pediments in speech are also produced by emotions,

deep cogitations, prolonged watchfulness, sexual excesses, habitual intoxication,

brain and the nerves, produce

which by injuring the halhuiies^.

SECOND PERIOD.

67

But, though a physician, Mercurialis does not seem

on his drugs and

to rely

diet, for

he expressly says

the body and the voice must be exercised as possible,

and

there be anything which

if

stammerers and stutterers,

He

distinct speaking.

is

it

much

may

:

as

benefit

continued loud and

supports this opinion by the

example of Demosthenes.* 'J

he following extract derives

the celebrity of the author, of said, nil erat '*

quod non

Experiment,

tetigit'.

solitary,

Sec. 386.

iv.

" Divers,

we

whom

generally stut

By Lord Bacon. The cause may

therefore,

we

;

whereby

and we see that in those that

*

;

and so we

Exercendum

est corpus

vero exercenda est vox balbis

et

see, that

;

quid

less

less,

stut, if

because

they stut more in the

quantum

et si

be, in

it is

see that naturals do

they drink wine moderately, they stut heateth

{Sylva

First published 1627,)

see do stut.

And, :

can be truly

touching Stutting,

most the refrigeration of the tongue apt to move.

it

—

Sylvarum, or Natural History. Cent.

chief interest from

its

fieri

est,

first

potest, praesertun

quod

possit prodesse

haesitantibus est continua locutio alta et

clara.

Demosthenes superavit balbutiem sola vocis exercitatione eontentione,

nam

et

dedid decern millia drachmorum Neoptol^mo

Histrioni, qui ilium docuit versus plures scilicit

it

uno

spiritu proferre

ut injectis in os calcuiis ascendens et currens versus

continue profeiret.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

68 offer to is

speak than in continuance

by motion somewhat heated.

;

because the tongue

In some,

also, it

may-

though rarely, the dryness of the tongue, which

be,

maketh

likewise for

it is

men

;

ditae,

an

as

it

cometh

affect that

it

apt to

less

did unto Moses,

and many

to

move

as well as cold

;

some wise and great

who was

linguae praepe-

stutters, w^e find, are very choleric

men

;

choler inducing dryness in the tongue."

Johann Conrad Amman of Haarlem, to whose works*' 5

most subsequent writers are much indebted with

re-

gard to a correct theory of the formation of voice and articulate sounds, did not confine his practice solely to

the education of deaf-mutes, but extended kinds of defective utterance.

all

it

some portion of the vocal and

apparatus, or to debility.

sometimes so large that cavity,

of

The tongue,

it fills

remedy

Vicious articulation,

he conceived, was in some cases owing defect in

to

to

organic

articulating

for instance, is

nearly the whole buccal

and materially interferes with the enunciation

many

"

sounds.

man under my

care,

I

had," he says, " a Danish gentle-

who, on account of the

size of his

tongue, articulated badly, and could by no effort of his

own pronounce

^a, but

* Surdus loqiiens, ^•c.

Amst. 1700.

^'c.

always said Anist, 1692.

ta.

Whilst placing

Dissertatio de loquela,

SECOND PERIOD.

my two

fingers firmly

enunciate ka.

I

on

69

this organ, I desired

him

to

well perceived that he tried to say /a,

but as he could not approach the tongue to the teeth

he was forced to enunciate ka to the admiration of the

The tongue may

bystanders." mobility,

owing

the latter

may

lies at

be deficient in

also

to its being fixed

by the fraenum, or

be absent, in which case, the tongue

The uvula may be

the bottom of the cavity.

The

too voluminous, too small, or altogether wanting.

may

palate, the lips, the teeth,

Amman The

first

he

calls Hottentotism,

fying the sounds in such a

He

be in

fault.

two species of stammering

distinguishes

unintelligible.

also

which

manner that they become

quotes the case of a young lady of

Haarlem, who could scarcely pronounce any t,

modi-

consists in

letter

but

and whose utterance was of course a ridiculous

far-

rago of an interminable repetition of

Amman

cured this

that

sound.

young lady within a space of three

months, so that not a vestige of her defect remained,

and her elocution became perfect.

Amman

The second

terms Haesitantia, consisting in a laborious

repetition of tbe explosive sounds. to

produce them, the patient

ted, the

kind,

is

countenance becomes

contorted.

To remedy

During the

frequently livid,

this defect,

much

eflTorts

agita

and the features he advises loud

—

—

8TAMMEHING AND STUTTEKING.

70

reading, committing to

repeat

He

them before a

further

memory

short pieces, and to

friend slowly

and

deliberately.

recommends exercismj^ the

articulatini;

organs in the enunciation of the explosive sounds in various combinations, as in the syllables

pack,

tilt ;

These kinds of

hiyi, tuyt, &c.

peic, pile, pit,

tak^ teh^

he further observes, are not the

defective utterance,

result of organic defects, but originate in the contrac-

tion of a vicious habit,

which

in

time becomes

in-

veterate.

Want

of space precludes the possibility of quoting

from the works of any other author of

An

this time.

enumeration of the principal treatises on the subject of defective utterance

must therefore

suffice.

G. Schacher. de Loquela. Lipsiae, 1696 lingua sana et aegra. Altdorf,

;

Kiistner de

1716; Fick de

halhis.

Jenae, 1725; Bergen de balbutientibus Francf,

1756;

Reil de Vocis et Loquelae

vitiis, 8fc.

Sauvags [Nosologia llethodica, Amst.

1768,) places

stammering among

dgscinesiae,

I move,) diseases of

which the chief symptom

in debility.

CuUen, {synop.

nos.

{dys, difficult,

med.) and

kineOy

consists

many

sub-

sequent authors have adopted the same opinion. Joseph, Frank* distinguishes c^yspAowme- affections *

Prazeos Medicae TJniversae Praecepta.

vitiis vocis et loquelae."

Chap.

ii.

'*

De

— SECOND TERIOD. of the voice, which

71

may be symptomatic

or primary,

traumatic, catarrhal, &c., and dT/slaUae-defeGts of the

As

articulation.

enumerates,

regards the causes of stuttering, he

(following

depraved habit, cerebral

bad education,

Mercurialis,)

affections, sexual excesses,

&c

In respect to the prognosis, he observes, that stuttering

seems to diminish, and frequently ceases with advancing age, but

when

inveterate

it

is

an incurable

evil.

Dr. Frank seems in favour of a severe discipline in the treatment of stuttering, for he strongly recommends a good flogging,

—a

mode

of cure

with which, for

reasons stated in the sequel, I certainly cannot agree.

The 'nodern

literature

of Psellism

have commenced with Itard,*

may be

who seems

in

said to

many

res-

pects to have entertained correct notions on the subject,

and to have anticipated some of the appliances

adopted by subsequent practitioners, as will appear

from the following passages Itakd, says

:

—" Some

instead of throwing a

new

.

modern anatomical writers light

upon the

subject,

have

rather withdrawn our attention from the real seat of

the affection, as they considered stuttering as the con-

sequence of organic defects.

The phenomena which

* Journal Universel des Sciences Medicals.

Paris, 1817.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

72

stuttering exhibits,

suspect a spasmodic or

make us

tremulous action, and a debility of the muscles moving the tongue and the larynx. affection is curable.

have no doubt the

I

The remedies must

necessarily be

adapted to the degree and duration of the disorder. It is not sufficient to

pupil acquainted with

make the

the mechanism of articulation, and to repeat frequently the individual sounds, but they must be studied in possible combinations.

pronounced,

Some

more

syllables are

when preceded by one which

tongue into a position favourable for whilst the enunciation of

them

will

easily

places the

production

its

be more

difficult

they follow a syllable not affording this advantage.

good deal

also

consonant

is

all

;

if

A

depends on the vowel with which the

combined, thus stutterers find

less

diffi-

culty in articulating co than ca.

"

When

number

stuttering increases

and extends

of individual sounds and syllables,

to a great it

will be

necessary by mechanical means to strengthen the organs of articulation, and to lessen their spasmodic tendency.

"We must

treat the muscles of the vocal

and

articula-

ting organs like those of locomotion, and as dancing

and fencing ble, so

will render the latter

more firm and

must the tongue and the

analogous exercises.

I avail

lips

flexi-

be subjected to

myself for this purpose

76

SECOND PERIOD.

of a small apparatus, whicli I place under the tongue/^

The iastrument

is

scarcely introduced,

when we hear The

a confused, indistinct voice, but no stuttering.

most ble,

difficult

syllables are articulated with some trou-

We

but they are not repeated.

must, however,

not deprive the tongue of this mechanical support at too early a period, otherwise the defect will re-appear.

The apparatus should be used

for a very

considerable

time, and when, at meals and during the night,

it

is

removed, the patient must strictly abstain from speaking. I

how

cannot exactly say

long

it

ing only effected two cures by case was that of a

young man,

should be worn, hav-

its

The

agency.

twenty,

set.,

first

who used

the instrument for about eighteen months.

The per-

severance of the patient to subject himself to such an

inconvenience for so long a period, was powerfully

supported by the hope of meeting, after the removal of his infirmity, with a

a young lady to

whom

cure was complete;

more favourable reception from he was greatly attached.

but

I

have

n.ot

The

been informed

whether he met in another quarter with the success he so

amply merited. *

The second

The mstrument consists

case

was that of a boy

of a gold or ivory fork placed in

the concave centre of a short stalk, and applied by

its

convex

surface to the cavity of the alveolar arch of the lower jaw.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

74 set.,

who wore

eleven,

and removed I

it

the apparatus very reluctantly,

whenever he could do so unobserved.

saw him much improved

after

he had used

it

for

eight months, and I have reason to believe, though I

him, that he ultimately recovered."

lost sight of

Remarks.

Itard very justly denies

stuttering as being the con-

sequence of organic lesions.

The main

defect of his

theory and practice consists in having placed the cause of the evil too exclusively in the articulating organs. It

is,

therefore, not surprising that even

by

his

own

account, he only succeeded by means of his instrument in effecting

two cures

in the

and of eight months in the second case

first,

after a lapse of eighteen

and did not even know whether the

latter

months ;

had been

permanent.

Deleau* first is

distinguishes three kinds of stuttering

the

produced by disordered motions of the tongue,

which he

calls

Ungual or loquax

those stutterers of the

:

who

;

the second includes

exhibit contortions in the muscles

mouth and the

difforme

;

face,

which he terms

labial or

the third, comprising those stutterers * Acad, des Sciences, 1828.

who

;

SECOND PERIOD.

75

cannot properly produce any sound

;

termed

this is

douloureux or muet.

As

causes he

contracted in infancy. lesion.

A

3.

A

assumes— 1.

weak

2.

Produced by an organic

and an

will

enunciation

vicious

insufficient

nervous influence to direct the organs.

supply of

In some re-

spects his theory is just the reverse of that of Rullier.

M. Serres"^

considers stuttering a nervous affection,

The

presenting two well marked aspects. bles chorea of the muscles

first

resem-

which modify the sounds

the second there obtains a tetanic rigidity of the

in

muscles of phonation and respiration. will loses the

of

tlie lips

and tongue

in the second the respiration

;

To cure a

slight stutter, it is sufficient

obstructed.

to

pronounce briskly every syllable

must pronounce rapidly is

;

may

facility

;

for courage

When

do

it

stutterer

himself,

by the arms and he

you

the stutter-

gymnastics

the arms must join in the movements.

must shake the or he

cot«-ra-ge.

severe, this simple kind of

sufficient

the

first,

power of influencing the rapid motions

is

ing

In the

is

in

You

at every syllable,

will be surprised at the

which these motions will give him. * Memorial des Ilopitaux du Midi, annei, 1829.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

76

Remark. Unfortunately,

from the author's experience, the

remedy proposed has frequently the opposite but when the noYelty

succeeds at

first,

stuttering

generally worse.

is

is

effect.

It

gone, the

Dr. Rulliee,"" ranges himself among those authors

who

place the immediate cause of stuttering in the

brain.

He

remarks that the cerebral irradiation which

follows thought, and puts the

vocal and articulating

organs in action gushes forth so rapidly, that

it

outruns the degree of mobility possessed

by the muscles concerned, which left

impetuously and

are thus, as

it

were,

behind.

Hence the and spasmodic

To

latter are

state

thrown into that convulsive

which characterises

stuttering.

substantiate this defective relation between the

exuberance of thought, the celerity of cerebral irradiation

and the corresponding organic motions, he observes,

that the great majority of stutterers are distinguished by

the vivacity of their understanding and the petulance of their character

;

but when advancing age clips the

wings of the imagination, and ripens their judgment, stuttering diminishes as the action of their organs is

now

in equilibrium with cerebral irradiation. * Diet, de Scien. Med.

Brux. 1828.

SECOND PERIOD.

As an

77

auxiliary in curing stuttering, RuUier recom-

mends the burning of moxa on the integuments covering the larynx and the hyoid bone.

Remarks. Rullier's theory connecting stuttering with

uberant imagination reader

may

is

certainly not new, having, as the

find already

been advanced by Aristotle.

The connexion between thought and speech an interesting subject of inquiry.

In

speech, good speakers do not utter syllables in a second,

Yet

it

may

express these thoughts

more than three

many

as

be utttered within that

;

but

I

takes to

doubt

to

certainly interfere with

If there be

no command of

produce hesitation, just as

want of matter

it

The anxious endeavours

may

two ways.

articulation in will

plain, distinct

the mind during the time

articulate a single word.

it

no doubt

seems certain that a long train of thought

may run through

words,

is

but in rapid delivery, as

eight or nine syllables time.

an ex-

its

much whether

be the cause of actual stuttering.

opposite a it

can ever

The assigned reason

that stuttering diminishes with advancing age in con-

sequence of the wings of the imagination being clipjed appears to

me

very imaginary.

STAMM EKING AND STUTTERING.

78 Dr. H.

M'CoEMAc

published in 1828 a treatise on

the cure of stammering, which he prefaces in these

terms

:

—

" That the following work will communicate, without the possibility of a failure, to the reader, whether

medical or otherwise, the means of curing habitual stoppage of speech, paradoxical,

may appear

when we

at first sight, a little

consider that thousands of years

have elapsed without any individual having ever been able to discover and communicate to the

means by which the

distressing

subject will quickly vanish,

when the

in possession of the means, shall essay

and

same

exist

on the

stutterer, once

them on himself,

find that without trouble or difiiculty,

to speak with the

could be

affliction

But any scepticism that may

alleviated.

world any

facility as other

he may learn

men.

" The peasant and the artisan will equally receive the benefit of this communication

many

;

and that which

centuries wealth could not purchase, will

for

now

be placed within the compass of even the most abject

And

poverty."

again, "

The means

I

have provided

are so easy of execution, and so abundantly efficient,

that were

be of it

or

little

noty

it

not for the sake of saving trouble,

consequence whether the

cliildreji

it

would

contracted

SECOND PEHIOD. It

79

appears that, being in 1826, in the City of New-

York, Dr. M'Cormac was given to^understand that a Mrs. Leigh of that city was very successful in the

removal of impediments of speech.

As he

could obtain

no information of the method employed, he considered that what another had done, he might possibly do likewise.

"No

medical work," say Dr. M'Cormac,

so far as I knew, or satisfactory

now know,

information on the subject, and

means which

I

and

truly, as

This ignorance

earnestly desired to

moving

its

I

con-

—a

dis-

professors,

and

an opprobrium jnecltcorum,

grace to the science of medicine and I

the

all

had ever heard proposed or read of, were

equally ineffectual and useless. sidered,

contained the least

become the instrument of

re-

it."

Dr. M'Cormac

now employed much

of his time in

pondering on this subject until he arrived at the acme of his desires

;

for

it

suddenly occurred to him that

the sole and proximate

cause of stuttering was an

attempt to speak when the lungs are in a state of collapse, or nearly so.

"In

this,"

hitherto

says the doctor, "consists the discovery

made by none.

The

patient endeavours

speak when the lungs are empty, and cannot.

to

We can

utter a voice without speech or words, but not the latter

without the forrrer."

STAMMERING

80

The cause from which arise, is

STUTTERING.

Alfl)

impediments of speech

all

being apparently so simple, the remedy proposed

equally easy, for he says

attended

to,

and which, in

fact, is

the whole system of cure, strongly each

time,

" The main thing to be

:

the ground-work of

to

is

expire

when attempting

lungs being previously

filled to

to

the

breath

the

speak,

the utmost, or, in other

words, to reverse the habit of stuttering, which

is,

that

of trying to speak without expiring any air."

Remarks. Dissenting from Dr. M'Cormac's assumption that stutterers invariably try to

speak with empty lungs,

the remedy which he proposes,

viz., to

fill

the lungs to

the utmost extent, and to expel the words with force inapplicable. fault,

In some few cases, where the voice

the patient

may be

stances, the practice

benefited

recommended

portance in

all

cases

;

is

but

in

but in most in-

;

is

more

aggravate the impediment than to remedy regulation of the breath

is

is

likely to it.

The

no doubt of the utmost im-

it

must not be

effected in the

way indicated by Dr. M'Cormac. The

error into

which

this

author has fallen must be

partly attributed to the false premise from which he

SECOND PliRIOD.

81

started, namely, that the Toice is indispensable to articulation.

*'We

can," he observes, "utter a voice

without words, but not the latter without the former/'

The

stutterer should, therefore, cause his vocal cords to

and that he can only

vibrate,

Now,

tion.

it

is

well

effect

known

by

forcible expira-

that in whispering

articulate perfectly, without producing

person whose vocal cords are obliterated from ease

may

voice

is

still

be able to whisper out his thoughts

gone, but the articulation remains."^*

we

A

any voice.

dis-

the

;

The

vocal cords being unconcerned, the tone can, in whispering,

be neither raised or lowered, as in normal

speech,

when

both, the vocal and articulating organs

are in action.

Hervez de Chegouin,! hitherto, convinced

of

says " Stammerers have

resigned

incurability,

their

Uncertain as to the cause,

themselves to their

fate.

traditional remedies

were resorted

of Demosthenes and his pebbles

;

We

to.

but,

were

by some

We

pebbles don't cure stuttering now-a-days.

then recommended to articulate slowly of fact, stammering

is

then

less

;

and

told*

fatality,

were

in point

But the

sensible.

* See Philosnp/nj of Voice and Speech. f Ttecherchcs sur las

C ruses du

Bcgaicnient,

P^rip, 1830.

F

STAMMERING AND STUrXERINO.

82

reason why, was not known.

In placing myself before

a looking-glass and pronouncing each syllable separately, I did not stutter

join several syllables,

and position of the

;

but when

I

endeavoured to

which required a change of form

articulating organs, I

had the same

difficulty."

" The cause of stuttering consists either in the shortness of the tongue or the vicious disposition of the fraenum, which fixes

it

to the inferior part of the

and thus restricts its motions.

may be

mouth,

It is true

that the frsenum

who

articulate well,

short or long in persons

but in comparing the tongue of a stutterer with that of another individual,

it

will

be found that the frsenum of

the former extends more to the top of the tongue, or that

it is

harder and thicker, and also that the tongue

shorter, so that to raise

is

though not impossible,

is

it

towards the pharynx

yet very

difficult.

If I, then,

find that the cause has its seat in the frsenum, I divide it,

and

if

the tongue be too short, I double the dental

arches by inserting within a silver arch, by which they are brought nearer to the tongue."

Mr. Hervez

This instrument

calls cintre.

Remarks.

The abnormal condition

of the tongue

may, indeed

SECOND PERIOD.

83

Mr,

produce stammering, but never actual stuttering. Hervez's chitre of the tongue

may be

it,

when

existing, cause

is

my

care

many

con-

not often met with, nor

Neither will

stuttering.

the division of the frsenvim cure stuttering

had under

portion

A

has been lost from disease.

genital shortness of the tongue

does

when a

useful in cases

pupils

whose

;

and

I

have

affection dates

from an unskilful and unnecessary operation of that kind.

Dr. Aknott's

common

Theory and Remedy.*

not, as has

been

where the individual has a

diffi-

case of stuttering, however,

universally believed,

culty in respect to

some

by the disobedience of the parts of the

— " The most

is

particular letter or articulation,

to the will or

power of association

mouth which should form

where the spasmodic interruption occurs behind or beyond the mouth,

viz., in

it

;

but

altogether

the glottis, so as

to affect all the articulations."

Starting

from the principle that the closure of the

glottis is the chief cause of stuttering, it follows that a

stutterer

is

directed to

instantly cured, it,

he can keep

it

if,

by having

his attention

open. In order to effect this.

Dr. Arnott advises to begin pronouncing or droning any simple sound, as the » Elements of

e

I'/iijsics,

of the English word, berry, &c.

G. Niel Arnott, M.D.

— STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

84

whereby the

opened, and the pronunciation of

glottis is

the following sounds

lendered easy.

is

should be joined together, as

if

The words

each phrase formed but

one long word, nearly as they are joined in singing this

be done, the voice never stops, the

closes,

and there

of course, no stutter.

is,

mode

to the strangeness of such a

Arnott observes

:

" There are

many

to express themselves, often rest long e

stance, hesitatingly,

'

With regard

persons not acin seeking

words

between them, on

think e

e

never

glottis

mentioned above, saying, e\

if

of enunciation. Dr.

counted peculiar in their speech, who,

the simple sound of

;

for in-

you may,"

the sound never ceasing until the end of the phrase, how-

ever long the person

may

Peofesok Muller*

require to pronounce

it.

agrees with Dr. Arnott, in con-

sidering the immediate cause of stammering to be a

spasmodic affection of the

glottis,

and that the cure

must, therefore, be effected by conquering this morbid

tendency to closure by voluntarily keeping

For

this purpose, Dr.

should connect

all his

voice, continued

words by an intonation of the

by persons who speak

* Elctnents

open.

Arnott advises that the patient

between the

observes MuHer, "

it

may

vvith

different words, as is

hesitation.

afiord

some

of Physiolotji/, IranslalcdLy

done

"This plan,"

benefit, but cannot

W. Baly, M.D.,

18-37

SECOND PERIOD.

85

do everything, since the main impediment occurs in the middle of words." He, therefore, advises, in addition to Dr. Arnott's plan, the following procedmre

:

*'

The

patient should practise himself in reading sentences in

which

which cannot be pronounced with a

all letters,

vocal sound, namely, the explosives, should be omitted,

and only those consonants included which are susceptible of

an accompanying intonation, and that the sound

should be

much

of enunciation

By

prolonged.

would b^

method, a mode

this

attained, in

which the

glottis is

never closed, owing to the articulation being combined

When

with vocalisation.

the stammerer has long

practised himself in this manner, he

the explosive sounds.

may proceed

to

In such a plan of treatment, the

patient himself would perceive the principle, while the

ordinary method

—that

of

Madame Leigh

—

is

mere

groping in the dark, neither teacher nor pupil knowing the principles of the method pursued."

Remarks.

The

so called spasmodic closure of the glottis, con-

sidered

by Drs. Arnott and Miiller, and their followers, as

the chief cause of stuttering cause, but an

effect,

is, I

am

convinced, not a

produced by the misemployment of

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

86

the respiratory and vocal organs application of inadequate If the

difficulty.

—

means

contraction

in

to

short, by the

surmount

the

were

of the glottis

spasmodic^ in the proper sense of the terra, the patient

would scarcely have the power, which he undoubtedly possesses, even in the severest form, to arrest

stantly

by

it

in-

silence.

Again, stuttering does not, as frequently asserted, occur only at the explosive sounds, hence, the omit-sion of these letters in the exercised, as Miiller, will not

recommended by

always stop the paroxysm.

Those who make use of the

trick of an intervening e

must

sound for the purpose of keeping the

glottis open,

be reminded

any benefit from

the

artifice,

that, in order to derive

the next sound must closely follow, other-

That such a mode

wise the glottis will again contract.

of drawling enunciation attracts, comparatively, notice, is a proposition to

In some cases, listener

Arnott,

it is,

which

I

perhaps, more disagreeable to the

In justice to Dr.

than the original defect. it

may be

observed, that he expressly states,

that though the simple sound, the

e

of berry, is a

of keeping the glottis open, there are in

little

cannot subscribe.

which other means are more

gent preceptor soon discovers.

many

means

other cases

suitable, as the intelli-

SECOND PERIOD. Dr. Schulthess*

87

distinguishes idiopathic, sympto-

The

matic, and sympathetic stuttering.

first

depends

upon disharmony between innervation and the action of the vocal and articulating organs. Stuttering, the result of imitation,

is

idiopathic.

Stuttering

is

sympathetic,

is

if the

disorder of the larynx

consensual, owing to an affection of the brain, or

the abdominal viscera.

Symptomatic stuttering generally disappears with the affection, of

which

it is

the symptom.

In sy^nptomatic stuttering

which

tion of

it is

we must combat

When

a symptom.

the affec-

stuttering

is

sympathetic, the treatment must be directed to the

primary its

evil

which produced

seat in the

stuttering

it,

and which has chiefly

abdomen and the

may

brain.

orginally be a secondary

But though symptom,

may, by long continuance, become idiopathic

;

it

we

must, then, after having removed the original cause, direct our attention to the spasmodic affection of the

larynx, which ing,

may

still

remain.

In idiopathic stutter-

we must internally and externally try such remedies

which

directly or indirectly act

upon the vascular,

vegetative, and nervous system generally; but especially

upon the vocal and sympathetic nerves *

Das Stammeln und

—remedies

Stottern. Zurich, 1830.

TAMMEBING AND STUTTERING.

88 whicti

have

proved

beneficial

in

diseases, such as epilepsy, chorea,

Among

other

convulsive

hooping cough, &c.

external applications, antispasmodics, resol-

vent embrocations on the throat, and the vicinity of the

larynx

may be

Derivatives, setons, blisters,

useful.

either on the throat, behind the ears, the neck, the chest, the pit of the stomach, or at distant regions,

have, at times, produced good effects. " Thus," he says,

" a stutterer was

much

relieved after applying to the

chest the antimonial ointment."

Though agreeing with Dr. Arnott as state of the glottis,

to the spasmodic

he doubts whether the enunciation

of a simple vowel sound will

much

relieve the stutterer.

Dr. Schulthess concludes his work by expressing a wish that

some person would take the trouble of embodying,

in a single volume, all the

methods which have occa-

sionally succeeded, so that the practitioner

might have

his choice of remedies in case of failure.

Remarks.

Db. ScHulTiiESs's work meritorious performance. to

is,

in

many respects,

a very

He does not, however, appear

have enjoyed much opportunity for practice. Hence,

his

views are theoretical, and his fault consists in

SECOND PERIOD.

tjy

having treated the subject chiefly from a medical point of view.

Though

paramount im-

fully admitting the

portance of a psychical treatment, which, as he observes,

has been successfully employed

ment only aggravated the most

stuttering, in

disorder,

cases, a

— an

of a corporeal affection losing ground,

and which

when medical he

still

treat-

considered

disease or symptomatic

opinion which

is

daily

I cannot at all agree in.

SiE Charles Bell* attributes to the pharynx a much greater share in articulation than

He

is

generally allowed.

considers that this smaller cavity

is

substituted for

the larger cavity of the chest, to the great relief of the speaker, and the incalculable saving of muscular exertion.

Both the musical notes

in singing,

and the vowels in

speech are affected by the form and dimensions of the

pharynx, and

it is

during the distention of the bag of

the pharynx that the breath ascends and produces the

sound which proceeds and gives the character to the explosive letters, and the pharynx,^ after being dis-

tended, contracts, and forces open the

He

lips.

further observes that, with each motion of the

tongue or

lips,

there

is

a correspondence in the action

of the velum and pharynx, so that the compression o Philosophical Transactions, 1832.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

90

the thorax, the adjustment of the larynx and the motions of the tongue and the pharynx and palate must

lips,

all

and

glottis,

his actions of

consent before a word

is uttered.

Applying

this to

remarks that, " tion

is

impediments of speech, Sir Charles

in a person

who

stutters, the imperfec-

obviously in the power of intonation, and not in

defectTof a single part.

The

stutterer can sing without

hesitation or^spasm, because in singing, the adjustment

of the glottis and the propulsion of the breath by the elevated chest, are accomplished and continue uninterruptedly, neither does he experience any distress in

For

pronouncing the vowels and liquid consonants. the same reason, and

if

he study to commence his

speech with a vowel sound, he can generally add to the vibration, already begun,

the proper action

Another necessary combination

pharynx.

the stutterer,

much

distresses

He

expels the breath

in his attempts at utterance, that, to produce

the ribs must be forcibly compressed.

a sound at

all,

To remove

this necessity, if

he be made to fill his lungs

and elevate the shoulders, the of the

the

namely, the action of the expiratory

muscles, and those of the throat. BO

of

elasticity of the

chest will come into

the breath without

effort,

play,

and he

so will

as

compages to

expel

speak with

comparative

SECOND PERIOD.

91

and comfort.

Accordingly, to

facility

commence speaking with the

chest fully inflated, to

pitch the Toice properly, to keep measured time in speaking, and to raise the voice on a liquid letter or

vowel, are some of the

the cure of to

it

;

common means recommended

for

and they are certainly those which tend

overcome the

difficulty in

combining the organs of

speech when the defect arises from no disorder or malformation of the organs of speaking."

Eemarks. It will be perceived that our distinguished physiologist considers stuttering not as a disease, but chiefly as the result of disordered respiration.

down no

specific plan,

He,

therefore, lays

but recommends the

means which, by regulating the respiratory

common acts,

may

tend to overcome the difficulty of the stutterer in combining the action of the organs of speech.

Dr. Voisin* being his speech, left no

Demosthenes

afflicted

method

to the

with an impediment in

untried, from the pebbles of

method of Mrs. Leigh and Mal-

bouche, for the purpose of removing

him

to the discovery of the

it.

Chance first led

method he recommends.

* Bulletin de V Acad. Roy. de Med. 1837.

He

STAMMEBING AND STUTTERING.

92

was reading a paper before a

and wishing to

society,

do so with energy, he happened to look in a mirror

which was opposite him, and perceived that he rested the border of his right hand upon his chin, in a manner 80 as to depress the inferior maxilla and hold the

The idea immediately suggested

half open.

this instinctive

more promptly and

upon ceasing the pressure the

pression was quickly reproduced his

hand the freeness of the

first,

:

that

;

that the

In

easily.

difficulty of ex-

but upon replacing

articulation immediately

Endeavouring to give an account of

returned.

observes

itself

and mechanical movement might con-

tribute to his reading fact,

mouth

mouth was kept

this,

he

half open,

the distance between the teeth being a line and a half.

Second, that the tongue, abandoned to

itself,

in the

state of repose, placed itself against the inferior dental

border, whilst during pronunciation

wards and upwards, but

is

projected for-

it is

withdrawn almost imme-

diately behind the alveolar arch. Third, that a

pressure

is

necessary upon the chin

sufficiently strong to resist the

;

medium

this should

muscles which

the inferior maxilla, without impeding

its

be

move

movement

of elevation, so strong as to prevent perfect approximation.

To produce

me make

it

this

e xcusable,

pressure, it is

and

at the

same

necessary to use a certain

SECOND PERIOD.

93

delicate art, so that the manoeuvre

may

forced, but on the contrary, almost

not appear

This

natural.

pressure should be

made with the

the right or

hand indiscriminately, the thumb

left

the chin, and

applied to

obsei-ved the

same

external border of

He

the fingers free.

hcs

in other individuals afflicted with

impediment.

Remarks.

TiiEKE are few cases

in

which any benefit

derived from the artifice recommended.

will

It is at best

but a palliative not reaching the cause of the evil

was Dr. Voisin cured by

it.

be

;

nor

The pressure upon the

chin during enunciation may, in some instances, give

temporary it

may

relief;

and as beards are now

all

the fashion,

be efiected by holding the hirsute appendage,

and drawing down the lower jaw without exciting too

much

attention.

Dk. Marshall Hall, in System, volition

1841, is

says

:

his Diseases of the Nervous

"In Stammering

the act of

rendered imperfect by an action independent

and subversive of the

will

and of true spinal

In some instances, an act of inspiration the same tiinc, which

is

is

origin.

excited at

equally iuvolunlary

;

but in

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

94

o-eneral, there is a violent effort of expiration,

the worst cases, the disease

of an almost convulsive

is

Stammering, as a diseas«,

character.

and, in

is

sometimes

induced by a morbid condition of the intestines, acting Dr. Bostock has re-

through the incident nerves.

corded such a case in the Medical Chirurgical Transactions, vol. xvi, p.

72

;

was cured by purgative

it

medicines." *'

In

all

position,

cases this affection

aggravated by indis-

is

and by emotion or

agitation.

It

is

best

remedied when not hereditary or inveterate, by attention to the general health,

and especially by purgative

and tonic medicines, and by acquiring a habit of possession,

self-

and of speaking in a subdued, continuous

tone, first dilating the thorax. *'

not

Stammering I

is

very like a partial chorea

;

it

is

think, as Dr. Arnott supposes, an affection of

the glottis or larynx, that

is

of the organ of the voice,

but of some of the different parts which constitute the

machinery of *'

articulation.

If the recent observations of

correct, that

stammering

of the uvula and

thrown on

this

is

tonsils, a

Mr. Yearsley prove

to be

cured by excision

new ray

singular malady.

excitor-rcgulator of articulation

:

of light will be

uvula the

Is the Is

it,

in

cases

of

SECOND PERIOD. stammering, unduly excitable

95

Every voluntary act

?

combines with itself an excitomotory action. tact of an object with the

The con-

palm of the hand, the

sole

of the foot, induces an additional muscular contraction

beyond that of the

may be

lation

reflex arc

regulated

same manner.

in the

A

between the mouth and the organs of articu-

would not be more marvellous than many others.

lation

How

original stimulus of volition. Articu-

extraordinary, for example,

is

the act of vomiting

How

induced by irritation of the fauces!

singular

that substances passing the fauces in deglutition do not

produce the same

effect.

nerves of vomiting escape is

How ?

I

do the incident excitor

may

further ask, what

the state and position of the u^oila in articulation

The velum, and with

it

?

the uvula, are elevated and

placed so as to close the posterior nares, whenever certain

letters

are

pronounced.

Are incident nerves

regulators of articulation excited in this case are they unduly excited in stammering

And

?

mering not only an undue spinal action

many

?

is

(as I

And stamstated

years ago), but an undue rejlex spinal action

?

These interesting questions, time and long investigation alone

can determine.

Farther,

can the uvula and

adjacent parts be implicated in chorea

" ?

In the Journal of the Rnijal Institution, for 1841,

STAMMERING AND STUTTERINO.

96 Dr.

M.

Hall, further very justly observes

prove that the larynx indeed, that

its

closure and stammering are totally in-

it is

to the larynx

;

" All results

not closed in stammering, and,

is

compatible with each other. interrupted,

:

Where

articulation is

by the co-operation of a part anterior

it is,

in a word, not

an interruption of

the organ of voice, but of speech."

Dr. Lichtinger in a series of papers on stuttering

[Med.

Zeitunfft 1844),

depend on an

distinguishes those cases

affection of the nervous system

which

from such

which result from malformation of the organs of speech. Following Dr. Marshall Hall, he further distinguishes cerebral and spinal stuttering.

In the former,

affec-

tions of the brain interfere with the efforts of the will,

so that spinal activity preponderates unregulated.

On

the other hand, spinal stuttering must be referred to that portion of the cord which

is

situate

between the

origin of the fifth and seventh and those resj)iratory

nerves that supj^Iy the chest and belly. either central

when

tioned, or eccentric

of the reflex nerves.

This

may be

the cause exists in the tract men-

when

the cause

is

seated in some

SECOND PERIOD.

American Theory and

The method

said to

9T

Method.'^'

have been invented in 1825, by

Mrs. Leigh, an English

woman

residing at

New York,

created great sensation both in America and Europe.

Magendie, in his report to the French Academy (March. 11, 1828), gives the following account of this

New

Mrs. Leigh, residing at

widow when about in the house of Dr.

lady:—

York, having become a

thirty-six years old,

was received

Yates, one of whose daughters

about eighteen years of age, laboured under a severe

impediment of speech.

In return for the great kind-

ness with which she was treated, Mrs. Leigh deter-

mined

to free the

young lady from her impediment.

Deriving no information from any English work treating of the subject, she tried a

number

of remedies,

until she arrived at her " infallible " method.

Con-

sidering that the pressure of the tongue against the inferior incisors

was the

sole cause of stuttering,

the

great point of her system consisted in inducing the patient, during enunciation, to

alter

the position of

* Although in clironological order, this theory ought ta

have been inserted before, duce

it

here in

it

was deemed advisable

connection with

its

to

pro-

chief propagator

Europe, Mr. Malebouche.

G

in.

STAMMEEING AND STUTTERING.

98

that organ by placing

which means,

it is

it

by

to the top of the palate,

said, she

succeeded in curing Miss-

Yates of her infirmity. Dr. Warren of Boston, however, insists that the

above great discovery was not made by Mrs. Leigh at all,

but by Dr. Yates, the father of the young lady

;

and that he merely consented that the system should pass under her name, from fear of being considered

an.

empiric.

Dr. Zitterland, on the other hand, in a pamphlet

published in 1828, at Aix la Chapelle, says, that Mrs. Leigh's husband had been a stutterer, and that the discovery was the result of nine years constant observation.

Others

assert, that

Mr. Broster had practised

the same method before Mrs. Leigh, and that

it

was

from England that the system was transplanted to America.

Be

this as it

may, certain

it

is

that Mr.

Malebouche, a Frenchman, bought the secret

round sum of Mrs. Leigh, and introduced into the Netherlands and Germany.

it,

for a

in 1827,

Both the Nether-

land and Prussian Governments considered the subject of sufficient importance, to grant to those

who were

in possession of the secret considerable privileges, and

to appoint

them

professors at public establishments.

Mrs. Leigh's system was shortly afterwards intro-

SECOND PERIOD. duced

France by Mr. F. Malebouche, a brother of

into

the gentleman

who purchased

As Mr.

Leigh.

set

about perfecting

Academy

the secret from Mrs..

F. Malebouche, in the course of his

practice, found the method, in

he

99^'

many

cases, inefficient,

and presented

it,

of Science, in 1841, a

to the

French

memoir containing

his improved system of treating defective utterance.

In this memoir, Mr.

American method that

Malebouche reproaches the it

is

not applicable

to

species of stuttering, and that the cures effected

were not lasting.

He

had, therefore, remedied

its

all

by

it

short-

comings, and discovered a more perfect method of cure.

His

starting point is directly to oppose the curative

remedies to the vicious action of the organs of speech as he does not think that respiration has

much

with the production of stuttering, he deems

it

to

;

do

unneces-

sary to occupy himself with this fundamental element

of speech, which, he assumes, becomes regularised in its

The

actions lips

in

proportion

as

stuttering

form a special object of Mr. Malebouche's

treatment.

"With regard to the tongue, Mr. Male-

bouche recommends that not merely the

whole organ should be palate,

diminishes.

retracting

it

as

raised

much

tip,

and applied

as possible.

but the to

the

In this

manner, the stutterer begins to perceive the motions-

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

100

necessary for pronunciation the tongue

he must be made, while

;

thus glued to the palate, to pronounce

is

kinds of syllables and words, which he succeeds

all

in effecting after a longer or a shorter time, according

the

to

of the pupil,

intelligence

much

altered

—

is

it

the degree of

The pronunciation, no doubt,

-flexibility of his organs. is

or

thick,

clammy

;

but experience

has proved that this defect disappears in proportion as the pupil

becomes master of

his

movements.

The

teacher should not yield to the desire of the stutterer to be soon relieved

from

must be continued

this

mode

of enunciation

for a considerable time, until

;

it

the

pupil can, with the tongue placed in the indicated position,

It is important,

enunciate distinctly.

nay-

indispensable, that during the time of the treatment,

the subject should, excepting during the hours devoted to the exercises, keep perfect silence.

—

The

invariable,

articulate as distinctly

as

infallible rule

is

possible, with

the least possible detachment of the

this

tongue from the palate. in

to

The more the

pupil succeeds

articulating clearly, while the tongue

the more perfect

is

is

retracted,

the cure.

Remarks. '!'he

chief point

insisted

on by Mrs. Leigh, that

SECOND PEEIOD. in stuttering is

not true.

tlie

tongue

is

101

fixed to the inferior incisors,

It is also evident that as neither

Leigh or Malebouche attach any importance

to dt fee"

some

tive vocalisation and the respiratory functions,

of the most essential elements stuttering remain unnoticed,

in

the

Mrs.

causation

and the method

is,

o*^

conse-

quently, one sided and ineffective. CoLOMBAT''^* assumes

two species of

stuttering,

each

having several subdivisions.

of

1.

Begaiement lahio-choreique, so termed on account

its

analogy with chorea, or

sists of

St. Vitus's

spasmodic motions of the

lips

Dance.

It

con-

and tongue, and

other moveable organs, and conduces to the frequent repetitions of the labial sounds. 2.

Begaiement guttm'o-tetanic,

consisting

mainly

in a rigidity of the respiratory muscles, and those of

the larynx and pharynx, and manifesting

itself

by a

sudden stoppage of the breath, owing to the contraction of the glottis, and, consequently, affecting the emission

of sound.

The

guttural sounds g, k, q, are cliitfly

influenced in this species.

Those labouring under the

first

named

defect, are

usually persons of a lively disposition, whilst *

Trait e de tous

les

those

vices de la parole et en pariiculier

Regalement, &c. Paris 1840.

du

STAMMERIKa

102

•subject to the. second

make

JLND STUTTERI^'G.

species, articulate

slowly,

and

considerable efforts to produce the disobedient

sounds.

Colombat followed the opinion of his pre-

decessors, in assuming as the proximate cause of stuttering, the

want of harmony between the nervous

influence and the muscles distributed to the organs of

speech.

He, therefore, devised a

series of

exercises, in order to restore the

orthophonic

harmony between

nervous action and the organs of articulation

most

efiective agent in these exercises

cation of

rhythm

;

tKe

being the appli-

in speaking.

The orthophonic gymnastics have the advantage of acting physically and morally;

upon

all

the respiratory muscles

larynx, and specially

the

lips.

The

cated has for

upon the

they act physically ;

upon the lungs, the

glottis,

the tongue, and

respiration effected in the its

object,

to

relieve

mode

indi-

the spasmodic

constriction of the vocal cords by opening the glottis, while, at the same time, the chest

is

expanded by a

large quantity of air \vhich escaj^es slowly by an expiration which should be gradual, and only sufficient to

produce the sound.

By

placing the finger upon the

pomum Adami

every-

one can convince himself, that on raising the tongue iind

turning the tip towards the pharynx, the larynx.

SECOND PERIOD.

103

descends, and the glottis enlarges, whilst in stuttering, the larynx

The

constricted.

renders

position of the tongue,

above,

almost impossible to stutter upon the gut-

it

when

soon exhibited of the

tension

articulating the labials

the same effects,

it is

lips

relieve

form a

sort of cur-

produce

easy to conceive that the disagree-

which produces them, is

to

different causes never

able repetitions cannot take place

Tiiere

transversal

tremor which obtains in

when the

As

vilinear sphincter.

tends

indicated,

as

lips,

The

depressed.

it is

that species of convulsive

tion.

as

dental and palatal letters, whilst the infirmity

tural, is

usually raised, by which the glottis is

is

is

if

the mechanism,

altered in an opposite direc-

also a condition

upon which he

insists,

that the patient should, for at least a fortnight, not

speak with any body

who

are

under

else, or

only with such individuals

treatment for the

same

infirmity,

otherwise the precepts are soon forgotten, and the influence of the *•

is

method

is

only ephemeral.

After what has been stated," says Colombat, "

evident that rhythm

my method

is

it

one of the chief phases of

"

Remarks.

Although Mr.

Colombat obtained the Monthyon

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

104

prize from

tlie

French Academy,

discover that he has thrown any

new

it

to

difficult

is

light

on the

infir-

Colombat's great merit consists in having syste-

mity.

matised the subject; although his many sub-divisions are useless, and some of his principles erroneous.

There can be no doubt that a slow and measured delivery sometimes tends to diminish stuttering, and

may

prove beneficial in some cases of defective utter-

ance

;

but nothing can be more erroneous than to

assume that rhythm, however

by

is

useful adjunct

it

:

in

employed,

Post hoc, ergo propter hoc

has been by most writers cried up

The

real fact is that

not the rhythm which produces a beneficial

efiect,

influence in altering, for the time being, the

ment

—

some uncomplicated cases a very

as a panacea for stuttering.

its

is

potent permanently to remove

itself, sufficiently

a severe impediment. because rhythm

skilfully

of the breath; for the

moment

it is

but

manage-

the patient begins

his ordinary discourse the defect immediately reappears.

Unless, therefore, the fans piration be

first

attended

et

origo mali

to, so as

—vicious

to establish

res-

a syn-

chronous action between the respiratory, vocal, and enunciating organs under all circumstances, alone will produce

little

or

no

effect.

rhythm

SECOND PERIOD.

Dr. Becquerel''* is

105^'

believes that the cause of stuttering

a dynamic affection of the respiratory muscles, having

probably

convulsive

organs

and

;

movements of the vocal and

articulating

the difficulty of pronouncing certain syllables

their frequent repetition, are merely the

quences of the premature escape of the

air

not employed in the formation of sound. fore, necessary to

ing

it

it will

as

much

conse-

which

is

It is, there-

prevent this escape of

air,

as possible during speech.

by

retain-

In stuttering

be seen that the walls of the thorax sink too .

often, to expel

result of is

The

primary seat in the nervous system.

its

it is

The

the excess of air introduced.

that a larger quantity of air escapes than

necessary for articulation, and a sensible current of

air arriving in the buccal cavity at the

the tongue, the

lips,

moment when

and the buccal parieties contract

for articulation, impedes their free action,

Such being the

stuttering.

be prevented by retaining employing

it

it

and produces

case, the loss of air

as

much

must

as possible,

and

in the formation of articulate sound.

Hemarka. Dr. Becquerel's theory,

though defective, con-

Traite du Begaietnent. Paris, 1847.

— STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

106 tains

much

that

is

true,

which, in some cases may,

under careful guidance, be carried out in practice.

— one

appears that Dr. Becquerel himself

eminent living French physicians

impediment of speech, and were able

to afford

him any

as

— laboured

under an

none of his colleagues

Mr.

help, he applied to a

Jourdaut, (not a medical practitioner) by

much

It

most

of the

relieved, if not altogether cured.

whom And

it

he was is

the

theory of Jourdant which our author has amplified and

developed in his work.

Dr. Carpenter'^* concurs

in the opinion of

most

authors that the defect called Stammering essentially consists in the

want of power to combine the

actions concerned in vocalization.

He

different

also considers

a disordered action of the nervous centres as the proxi-

mate cause of Dr.

And

;

though

M. Hall)

this

may

be (to use the language

either of centric or eccentric origin.

whereas the stammerer experiences his greatest

difficulties in

the pronunciation of the consonants of

the explosive class, he approves of Miiller's suggestion that the patient would do well to practice sentences

from which such consonants are omitted.

With regard to the

cure of stammering, Dr. Carpenter

makes the following suggestions

:

* Principles of Human Physiology, 5th edition.

:

107

SECOND PERIOD,

" One of the most important objects to be aimed

at

in the treatment of stammering consists in the prevention of all emotional disturbances in connection with

the art of speech

and thus requires the exercise and

;

the direction of thought in the following modes "

To

reduce mental emotion by a daily, hourly habit

of abstracting the

mind from the subject of stammering

both while speaking and at other times. "

To avoid

exciting mental emotion by (not

?)

at-

tempting unnecessarily to read or speak when the individual

is

conscious that he shall not be able to per-

form these actions without great

"

3.

of any

To

distress.

elude mental emotion

by taking advantage

to escape

from stammering, so

little

long as the

artifice

artifice

continues to be a successful one."

^emarlis.

It

would thus appear that Dr. Carpenter very justly

looks upon stammering (which word he uses synony-

mously with

stuttering), rather as a psychical afi*ection

"which must be combated by psychical means.

there

are

utterance

when

some

stutterers

who

when not thinking

their attention

is,

are

more

That

free in their

of their difficulty,

or

during speech, directed to

;

STAMMEKING AND STUTTERING.

108

another object of

act

very true, and in such cases the

is

abstracting

the

stammering may prove the power to do so

mind from the beneficial

subject

pupil had

the

if

of

but the difficulty consists in

;

Nothing

reducing such a theory to practice.

is

easier

than to advise the patient to withdraw his attention

from

his

affliction

stutterer to effect

To

— nothing

more

to

difficult

the,

it.

exercise a voluntary

our thought when we

power over the direction of

are,

by

sensation, con-

actual

stantly reminded of our affliction, requires a mental

which but few are capable

effort

be

And

merely psychical, and the

really

sufficient

of.

mastery over his mind, would

if

the case

patient it

have

not be more

rational to advise the patient to do just the reverse

that

is

and

to

overcome

pose

?

We

to say, to direct his attention to his affliction,

shall

it

by concentrated firmness of pur-

have to recur to

this subject.

In extreme cases of mental abstraction and excite-

ment, we find occasionally that fluent speech for the time

;

but in the majority of cases

the reverse, especially fsar^

which

is

known

if

the person

is

it

is

given

is

quite

labouring under

to stop the secretions, especially

of the salivary glands, causing a dryness in the mouth.

Nor

is

it

alone the stutterer

who

is

often rendered

:

SECOND PERIOD. unable to speak under

influence.

its

109

The most

trivial

thing will often obstruct an elegant flow of language,

and overthrow an

entire chain of thought, causing an.

utter incapability of pronouncing a instance, *•

word

at will

as

Macbeth

But wherefore could I not pronounce Amen ? I had most need of blessing and ;

Stuck in

And

;

here

my I

known, which

throat

may is,

'

state

that

Amen

*

!

a circumstance very

some subjects

little

stutter only

ia

the presence of certain persons, wjiile their articulation is

more

free

in the presence of others.

When a

patient has once stuttered in conversing with a certain individual, the chances are that he will do so again

on a

similar occasion.

Be

it

from association or other

causes, there can be no doubt as to the fact

itself.

CHAPTER

VIII.

SURGICAL OPERATIONS. JouBERT

{Historical Researches) endeavours to sho\r

that operations for defective utterance are not so as is generally believed.

'Galen (200

the thickening, induration,

and

a. d.)

new

speaks of

shortening

of

the

tongue, as influencing articulation, and recommends cauterisation.

Aetius,

400 years

after

Paul of Aegina,

speaks of tongue-tied (ancyglossi). in his Opus de re

Galen, also

Med. advises the

division of the

ligature.

In little

1608, Fabricius Hildanus operated upon

his

brother, who, at the age of four years could not

pronounce a word on account of the shortness and thickness of the frsenum, by which the tongue could

not reach the teeth and the palate.

Dionis, in 1672,

proposed to make two or three small incisions in the

tongue of such children easily.

who seem

not to articulate

All these operations appear, however, to have

been confined

to the division of the frsenum,

an opera-

SURGICAL OPERATIONS. tion as old as surgery,

Ill

which has even been

perfoi

med

by mothers and nurses. It

was reserved

for

modern surgery

to

extend the

operations to the muscular apparatus of the tongue,

and DieiFenbach

is

generally considered as the chief

authorit}" for the practice.

DiEiFENBACH

in his letter to the

March

1841, says:

means

of an

"The

operation, first presented itself to

mind on being

defective

for

utterance.

attention being directed to the subject I remarked,

many

indeed, that at the I

my

requested, by a patient cured of strabis-

mus, to operate upon him

My

French Academy,

idea of curing stammering by

persons affected by strabismus, had

same time an impediment

in their speech.

was of opinion that the derangement

in the

As

mecha-

nism of articulation was caused by a spasmodic condition

lingual

of the

and

air passages,

facial muscles,

I

which extended

to

the

conceived that, by inter-

rupting the innervation in the muscular organs which participate in this abnormal condition, I

in modifying or completely curing it." *

Though

there

may be

might succeed

"^

which squinting

is

cou-

comitant with, psellism, they are exceptional, and have

little

cases in

or no relation to each other, whilst vation,

by interrupting the

inner-

the respective parts are not merely modified, but

paralysed in their functions.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

112

Amiissat

also claims the

honour of applying surgical In his

operations for the cure of defective utterance. letter to the

French Academy (Feb. 1841), he writes

that he conceived his idea of the method of dividing

the genio-glossi as an extension of the operation for squinting, and that he Philipps,

communicated the idea

when no one

treated so in Germany.

at Paris

knew

Mr.

it

was

Malebouche, on the other

hand, says that Mrs. Leigh had advised

was acted upon

that

to

it,

and that

it

years, before, in America.

Dr. R. Froriep again {Froriep^s Notizen, 1841) conceived that the local cause of stammering retraction of the lingual muscles

was the

on one side only,

which may be detected by the form of the tongue and the neck.

He

therefore confined himself to dividing

the genio-glossus on one side only, and attributed to this

mode

his

own

success, whilst the division of both

these muscles by Bonnet and others led to no certain results.

Whether, or

not,

Dieffenbach

practice, certain it is that the

first

introduced the

example of so high aa

authority gave rise to a host of operators,

who by

cutting difierent ways, aspired to the honour of being

the inventors of some new method. selves

in

Castes.

They divided them-

Philipp and Velpeau followed

SURGICAL OPERATIONS. DiefFenbacli's

Gerjnan

the

or

113

Amussat,

method.

Bonnet, Petrequin, and Robert in Marburg, divided the

and genio-hyoidei

genio-glossi

;

Langenbach

in Goet-

tingen, the stylo-glossi

and hyo-glossi, and Wolff the

nervus hypo-glossus.

The English surgeons

chiefly

confined themselves to the excision of the tonsils and the uvula.

The

greatest zeal

was exhibited in France, where

not less than 200 persons were operated upon within one

The rage

year.

for operations spread

where Dr. A. Post performed the 1841, by dividing

first

to

near

genio-hyo-glossi

the

America,

operation,

New York

May, their

Uni"

origin.

Drs. Mott and Parker, of the

versity,

devided the genio-hyo-glossi either by the

knife or scissors, cutting closely to the symphysis of the

lower jaw.

In

many

immediately to be fluency. sion,

A few

instances the patients

much

seemed

and spoke with,

benefited,

hours, however, dispelled the delu-

and they found themselves as bad as ever.

Detmold passed needles through

the

Dr.

tongue, and

the same improvement followed, but as in the rest the

impediment returned.

The

utility of these operations

has been deduced

from their successful application in squinting, wry-neck

and

clubfoot.

clusion false.

The premises were wrong, and the conIn these affections the

evil is

permanent

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

114

and always associated with a contraction or shortening of the respective muscles.

Stuttering

were

is,

on the con-

the result of an

trary, frequently

temporary

organic defect

would be equally permanent. Dieffen-

it

;

it

bach found no organic defect in sixteen cases upon

which he operated, nor were there any found cases treated

ing

is

by Blume. Since then, the

not in the tongue,

it

patient frequently ceases

all

operations

No

doubt, the

follows that

on that innocent organ are

useless.

stuttering

either from the

shock upon the system, or from his strong efficacy of the operation

faith in the

but after the wound

;

in forty

seat of stutter-

is

healed

up, he relapses into his old habit^.

Nor

is it

true as asserted

by some surgeons,

that

stuttering frequently results from an abnormal condition

of the tonsils and the uvula, and that the excision of these organs would relieve the impediment.

Tumefac-

tion of the tonsils exists in most cases, without producing stuttering, while

nor if they have,

few stutterers have enlarged is it

tonsils

the cause of the infirmity.

may, however, admit that hypertrophied * Schulthess cites a case of a

tonsils, or

young workman, a

;

We an

stutterer,

"whose arm was crushed by machinery so as to require amputation.

the its

He

remained

free

wound was suppurating

being healed up.

;

from stuttering during the time

but the infirmity returned on

s

STJRGICAL OPERATIONS.

abnormal condition of the tongue, the uvula,

that

may and

115

and the

palate,

frequently does give rise to a stammer

;

sounds

;

to a defective articulation of certain

is

but never are they the cause of stuttering, which, as shov/n, essentially differs in

There

from stammering. i. e.

the

in

origin and

its

its

phenomena

then something in a name,

is

an exact definition of these affections

confusion

of the

arose

terras

for

;

from

the confusion in

their treatment.

Besides organic defects, the cause of stuttering has also

been attributed

of speech, that

is,

to the defective action of the

muscles

either to debility or to spasmodic

Debility cannot be the cause, otherwise age,

action.

wounds,

issues,

which weaken the muscles, would

increase the infirmity, and not, as experience shows,

diminish

it.

may

Debility

of individual sounds, that

not stuttering.

Nor

as,

;

rarely cause stuttering.

has been in a said a

man

circle,

stammering, but certainly

the local spasm of the glottis

is

the proximate cause

is

cause a bad enunciation

affections

of the

larynx

All reasoning on this subject

and

it

stutters because

might as well have been

he

stutters.

Dr. Claessen, a distinguished German surgeon

performed a variety IVorkenscrift,

1841)

of

operations,

"Although the

says

who

{Casper*

results

of

my

—

.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

116

experience would lose nothing by comparing them with. those published, assuming them to be strictly true, still

am

I

have undertaken,

so little satisfied, that I

no operation of the kind since June 11th, though a

number of

afflicted

I consider

my

it

persons vehemently desired

duty to dissuade

such operations, as

it is

all

it.

from performing

exceeding rare that the fault

in the action of the muscles, and that the evil

is

is

reme-

died by dividing them."

The

following

is

a

summary of

which have been from time

surgical operations

to time

various cases of defective articulation 1

recommended

in:

:

Inability to enunciate the lingual r,

Transverse incision into the upper surface of the forepart of ( the tongue.)

2.

Inability to enunciate the palatial r ov ch.

{Incision into the stylo-glossus, glosso-palatinus, with or toith-

out the excision of a triangular piece.) 3.

Excision of a prismatic or longitudinal piece from

the tongue,

if it

be too voluminous.

4. Inability to

pronounce the hard

[Division of the genio-glossi 5.

and

ff,

k,

and n

g,

the genio-hyoidei.)

Imperfect articulation of d,

t,

s, z,

in consequence

of the tip of the tongue not reaching the incisors. (Division of the genio-glossi.)

The

efforts

made by my

late father to put a stop

to

SURGICAL OPEEATIONS.

Il7

such operations in England, supported by the unsatisfactory results obtained, proved after a time successful,

so that at

last

the practice was discountenanced by

the most eminent members of the profession. port of which

a

I

may quote

all

In sup-

the following passages from

leading medical journal.

*'The sanguinary operations which have recently been

devised and executed, with the view of curing stam-

mering, are one of the greatest outrages upon modern

Although some

surgery.

in legitimate motives, most

of

them had

we

fear serve but to

their origin

show

Tvhat ruthless expedients will be occasionally resorted to

for

the purpose of acquiring professional fame,

however

and

short-lived,

rant and the credulous

and

subtlety.

to

will

what extent the igno-

become a prey

If our indignation

barbarous cruelties practised upon sake

of

it

to

dumb

at the

animals for the

how

be when we consider the mul-

titudes of our fellow-beings selves to

was awakened

the truth, of physiology,

elucidating

much more ought

to craft

who have^

be maimed and mutilated

suffered

at the

them-

instigation

of individuals more remarkable for their reckless use

of the knife than

for

the

soundness of the]

Br if. and Foreign Med,

Revieio, vol, xii.

ii^edical

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

118 " in

It is ascertained that

persons

who have stammered

highest degree, have been remarkable for the

t])e

perfect integrity of conformation and structure of all

the organs of voice and speech

while others

;

who have

laboured u:pder a faulty or d.seased condition of these organs have preserved their articulation unimpaired."

But though

it is

now comparatively

rare to

hear of

an operation of cutting out a transverse wedge from the tongue in cases of pscllismus, there are

who submit of speech,

to

have their

says

removed

persons

for thickness

and the uvula extirpated. The whole subject of

operations of this nature

who

tonsils

still

is

ably handled hj Mr. Harvey,*

— " Another defect

which the removal of

for

these bodies has been most strangely and unaccountably suggested

is

defective utterance.

Now, how such,

an expedient for removing that painful and distressing condition could enter the ceive."

nvula

That the operation

is also

useless there

work from which Enlarged

I

*

of anyone I cannot con-

of taking off the elongated

is

ample proof given in the

have quoted.

tonsils are often

but they grow out of tion, I

mind

it

found in young persons,

in time.

quote from Mr. Vincent,

who

says

—"

I

have

of ih'i Enlarrjid Tonsils audits Consequences^ Harvey, Esq., F.R.C.S., &c. Eenshaw. j

Oil Excision

By William

In proof of this asser-

SUHGICAL OPERATIONS. seen very

many

119

cases of enlarged tonsils, producing

the greatest annoyance

in

patients at fifteen, which,

have gradually assumed the natural the subject arrived at maturity.

If

size

by the time

we

consider the

great utility of these glands in secreting a

mucus of a

peculiarly lubricating fluid, so valuiible in the

of deglutition,

I

cannot regard

it

as

remove these parts so unsparingly Experience has shown

mc

economy

a good practice to

as I have known.'*

that inflamed tonsils

and

elongated uvula are often accompanied with stammering

;

but on that being removed, this state generally

ceases

The continual misuse

lent action of the breath,

tering and stammering,

produce this efiect of

result,

of the organs, the vio-

which we often find in are

which

is,

stut-

quite sufficient causes to in

most

cases, only

the

stammering, and according to the admitted

axiom, on the cause being removed the effect wilL cease.

—

CHAPTER IS

The

plea

psellism

is

IX.

A DISEASE?

PSELLISM* so

;

long urged by medical authors that

a disease, and

lies,

therefore, within the pro-

vince of medicine, into which no layman has a right to enter, is

now

generally abandoned

only advanced by

my

some

On

this point

"

deny that stuttering

I

fection occasioned

causes

and

is

antediluvian

late father is

practitioners.

wrote thus

a disease.

at present

:

It is

an imper-

by organic, physical, or accidental

— the want of some proper regulation or use, and

not a disease eases,

;

—though the

some of which, by

fruitful source

re-action,

of

many

dis-

may be confounded

with the original cause, such, for example, as palpitation of the heart, derangement of the nervous system

pulmonary bility,

affections,

all

inducing constitutional de-

both physical and mental, and frequently ending

in premature death. * Psellism

is

These are the

effects of stuttering

here and elsewhere used as a generic term for

impediments of speech in general.

IS

PSELLISM A DISEASE?

121

call a misapplication of the

but therefore to

tongue, the

jaws, the throat, or the breath, a disease, appears to

me

a ridiculous error." It is

remarkable that the question whether stammer-

ing be a disease has already been discussed by the

Thus we

Ancients.

find in Gellius that stuttering

and

stammering are rather vices than diseases, just as a biting and kicking horse XJlpian {dig.

tit.)

says,

is

vicious, but not diseased."^'

it is

merer, thelisper, and such

asked whether the stam-

who hesitate

and the halting, are sound

I

?

am

in their speech,

of opinion they

are.f It

may be

safely asserted that

mere

"was ever cured by a

Medice it is

a

te

ipsum cura

!

no idiopathic stutterer treatment.

therapeutic

Physician, cure thyself!

somewhat curious

Now,

fact, that there are still alive

some eminent physicians, who, having been

stutterers,

wrote books on psellism, giving very learned reasons as to the

how and why they and

others stuttered, but

were not delivered from their infirmity * Balbus

autem

equus mordax aut f Qaesitum

et

atypus vitiosi magis

calcitro, vitiosus

est aut

quam

non morbosus

con-

morbosi, ut est.

balbus et blaesus, et atypus isque qui

tardius loquitur et varus et vatius sanus

sanos esse.

until they

sit

!

Et opinor eos

STAMMEKING AND STUTTERING.

122

descended to place themselves under the care of a lay-

man, who had made the

The

devoted

upon

subject his exclusive study.

a medical

fact is, that unless

man

has for years

energy to the subject, and brings

all his

bear

to

an ample knowledge of the various phases of

it

the disorder, founded upon rigorous deduction and extensive experience, combined with an intimate acquain-

tance with the structure of language and effective delivery, he

Most

is

but

little likely to

benefit the* stutterer.

rational physicians novf admit, that discipline

of the vocal and articulating organs, under an expe-

rienced instructor,

is

the only means of overcoming

impediments of speech.

But while actual

I

deny that idiopathic stuttering

disease, I

admit that cases

occur, requiring, in the

first

physician or the surgeon.

psellism,

of

an do

instance, the aid of the

When,

cause to presume that stammering

tom

is

for is

example,

I

have

decidedly a sjnnp-

of a primary affection in some part of the nervous

centre, I never fail to

recommend the applicant

sult a respectable physician.

be clearly traced

must be

defect

by an

if

the defect can

to defective organisation, the surgeon

called in to

a person has a

Again,

to con-

remedy

cleft

it, if

possible.

palate, science

artificial palate, after

Thus, when

can supply the

which the patient

— PSELLISM A DISEASE?

IS

still

requires to be instructed

of the foreign organ

;

quote the following case

;

•use

"Mr. D. palate

P., 83tat

17,

m

how

make

a proper

illustration of which, I

has a genital fissure in the

— articulates very imperfectly.

voice was very unpleasant, and unintelligible.

to

123

many

The sound of

his

of his words are

Six months after the operation Mr. P.

had made no improvement

when he put

in his speech,

himself under the tuition of Mr. Hunt.

In the course

of a few weeks an extraordinary change was

effected,

and ere long the articulation was so different that

little

more could be desired."* There

is

a nervous affection, wliich, in

more than one

of its essential features, bears agreat resemblance to some sorts of psellism,

namely Chorea^ or

St.

Vitus's

Dance^

the characteristics of which are a want of control over

the movements of the muscles of one or more of the Like psellism,

limbs, the face, or the trunk.

occurs before puberty, and

is

frequently as

it

usually

little

under

the control of medicine as the irregular motions of the respiratory and articulating organs in defective utter-

* Extracts from Observations on

Cleft Palate.

By WilHam

Ferguson, Esq. F.R.S., Professor of Surgery, King's College.

The

details of the case are given in Vol,

Chirurgical Transactions.

XVIII

of the MedicO'

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

124 ance.

Both increase or dimmish under nervous excite-

ment

and

;

so apparently similar are these

affections^

that stuttering has been called a chorea of the arti-

But

culating muscles.

is

it

some not yet explained

remarkable that, from

cause,

chorea seems to be

chiefly confined to the female sex,

and

is

now found

ta

yield rather to gymnastic than to medical treatment, as "will

appear from the following extracts from a French

periodical.

" The

first

St. Vitus's

who employed gymnastics

Dance were the

priests.

for the cure

The

patients

of

were

assembled after Mass, and made to dance to sacred music, plaints were sung, which obliged them to dance to measure.

Becamier applied rhythm jn [numerous

convulsive affections.

He was

of opinion that if the

muscular motions could be rendered habitually regular

by

alternate contraction

be

effected.

For

this

and relaxation, a cure might

purpose he assembled his pa-

tients at night at the Place

Vendome and made them-

follow the drummers, beating the tattoo.

instrument, for instance, the metronome, ployed.

We

commence

to

make the

Any

other

may be em-

patients execute

on command, motions with one arm or one leg, after

which we proceed

to

combined movements.

follow rapid movements, which are

by

Then

far the easiest^

IS

FSELLISM A DISEASE?

125

there being no sufficient interval for the choreic uncertainty to supervene.

Finally,

we make them "^

cute combined slow movements.

M, See

exe^'

reports that of twenty-two children treated

exclusively by gymnastics, eighteen

were cured

in.

twenty-nine days.

The

results

were

when medicaments

less satisfactory

were administered. M. Blache, Physician to the Hopital des Enfants, concludes his memoire, read before the

Academic de Medecine,

ment

is

as follows

:

—

1.

That no

so efficacious in chorea as the gymnastic,

treat-

whe-

ther applied alone, or in combination with the sulphur bath.

2.

That the former can be employed in every

case, whilst other remedies

indicated.

3.

are frequently

counter-

That in the gymnastic treatment amelio-

ration becomes apparent during the first few days.

That whilst the disorder disappears the generally

Thus

it

is

4.

constitution,

greatly benefited."^*

would appear that even in those

stammering or stuttering either

cases,

when

results from, or co-

exists with chorea, systematic exercise of the various

organs, judiciously applied, will not only

stammer and the primary improve the constitution.

cure the

affection, but will greatly It

has ever formed part of

* Archives gen. de Medecine, 1854,

— STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

126

my system to combine oral instruction with the practical training of all the organs, directly or indirectly concerned

in the production of sound and speech, by means appropriate

of

gymnastic exercise calculated to streng-

then the respective organs, and the control of the pupil

knowing that few have

;

and

left

to bring

them under

have the satisfaction of

I

my

establishment without

great improvement in their general health.

On

also quote the following, extracted

this point I

from the

of Speech

Irr-ationale

:

—"A

stammerer's

life

is (unless

he be a very clod) a

with

growth, and deepening as his knowledge

life,

this

and

truly

his aspirations deepen.

— that the said

Some

readers

may

life is

of misery,

life

growing

One comfort he

not likely to be a long one.

smile at this assertion.

Let them

think for themselves.

How many old people have

ever heard stammer

I

a very slight case a

man

;

?

have known but two.

— nervous,

they

One is

the other a very severe one.

of fortune, dragged on a painful and

existence

of

has,

He,

pitiable

decrepid, effeminate, asthmatic

kept alive by continual nursing.

Had he been

a

labouring man, he would have died thirty years sooner

than he did. *'

of

The cause

spirits

is

simple enough.

Continued depression

wears out body as well as mind.

The

lungs.

;

IS

PSELLISM A DISEASE

127'

?

never acting rightly, never oxygenate the blood sufficiently.

The

(whatever that

vital energy,

tinually directed to ti.e organs of speech,

may

be) con-

and used up

there in the miserable spasms of misarticulation, can-

not feed the rest of the body

:

and the man too often

beco/nes pale, thin, flaccid, with contracted chest, looseribs,

and bad digestion.

have seen a stammering boy-

I

of twelve stunted, thin as a ghost, and with every sign of approaching consumption.

few months

after

I

have seen that boy, a

being cured, upright, ruddy, stout,

eating heartily, and beginning to

grow

had ever grown

never

in his

I

life.

faster

knew

than he a single

case of cure in which the health did not begin to im-

prove there and then."

The intimate

relations of

body and mind, and

their

mutual dependance upon each other, are constantly manifested in the phenomena of utterance.

many

cases the infirmity

is

Thus

in

increased or diminished,

according to the impaired or healthy state of the digestive

and other functions.

nervousness it

is

If

it

cannot be denied that

may produce stammering

or stuttering

not less true that stuttering will produce ner-

vousness, and perhaps, in the course of time, organic disease.

In such cases the cure of stuttering will tend

to re-establish health.

I

have known

it

arrest

the

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

128

progress of pulmonary disease, while in every case,

removal has had the

effect of

its

calming and invigorating

the whole system.

The action on the young is

in

some cases very marked,

often stopping the growth.*'

the cure to

after

which is

now

have known youths

grow two inches

to be accounted for

in a natural

I

in three

months

by the nourishment acting

manner on the system, which before

was unduly appropriated

to the support of the

misused

organs. * "

We

have some reason to believe that the formative

power of the

tissues themselves

check the process of is supplied

;

may be

nutrition, even

diminished, so as to

when

the plastic material

and a diminution of it in that

irritable state of

the system which results from excessive and prolonged bodily exertion, or anxiety of mind." Carpenter's

Huma7i Physiology,

CHAPTER

X.

SYSTEM OF THE LATE MR. HIINT, AND PRACTICE OF THE AUTHOR. There

exists,

perliaj^s,

We

against secret remedies.

admit that

a person in

full

may,

is

iu the abstract,

ills

incidental

morallv bound to divulEre

look for a reward in his

prejudice

possession of a remedy-

tending to relieve any of the

human frame

founded

well

a

it,

to

the

and to

own conscience even although ;

a professional man's experience

may be

his stock

in.

trade.

But

is it

not absurd to]talk of the secrcsy of a system,

which has now been in active operation and must consequently be known not thousands

?

The

secret

is

system, and not in the system

to

for

many

years,

many hundreds,

if

in the application of the itself.

Let us take a case in point, though the greatest precautions

were taken

" Armstrong gun"

to

keep the construction of the

a secret,

its

structure

is

well

knownI

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.*

130

and duly commented upon real secret of

may be

it

cannot be easily communicated, for

employment of superior men, and

divulged,

consists in the

it

work-

tools, in the skill of the

in the ingenious

The

in various periodicals.

however, though

it,

mode of combination

requisite

for a variety of purposes.

The

my

of

secret

system

is

experience

;

it

nei-

ther consists in an operation, in a charra, or a potion; its

name

is legion,

according to the legion of shades

which the calamity exhibits

which

is

so capricious, I believe

description.

for there is

;

and so much

there

no

defies

affection,

correct

no one term which pre-

is

sents such extremes of differences, both in degree, and

in kind as the word stammering, used in a compre-

hensive sense.

Even

an uniform system of to

all

cases, as

if

there were, in this system,

rules, it

would not be applicable

there are no

two persons who are

physically and mentally constituted alike.

The stammer

or stutter of one never exactly resem-

Each

bles that of another.

toms and a physiognomy cation as

my

system

is

all

peculiar symp-

Simple of

aj)pli-

and

it

is

But were

it

even possible to

the minutiae of a

to all imaginable cases,

its

in one case,

complicated in another. describe

case has

of its own.

it

intricate

mode of treatment adapted

would be

useless, if not pro-

PRACTICE OF THE AUTHOR. ductive of mischief, unless the individual

131

who

applies

by an extended

it has qualified himself for the task

practical experience.

All that I ever pretended

followed in the footsteps of

my

to

have rigidly

late father,

who, by un-

was

to,

shackling himself from preconceived theories, and by

taking nature as his guide, has established the basis

a method which has now stood the

test of time,

of

and

the soundness of which becomes more and more confirmed by our daily increasing knowledge of the structure and

functions

of

the

and

vocal

articulating

apparatus.

The eminent

writer before quoted gives his valuable

opinion on this point in the following words

" There

is

in as far as

who do

no secret in Mr. Hunt's

all

—

system,' except

natural processes are a secret to those

Any

not care to find them out.

examine

'

:

for himself

how he speaks

one

plainl)%

who

will

and how his

stammering neighbour does not, may cure him, as Mr-

Hunt

did,

lie will

and " Conquer Nature by obeying her," but

not do

it.

He must

give a lifetime to the work,

as he must to any work which he wishes

And

I say few, I

who

to do well.

he had far better leave the work to the few (when

know none but my friend. Dr. James Hunt)

have made

it

their ergon

and

differential

energy

yXAMMEPvIXG AXD STUTTEEI^^G.

132

throughout

Still

life.

less

haviiig got hold of a few of old

that they

know

2slv.

Old

his secret.

those succeed who,.

'svill

Hunt's

3.1r.

rules,

fancy

Hunt's secret

v,-as,

a shrewd English brain, backed by ball-dog English, det 'rmination, to judge from the remarkable bust of

him which

many

exists,

and which would have made him do

other things, had he chosen, besides curing stam-

And

meriug. clusions,

man who

the

possessing his

vv'ithout

worked through

tries to trade

on his conhaving

faculty, or

his experiments, will be like hiin

who

should try to operate in the hospital theatre, after cram-

ming np a book on anatomy, pond

after hearing a lecture

or throw himself into a

on swimming.

He

apply his rules in the wrong order, and to the cases

;

he will be puzzled by a

unclassified

symptoms, and be

set of

will

wrong

unexpected and

infallibly

v/rong in his

dia.^nosis.

"

For instance, put

tender of this kind

;

tvro

men

one of

before a second-bund pre-

whom

(to give

a

common

instance) stammers from a full lung, the other fro:n an

Each requires

empty one.

to

be started on a diircrent

method, and he will most probably (unconscious of the difference

both

;

between theai) try the same

while

if

the empty-lunged

nietliod

man have

round chest, and the full-lunged man have a

for

a hard,

soft

and

PRACTICE OF THE AITTHOll. flat one, lie

never find out whicli

will

is

IBS'

The

which.

and had Dr. James Hunt,

a study

by

itself;

in his book, told

all

he knew of the methods of cure,

matter

lie

is

would not have injured himself one whit

— except

in

as far as he might have raised up a set of quae'is whe-

ther medical or other, trading on his name, and bring-

ing him into disrepute by their

Having devoted myself

failures.

a

to

"•>*

special

branch

of

physiology, and witnessed the fruits of thirty yenrs'

experience in

my

father's

now

my

duty to carry out the system in a

that

it is

and

my own

manner which shall compass the tical good.

As already

neither with

th.e

practice,

greatest

my

stated,

I

feel

amount of prac-

teaching interferes

practice of the physician or surgeon.

I pretend to nothing more than the employment of instruction and reason to remedy, in the vast maj ;rity of cases, these painful impediments

not only a barrier to the

enjoyments of

any

life,

common

which constitute intercourse

and

but to individual advancement in

class of professional or social pursuit.

This brings

me

that has been and

to the consideration

may be

"books professing to lay

of the benefit

derived from the perusal of

down

definite rules

for

cure of psellism, from whatever cause or causes

have

arisen.

Persons * Frase7''s

who have Magazine

,

it

the

may

not duly reflected on

July, 1859.

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

134

the subject, and ignorant that psellism does not arise

from one but many causes, have

disappointed that

felt

removal

I have not given minute instructions for the

of each individual defect.

In

and

my Manual

in this,

and Speech^

of the Philosophy of Voice

and former

treatises, I

have given abun-

dant general rules in relation to the cultivation of the voice

and the regulation of respiratory

the

action,

By study-

observance of which will prevent stuttering.

ing these rules, an intelligent person possessing tenacity of purpose

and

self-control,

may succeed

in freeing

But wliere

himself in certain cases from his defect.

there are severe faults of articulation, confirmed

by

long habit, the mere perusal of written rules and their application in attempts at a self-cure, will not only fail

but actually increase the disorder, rendering

it

more

complicated by the contraction of other bad habits. I

know from experience

sufferers,

who have

that the great majority of

applied to

me

for relief,

had pre-

viously read and tried the multifarious plans recom-

mended by

a great variety of authors, and

I

had always

greater trouble in curing these, compared with sucb.

who were

common

free

from any preconceived theory.

saying " a

man who

is

his

own

The

doctor has a

fool f)r his patient" applies equally to the stutterer.

;

PRACTICE OF THE AUTHOR. Nothing

more certain than that

is

135

in inveterate

and

severe cases of stuttering, the patients require for a certain

period,

the

constant aid of an

experienced

who, having traced the cause of the

teacher,

The main thing

adapts the treatment accordingly. to form a correct diagnosis

is

but this can only be ac-

;

The

quired by long practice.

evil,

distinctive

marks are

frequently so blended that the superficial observer

may

consider two cases as identical which have scarcely any

analogy

to

each

and require an essentially

other,

diiFerent treatment. It

has ever been a fundamental error to assert that

there

but one cause which produces the

is

various

degrees of stammering and stuttering, and consequently

one remedy to be applied. all

result has

shown that

systems, which have been propounded on such a

narrow less.

to

The

basis,

On

have been rendered comparatively use-

the other hand, there

which the human frame

attempted to be cured in so

The famous pebbles mouth

;

of Itard

a ;

;

liable,

many

different ways.

Demosthenes

a bullet in the

;

roll

the

hride-langue of Colombat ;

the

affliction

which has been

of linen under the tongue

bone of Malebouche intoning

of

is

perhaps no

is

stick

;

;

the fork

the whale-

behind the

speaking through the nose

;

back

talking with

STAMMERING AND STUTTEEING.

136

the teeth closed

;

these have been successively ad-

all

vised aivl applied to remedy

fiiults

which existed only

And

in the ir.ip.gination of the advisers.

duced any

One thing

defects.

they pro-

if

effect it consisted frequently in creating

certain, that nearly every one

is

of these contrivances

new

seemed

to loose its eificacy as

soon as the secret was divulged.

The following

is

written by one who, having tried

nearly every system in his

own

person,

well able to

is

estimate the comparative value of the general principles

upon

vfhich

my

treatment

" The elder Hunt's

'

based

is

System,

'

:

—

as

he called

is

it,

a

Tery pretty instance of sound inductive method hit on

by simple patience and common to find out

how

people stammered

pose had to find out

how

He

sense. ;

and

first tried

for this pur-

people spoke plain

—

com-

to

pare the normal with the abnormal use of the organs.

But

involved finding out what the organs used

this

were, a matter scientific

men,

little still

understood thirty years ago less

by Hunt,

However, he found out patient

;

to

have escaped

abuse neither of the

to help

and therewith found

comparing of health with

which seems

had only a

v*'ho

Cambridge education, and mother wit

ton<:rue

all

unliealtli,

before'

])y

him

nor anv other

him.

out,

by

a fact

—that

the

sin":le orii-au

;

PKACTiCE OF THE AUTIIOK. is tlie

cause of stammering

so complicated that

—that the

very

it is

ioT

whole malady

difficult to

organs are ab;ised at any given nioiaent

what organ

possible to discover set the rest

first v/ent

— quite

im-

wrong, and

For nature, in the perpetual strug-

wrong.

gle to return to a goal to is

is

perceive what

which she knows not the path,

ever trying to correct oue morbid action by another

and

to expel vice

by

vice

ever trying fresh experiments

;

of mis-speaking, and failing, alas

stammerer may take very year

;

diJaerent forms

and the boy who began

;

in all

!

to

so that the

from year to

stammer with the

lip

ma}^ go on to stammer with the tongue, then with the

jaw, and in after

last, life,

and worst of

with the breath

all,

try to rid himself of one abuse

To

in alternation all the other three.

— of

;

and

by trying

these four abuses

the lips, of the tongue, of the jaw, and of the

breath

— old Mr.

Hunt reduced

morbid phenomena to be sound

;

and

I for

and exhaustive.

stammering was no organic

his puzzling

mass of

one believe his division

He

saw, too, soon, that

disease, but simply the loss

of a habit (always unconscious) of articulation his notion of his

work was

naturally,

;

and

and without dodge

or trick, to teach the patient to speak consciously, as

other

men spoke

unconsciously. "••' * Irrationale of SjJoech.

138

STAMMERING AND STUTTEKING.

Treatment.

Before determining upon the treatment to be adopted, i

make

it

a point to inquire whether any relatives

of

the patient labour under the same infirmity, and whether he stammers in singing.

After a careful exami-

nation of the buccal cavity, and inducing the patient to

move

his

tongue in every possible direction,

I

ask a

few questions, and desire him to read passages of poetry and prose, in order

to

observe whether his difficulty

lies in the enunciation

of the lingual, labial, or gut-

tural sounds, and also to see

have been acquired.

what mannerism

The motions

or tricks

of the lower jaw,

the elevation and depression of the larynx, the rhythm of the respiratory organs during enunciation, and the action of the heart, require particular attention before

w;

are enabled to form a correct diagnosis.

stitution,

age,

sex,

the

duration

of

the

The coninfirmity,

the original cause of the defect, the mental disposition

and moral habits of the patient, must

all

be taken

into consideration before the treatment can be decided

upon. If

no oiganic defect can be detected,

it will,

cases, be found, that the infirmity is simply

in

owing

most

to the

TKACTICE OF THE AUTHOR.

139

misuse of one or more organs which are employed either with too

much

force, or

result of

which

is

articulation

tion

To

the necessary-

disharmony between vocalisation and Articula

harmony between

establish the requisite

the object to be aimed

is

question be asked,

that the infirmity sation, the

;

normal, and vocalisation defective, and vice

organs concerned If the

all

— the chief source of stuttering.

may be

versa.

not used at

answer

organs as far as we

is

how

it

all

at.

can be ascertained

not the result of defective organi-

is,

by

first

may be

inspecting the respective

able; for such an examination

mostly extends only to the organs contained in the buccal

But the actual proof that there

cavity."^'

no organic

disease,

tinder certain

new

is

obtained by placing the patient,

conditions,

speech becomes more

stammer and

stutter?

free.

when reading

and observing whether his

Does the patient both

Does he stammer or

while singing or reciting? distinct

exists

Is

stutter

his articulation

alone, or talking

to

more

himself?

* Professor Czermack of Pesth, has recently given at Paris some demonstrations with, his laryngo-scope, which is very likely an improvement of a contrivance employed years ago by Garcia. The surgeon introduces, with great care below

the uvula, a

little

the uvula,

so

mirror, the back of

that the larynx

Whether any new

light

will

which

may be

is

thereby be

action of the larynx remains to be seen.

in contact

completely

with seen.

thrown on the

140

What

are his

the

Is

and

sta.m:>ieuixg

most

stutteiiikg.

difncult letters of the alphabet?

disorder intermittent

whenever

we

find

utterance

defective

altered circumstances, Ave

permanent

or

may

fairl}'

?

Now

yielding

to-

take for granted

do

that the structure of the organs has notliing to v.'ith

the impediment, for actual

known by

the permanence of

subject ought then to

its

organic

symptoms,

stammer or

stutter

disease

is

so that the

under

all

circumstances.

Psych ica I Trea tm en t. It is

admitted that the exciting cause of speech

in the mind, so that perfect idiots are

The mind

absence of the intellectual stimulant. thus the m.aster of speech, and through

we

act

on the organs necessary

articulation.

When we

lose

our

for

it

and an improper action

is

is

alone can

the process of

control

over the

mind, v/e have none over the bodily organs under influence,

is

mute from the

its

the result.

Novr most of the methods recommended have that in

common,

that

they leave the psychical element

nearly out of sight, being almost exclusively directed to the action of the vocal and articulating organs, and

are thus wanting one of the most important

means

for

PRACTICE OF THE AUTHOR. ultimate success.

141

impossible to lay

It is

down any

precise rules in regard to the psychical treatment of clear that

stutterer, for it is

tlie

it

must be adapted,

not merely to the intellectual and moral capacity, but

The sanguine,

also to the temperament of the patient.

the

phleg-.natic. the choleric,

Tho

stutterer,

application of a different method.

the

require each,

and the nervous

great object, however, in

all

cases

to

is

impart to

When

the patient mental tranquillity and self-control. that

is

effected

much

has been gained, and unfil

attained, physical and mechanical

it is

means prove bat of

small beuefit.

In illustration of the power of

body with regard defects, I

may

to stuttering, not

—a

to organic

from amongst

One of my pupils, a

before coming to

deliver a sermon

mind over tbe

owing

state the following fi\ct

•many of a sunilar nature.

clergyman,

tlio

me,

task which,

haci

talented

occasion

to

under the circum-

— being afflicted with a severe speech — he would much rather have

impediment of

stances

avoided.

Per-

ceiving at the very outset, that the peculiarity of his

enunciation

caused an unseemly merriment

among

his congregation, his feelings were roused to such a pitch, that he inwardly

cause for

it,

and he

vowed

fully

to give

succeeded

them no further ;

for

he went on

;

STAMMEHING AND STUTTEHING.

142

with his discourse to the end without once faltering

But the excitement proved

too

much

for

him

the

;

concentration of mental energy was, as usual, followed

by

reaction,

and he

felt utterly

prostrate for several

days, and stuttered fearfully until he placed himself

under

my

Since

tuition.

have acquainted him with

I

the causes of his impediment, and having, by practice

brought his rebellious organs under control, he

feels

not more surprised at the simplicity of the means by

which he obtained

this

command, than

at the circum-

stance, that with all his reading and talents he did not

himself discover so obvious a remedy.

Stammerers and stutterers are frequently looked

upon

as a careless, petulant,

of imbeciles

—than

more erroneous.

and indolent class— a

set

which nothing can generally be the temper of

That

many such

sufferers has been sour'd by continued annoyances

that some exhibit signs of indolence which convey the

impression of stupidity

is

true, but this is

no more

than would occur under the same circumstances to

any other persons. qualities of

Often have I found excellent

head and heart thus obscured;

cause being removed, and

sufficient

but the

time allowed for

the sufferer to regain his bodily health and mental vigour, he, no longer restrained by his infirmity, not

—

;

PRACTICE OF THE AUTHOR.

143

only frequently equals, but rises superior to his unfet-

with

We

companions.

tered

he could not utter a sentence.

by the following

A

now

behold him

speaking

fluency and pleasure in society where formerly I

may

illustrate

this

case

young gentleman, the son of

a dignitary of the

Church of England, labouring under d severe impedi-

ment

of speech,

my

became a pupil of

father.

late

Being of a persevering character, he not only,

in

due

time, conquered the impediment, but actually acquired

such a command over his organs, that he, shortly after, carried off the prize as the best

reader of his year,

as scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge.

There was, therefore, in

this case (by

no means an

unusual one) not only a blemish removed, but a beauty

where previously deformity

created

though scarcely expected,

result,

for a stutterer

course must,

who

if

is

existed.

This

natural enough

has gone through a systematic

perfectly cured, generally be a better

reader and speaker than are usually met with, inas-

much

as

the very discipline, requisite to

overcome

impediments in speech, leads simultaneously to correct reading, and fluent, and ready delivery. It

frequently

brings

out

happens that the cure of psellism

latent

capabilities,

which might

have

STAMMEKI^'G AKD STUTTEEIJTG.

144

remained dormant had they not been roused by the removal of the cause which concealed them.

no uncommon occurrence

many

is

and

other qualifications for oratory, hidden under a

distressing

the

It

find a fine voice,

to

enemy

not only vanquished, but his post advan-

is

occupied

tageously

Under appropriate treatment,

delivery.

weakness yields the place to

;

strength, and strength establishes the foundation of excellence.

The

ascertained cause of the impediment should be

explained to the pupil, for few,

aware of the reason

acquired in infancy

*

No\y

they have a difficulty of

production it is

is

;

but the mode and the cause of

unknown even

all

man3'

adults.

and

;

collectivo

action

This would defeat our

the organs concerned.

very purpose it

to

not exactly requisite minutely to explain

to the stutterer the individual

of

any, stutterers are

Vocalisation and articulation are intuitively

utterance.

their

vv^hy

if

for finding it so complicate a

mechanism

would but increase his apprehension tbat he could

ever obtain the mastery over

it.

point out to the patient, in the

which voice

is

first

it is

necessary to

place, the

manner in

produced, and articulation effected, and

the ostensible reason

He must

But

why he has

a difficulty in speech.

be made to concentrate his attention to the

PRACTICE OF THE AUTHOR.

145

main source of his impediment, whether the

fault

be

in the action of the respiratory, vocal, or articulating

apparatus. is

By

these

means the mind of the patient

acted upon, scepticism

confidence

is

established,

with the hope that he fluency of speech.

and mistrust

and the subject

may

ultimately

removed,

is is

inspired

recover his

CHAPTER

XI.

HANAGEMENT OF STUTTERING CHILDREN, ETC.. During the reign of tablishments,

when

terror in our educational es-

learning and morality were beaten

into the reluctant minds of the rising generation,

it

was

but natural that the application of the rod was considered an effective means to cure psellism.

I

am

therefore not surprised to find that even the great

Joseph Frank recommends, in his Practice of Medicine^ cuffs

and kicks

impediments.

as proper remedies in certain cases of

But though the flogging system has in

recent times lost caste, the treatment of stammering

and

stuttering children

Some

severity

the infirmity

is

is still

may be

presumed

or for deception.

It

is,

very irrational.

advisable in those cases to

when

be mimicked either for fun,

however, not so easy for persons

unacquainted with the various causes and symptoms ta

— MANAGEMENT OF CHILDEEN.

14T

detect the difFerence between real or pretended stam-

mering, and

many

children really afflicted have been

A

treated with great injustice on that account. ceptible, timid child, constantly in

parent, or a brutal master,

awe of an ignorant

may be made

I cannot, therefore,

«ruel treatment.

sus-

to stutter

by

but fully concur ia

the following forcible remarks, merely adding that the

fundamental principle of all rational education in mocio, for tiler

171

re

—

suaviter

a fortiori applicable to the

is

cure of stammering. *'

And

here

say boldly that the stupidity and cruelty

I

with which stammering children are too often is

enough

can help

it if

They

it.

to rouse indignation.

you

like

are asked,

other people

?

"

As

As

!'

"

if

Why

if it

They they

treated,.

are told, "

knew how

to help

cannot you speak like

were not torture enough

see other people speaking as they cannot

;

while those

how it

find,

and are laughed

who walk proudly

they keep on

on purpose

!'

They

it.

As

if

ta-

to see the

rest of the world walking smoothly along a road

they cannot

You

which

at for not ^finding

along cannot

are even told,

tell

;

them

"You do

they were not writhing with

shame every time they open

their mouths.

All this

begets in the stammerer a habit of secresy, of feeling

himself cut off from his kindred ; of brooding over his

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

148

thoughts, of fancying himself under a mysterious curse,

which sometimes

(as I

to actual suicide

;

have known

sometimes (as

seems the possession of a demon.

an organic

defect, a deformity,

could not dance.

If

I

it

do) tempts

have known

If

it

it

him co)

proceeded from

he would know that he

he was blind he would not ex-

But when he knows there is no deformity,

pect to see.

that his organs are just as perfect as other people's,

the very seeming causelessness of the malady makesutterly intolerable."*^

it

Whether

it

be from inattention, or from inability of

distinguishing between the certain syllables psellism,

mer

it is

enunciating

certain that the first inclination to stam-

little

is

difficulty of

and words in early infancy, and actual

noticed, and that

it

is

only about the

period of the second dentition that the attention of the parents

is fairly

roused.

The hope which many parents

entertain that the affection is,

unless

realised.

it

may

spontaneously decline,

proceeds from a transitory disorder, rarely

The

defect,

on the contrary, commonly in-

creases with approaching puberty, and sometimes be-

comes then developed

in its worst form.

Parents, therefore, cannot too often be reminded, that the proper time for seeking the aid of an expe* Irrationale of Speech^

MANAGEMENT OF CHILDREN.

149*

when

the infirmity

rienced practitioner first

manifests

itself,

is

the period

when

the evil

may be more

removed, while the cure becomes more

when

tedious,

indistinct

difficult

has

articulation

easily

and

become

habitual.

One

of the causes of defective articulation,

has scarcely been noticed,

which

children are talked to

read.

the foolish manner in

is

by ignorant nurses and

;

to

which must be added the careless and

manner

in

which they are taught

fond mothers faulty

which

It is scarcely

to

speak and

necessary to remark that parents

cannot be too careful to select nurses and teachers free

from any defect of speech.

The

celebrated Dr. Priestley,

who

laboured under an

impediment of speech, was conscientious enough to retire

how

from

his profession of a teacher, as

contagious, if

we may use the term,

he well knew stuttering

is.

In Priestley's time the nature of the infirmity was but little

understood, and he abandoned

all

hope of being

relieved of his impediment.

Elocution, I do not intend entering here

upon any discussion

as to the value of elocution as a branch of elementary education.

I

have done so elsewhere (see Philosophj

150

STAMMEHING AND STUTTERING.

of Voice and Speech)

;

much

but this

I

may

observe,

that there have been, and there are elocutionists under

-whose instructions great advantages

But unfortunately such men correct inveterate errors,

mentary principles of bad habits.

may be

acquired.

are sometimes called in to

instead of instituting ele-

at the outset, before the contraction

Elocution, as

now understood, seems

only a method of varnishing the voice, and of teaching

the imitation of some particular style or rhythmical

mode

of speaking and reading

;

no wonder that the

study of elocution has fallen into disrepute.

Properly

to develop the vocal and articulating organs,

we must

be guided by some fixed majority of those

unacquainted.

who

principles, with

which the

teach children to read are totally

The same may be

said of

many who

style themselves elocutionists.

Relapses.

The French and German commissions,

which examined the patients presented before them, -after

having undergone the treatment employed by

their respective tutors, pronounced fectly cured of their infirmity.

many

most of them per-

Yet

it is

certain that

of these, after a shorter or longer period of time,

relapsed into their old habit.

The

questions, therefore,

arose w^hether a radical cure be at

whether the systems employed were

all

possible,

in fault.

or

Now, I

MANGEMENT OF CHILDREN. will not attempt to

to

deny that similar cases, though not

any extent, have occurred in

when

it is

151

my own

practice.

But

considered that the old habit, which perhaps

has existed for years,

is still

strong,

and can, especially in

inveterate cases, be only controlled by constant attention to the rules for harmonising the motions of the articu-

with the vocal and respiratory functions,

lative organs it is

wonderful that the relapses are not more frequent.

The few

my

—

for I venture

to say not one in ten of

pupils have experienced relapses

imputed

it

system

for

again.

;

to their

own

—have

candidly

carelessness, and not to the

what was possible once must be possible

In some cases circumstances

prevented the

pupil from going through the whole requisite discipline. Others, again, are too sanguine, and consider themselves perfectly cured on having acquired a certain fluency of

utterance, while in some, the constant fear of relapsing is

the cause of

its

actual occurrence.

Mr. Malebouche says that his experience was, "That those cures which are the most quickly effected are the least durable

;

"

I

have certainly found a tendency to

the same reeult; but by due caution, such a rule has

been by no means general. I fully agree

-he says, "

That

with Mr. Malebouche, however, it is

vv'hen

important to concentrate the mind

STAMMEKING AND STUTTERING.

152

upon the object

exclusively

Children, and that class of

treatment.

who

to be obtained

are accustomed to descant

by

tbe-

men of the world

upon and discuss every-

thing without ever concluding

upon anything, are

incapable of this concentration of the attention, and for that reason are difficult to cure."

To

effect a perfect cure, it is absolulely necessary to

appeal to the reason, and arouse the will to a vigilant control over

When

all

the

voluntary nerves and muscles.

pupils are too indolent or too careless to exercise

this control, the cure

becomes very

difficult

and un-

certain.

One

principal reason, however, of failure, has justly

been observed by Dr. Warren, an eminent physician of the United States, to be that teachers require too

time

;

nent. 1)6

little

and consequently many of the cures are not perma-

A

habit

tliat

has been confirmed by years cannot

eradicated in a very short time.

This remark as to

the length of time required for the cure of children applies

still

more

forcibly to the case of adults.

more confirmed the and

habit, the

more complicated

The it

is,

the longer the time requisite for its eradication. In

regard to the discipline of the organs, an experienced instructor

is

of the utmost importance.

The advice

MANAGEMENT OF CHILDREN. which Dr. Warren

gives to parents

I cannot refrain from quoting

" Seek out a person

who has

experience in the treat-

of impediments of speech.

care,

and

he

think to perfect the cure

vourseL'^.

Tery short time for him to

dence of an instructor it is

Pkce him under

benefited, do not

is

;

so judicious that

it.

ment

if

is

Three months

will derive benefit

The age

I

should

eight to twelve.

study

may be

enough

fix

upon

At

a

months is better, and where

it is

to

If this inter-

of no consequence

compensate

;

he

for the loss.

for the trial should

be from

this period the loss of a year's

a gain.

are afi"ected as he

is

remain under the superinten-

six

with other studies,

his

remove him, and

practicable, he should remain a year.

feres

153

If is

is, it

he meets there others all

the better

;

who

he will no

longer look upon his case as a peculiar one

and

if

he

sees others whose impediments are worse than his,

it

\vill

give

This

is

him

additional courage."

very true, for very sensitive pupils are apt to

doubt themselves, and confidence. eflfects

fail in

consequence of want of

But when they observe the

of the system in

the conviction

is

successful

which they are to be instructed,

forced upon their minds that they

need only follow the same course benefit.

;

to reap

the same

STAMMERING AND STUTTERING.

154

Concluding Remarks,

As

the subjects are frequently young persons with,

irritable nerves, or

most

extremely shy and bashful,

it is,

in

cases, requisite that they should, for a given time,

be withdrawn from certain home influences the exciting causes of psellism in

When

defective articulation

its

— too often

various forms.

the result or the con

is

comitant of debility, whether congenital or acquired, a

permanent cure can in such cases be only

effected

by

placing the pupil under such favourable circumstances, that whilst the organs concerned undergo the requisite training, their healthy action

tained by

may be

restored and sus-

the invigoration of the whole frame. of apparently intractable cases, vvhick

The number

yielded to treatment during

my

annual temporary so-

journ on the coast, have convinced

me

of the great

value of a country and marine residence as an adjuvant in

many

cases,

dependhig

upon

permanent

my

of the

In order, there-

vocal and respiratory apparatus. fore, fully to carry out

affections

system, I have formed a

establishment"^' for the treatment of defective

articulation,

which enables

accommodation

to a limited

me

to afford residential

number

of pupils.

* Ore House, near Hastings.

MANAGEMENT OF CHII/DKEN. The advantages

by the

offered

155^

locality selected,

considere^d one of the most salubrious spots in Sussex,

The house commands exten-

are sufficiently obvious. sive land and sea views

and the environs

;

the air

is

pure and bracing,

requisites for health

offer all

and

recreation.

Physical training, generally so ceives due attention,

and

producing bodily vigour. tellect

all

much

neglected, re-

means are resorted

The

to for

cultivation of the in-

and the inculcation of moral habits

is

not less

carefully attended to.

As, independent of any impediment, difficult task

bly,

it

many

find

it

a

extemporaneously to address an assem-

forms a prominent feature in the plan of in-

struction to afford to the pupils constant opportunities to read, debate, and speak on various subjects before others, the

frequent practice of which being abso-

lutely requisite to overcome the natural diffidence, and.

to restore a feeling of confidence

and

self-reliance.

APPENDIX

A.

Abridged Notice of the Life of the

The His

late

Tliomas

progenitors

Hunt was born

late

Thomas Hunt.

in Dorsetshire, in 1802"

and family were connected with the.

Chnrch of England, and he was educated and Trinity

at Winchester,

College, Cambridge, with a view to a similar

provision in holy orders.

While at Cambridge, Mr. Hunt's attention was, by the affliction of

a fellow-student, forcibly drawn to the investi-

gation of the causes which produce stammering

then held to be incurable.

Havmg, by

treated cases, satisfied himself that he rational system for the cure of

tliis

—a disorder

various successfully

had discovered a

infirmity,

he

left college

with the determination of devoting himseK to that pursuit,

which soon became the engrossing business of

An

his

life.

extended provincial tour, undertaken to enlarge his

experience, only confirmed his opinion as to the real nature of the disorder,

and the most appropriate remedies

for its

removal.

One

of the earliest proofs of his provincial success, is

vouched for by Sir John Forbes.

Hunt was kind enough to give a lesson in my Thomas Miles (a patient in the Chichester Infirmary), a poor man who has been affected with stammer*'Mr.

presence to

APPENDIX.

158

And from the

ing, in a very high degree, from his infancy.

unreserved exposition of his principles on that occasion, as well as from the remarkaWe improvement (amounting almost

by

to a complete cure) produced

am

this single lesson, I

of

opinion that Mr. Hunt's method will be successful in nearly

every case of stammering not depending on any organic defect, provided the requisite degree of attention is paid

by

the pupil."

John Forbes, M.D." "

Chichester, April 12, 1828."

Thus

fortified

by the happy

parts of the country, Mr.

the metropolis, where at

the

theory.

first

finally resolved to settle in

he experienced, to the

full, all

which usually attend the estabhshment of a

difficulties

new

results of his labours in all

Hunt

In spite of

all obstacles,

however, Mr. Hunt's

system gradually rose in public estimation, and the evidence of

its

The

merits became too convincing to be withstood.

greatest surgeon of the day, the late Mr. Kobert Liston,

stepped before the public, and not only raised his voice against any further mutilations, but evinced his admiratioir of the simplicity and efficacy of Mr. Hunt's system,

commending selves of

to medical

Mr. Hunt's

and other students

tuition.

to avail

by rethem-

Those only who know how

scrupulously chary that eminent surgeon was to give the sanction of his

name

to aught, either professional or general,

which he could not conscientiously approve, can estimate the paramomit importance of such aid. *'

I have, with

much

pleasure, witnessed

process for the removal of stammering. correct physiological principles,

is

my presence,

is

Mr. Hunt's founded on

simple, efficacious,

unattended by pain or inconvenience. persons have, in

It

Several

and

young

been brought to him for the

APPENDIX. first

time

;

some

159

them could not

of

utter a sentence,

how^

ever short, without hesitation and frightful contortion of the features.

In

than half an hour, by following Mr.

less

Hunt's instructions, they have been able to speak and to read continuously, long passages without

difl&culty.

Some

of these individuals had previously been subjected to painful

and unwarrantable

incisions,

and had been

left

with their

palates horribly mutilated, hesitating in their speech,

and

stuttering as before."

" Egbert Liston."

"

5, Clifford Street,

About

March

1,

this time it curiously

1842."

happened that Francis, when

he shot at Her Majesty, was witnessed by Pearson, and had he been able to give the alarm, the danger might have been averted.

The

Times, of

June

collected that a lad,

25, 1842, remarks,

named Pearson, one

-witnessed the treasonable attempt

the Sunday afternoon, was

" It will be re-

of the persons

upon the Queen's

who

life

on

with so inveterate a

afflicted

habit of stammering as to be unable even to give an alarm.

He

has,

we

are informed,

by means of a new process of cure,

obtained the power of perfect articulation

which before rendered him scarcely

;

the hesitation,

intelligible,

even when

not excited, having entirely disappeared."

So completely does the valued opinion of Kobert Chambers,* represent the facts of the case, that I quote the

greater portion of this article.

" I have been taken by a friend to see stammering cured

by Mr. Hunt. interest

is

Though a matter

in

which a patrimonial

concerned, I feel tempted,

by the

interesting

nature of what I saw, to make public allusion to Mr. Hunt's * Chambers'

Edinburgh Journal, April

10, 1847.

APPENDIX.

160 system.

Two young men were in attendance, "botli

afflicted

with stammering, and both

asked to

sit

new

grievously-

One was

cases.

down, and Mr. Hunt then addressed a few

made

questions to him, on which he

This young

attempts to answer.

the usual wretched

man had no recollection of

His attempts to read were equally

ever speaking fluently.

Mr. Hunt then explained to him, in

miserable failures.

simple terms, the physiological and moral causes of staimner-

and gave him a few very

ing,

intelligible directions for

the regulation- of the mouth, tongue, respiration, and the

The youth was soon

part of the chest to speak from.

and

to pronounce sentences,

able

with considerable

also to read

The

other youth was then put through a similar

series of lessons,

and in an equally short time the compara-

readiness.

was attained

tively perfect use of the organs

On

a subsequent

hesitated in

in his case.

who stammered and manner, restored to a common

I saw a girl

visit,

an extraordinary

These, how-

style of speech in less

than twenty minutes.

ever, are not cures.

A complete victory over the bad habit There

can only be the work of time. ever in the plan.

is

no mystery what-

merely replacing nature upon her

It is

pivot,

from which accident or bad habit had thrown her.

What

the instructor does

The

greater part

rules,

the

and persevering

Most

acquired.

a

is

is

but a small part of the cure.

work of the in them,

weak

a

persons, I conceive,

relapse under carelessness for

viduals of

pupil, fully obeying the

till

will

might

" The exhibition

many

is

safe

from

months, and indi-

*

*

a most interesting one, creating that

peculiar satisfactory feeling which

triumph of nature over error

good the rule that

habit has been

fail altogether.

*

*

new

would not be

all

is

when the make humanity must come

we

experience

asserted.

benefits to

Yet, as if to

MEMOIK.

161

•througli the sufferings of individuals,

Mr. Hunt has been

subjec'ed to persecution on account of his practice.

It

was

discovered that stammering ought to be regarded as a

and therefore treated only by

disease,

men

on

;

this

qualified

medical

ground Mr, Hunt was publicly denounced as

as reasonable to demand that a who substitutes graceful for av/kward walkan elocutionist, who extirpates patois from the tones

a quack.

would be

It

dancing-master, ing, or

of the voice, should have a medical diploma.

thing

it

would

A

beautiful

be, indeed, for the resolver of this difficulty

to go to a faculty altogether ignorant of the subject, aud

study their mysteries, which have nothing to do with

and

niue-tenths of which are

now under

it,

a strong suspicion

of being mere delusion, before he could be allowed to

make

use of an invention of his own, the benefits of which are palpable."

The

following

tion, viz

:

—Mr.

from the pen of a writer of high reputa-

is

John

Icnown biographer, "

Forster, of the Exainiaer, the well

of Goldsmith.*

A prospectus is before

us, issued

by Mr. Hunt, on the

subject of impediments of speech, and the possibility of their-easy

and certain removal, without any kind

we think

tervention, which

of siu-gical in-

of sufficient interest to bring

binder notice in this place.

Struck by the announcement,

and by a remark

Mr. Liston, among the

of the late

testi-

monials quoted, we have sought and obtained an opportunity

of witnessing the process adopted by Mr. Hunt. 110 hesitation in expressing a

Hunt's process. it

We have

most favourable opinion of Mr.

Based upon clear and intelligible principles

has the merit of singular simplicity.

Mr. Hunt explain

to his pupils the anatomical o-initraction of the organs *

From

the Examiner, of

March

2,

1830.

by

162

APPENDIX

which the voice

is

A.

produced, points out the different causes

of stuttering, and teaches how an easy utterance may obtained by removal of the cause that obstructs particular case.

There

is

that the least intelligent

When we

act upon.

contrary to nature,

nothing

may

difficult to

not readily

"be

in the

it

understand, or

seize,

and instantly

can discover what has induced a habit

we

are surprised to see

how easily nature

xesuines what she might seem so completely to have lost.

Whether

or not she

may

be able to keep

it

depends on other

In the case we had the pleasure to see

considerations.

a young man, whose

tried,

unavailing attempts to read a line of

verse had been quite frightful to witness, was enabled

something of

*

less

Gray's Elegy

'

with tolerable ease. Nor had we the least

doubt that perseverance -eventually

by

than an hours instruction, to read the whole

make

in the instructions given

the cure complete.

But that

would

this perseve-

rance would be necessary, even to the point of incessant and

we

uninterrupted practice for a very considerable time,

must be conquered by habit. With this proviso of hearty and laborious co-operation on the

thought not

less clear.

Ha*bit

sufferer's

own

intellient

gentleman has really discovered an

side,

we

believe that a very ingenious and,

for a most distressing defect,

efficacious

cure

and we are happy to take

this o]3portunity of saying so."

The number

of pupils

whom my father had relieved at last

became very numerous, and many were anxious to express their gratitude to the benefactor

who had

what must always have been a

barrier to their success

life.

From

following

is

rescued them from in.

various notices which appeared at the time, the

extracted from the Literary Gazette^ February

24, 1849. *' The cure of stammering by Mr. Hunt has so often commanded our special consideration, that we are gratified to

3IEM0IR. find the success of his simple

without a years) nial

is

and

we have

failure, as

in the course of being

163^

efficacious

system (ahnost

witnessed for a

number of

marked by a public testimo-

from a grateful band of the pupils he has taught to

relieve themselves

from these painful embarrassments, and

enabled to take very different position in

life

from those

which such impediments imposed." This gratifying tribute tionately prized

by

an excellent

is

his family

memorial of his services to

and

likeness,

and

friends,

and is

his fellow creatures.

affec-

a lasting It

thus

is

recorded in the Catalogue of the Exhihition of the Royal

Academy for 1849. " No. 1336.

Marble bust of Thomas Hunt, Esq., author

of the system for the Cure of Stammering.

and presented to him, by services during a period of

twenty-two years. " Joseph

Ardently pursuing his task,

London alas

!

sojourn,

1851,

in

man was

Durham."

Hunt, at the

!Mr.

for

left

close of his

when

Dorsetshire,

and joyous expectations, the

in the midst of health

strong

Subscribed for,

his pupils, in testimony of his

struck down, and suddenly removed from

his sphere of usefulness, as is recorded in the subjoined

obituary. *'

Obituary of Eminent Persons," in the Illustrated London

News, August

" Thomas Hunt.

23, 1851.

—After one week of severe

at Godlingstone, near Swanage, on inst.,

Thomas Hunt,

esteem for his

illness,

last,

died

the 18th

Esq., so long and so justly held in high

skill in

the cure of stammering.

some twenty-five years

number have been

Monday

of

Mr. Hunt's

benefited

by

practice,

his care,

During a great

and very

many

APPENDIX

164 have

to

be grateful to him for rescuing

from the mortification and sucli

it

A.

but for rendering them eligible to undertake

is),

army and navy,

hig])er stations in trade, the

and even

professions,

simply to teach the

by the

the liberal

all

His system v/as

in the legislature.

sufferers,

means

direction, the

plainest

common-sense

of restoring nature to its functions.

and counteracted by

M'hich Avere perverted

evil habits,

and truly

held, that not one case in fifty

sequence of deficient or mal-organization

and perseveringly eschewed effect of a single lesson

was

tlie

knife.

or

Mr. Hunt

the curious infection of involuntary imitation. held,

not only

tlieii:i,

distress of a painfnl disorder (for

was the con-

and he sternly

;

many

In

cases the

so remarkable as to appear like

magic, converting the convulsive stutterer from distressing tinintelligibility into

freedom of voice, distinctness of utter-

ance, and correctness of pronunciation.

Tlie pupils

and the

wdtnesses of such an hours' change were alike astonished

by

the obvious process, which only required a degree of moderate attention to confirm for ever. *'

Mr. Hunt

whom ftt

vras of a

were connected

Cambridge, but

good Dorsetshire family, many of

Avith the

Church.

He was

circun^.stances led to his choice of

educated

farming

His devotedness to his one great

instead of taking degrees.

pursuit did not prevent him from cultivating, as a distin-

guished agriculturist, a large farm in Dorsetshire, where he

was

as

much

respected in that sphere as he was generally

esteemed for his peculiar talent in v/hat j)rofessional left to

An of

life.

lament

A widow

and

bo termed

his loss."

extract fr.m the speech of the Right

C;rliile,

may

fcvmily of eight children are

1'I.Gt.,

at the

Hon. the Earl

General i\nniversary Meeting of

the riuyal Society of Literature, 1852, also records the sam«. anelancholy event.

MEMO I';. "•"The Society," said

^luring the year,

LorJslii}-, ihc president,

Mr. Thomas

and intended

bridge,

liis

IT)

IltHit,

who, e

lence

— the

least to

lias lost

liicated at

Ciim-

Church, found himself com-

for the

pelled to devote the energies of his whole

very aspiring, at

''

5

life,

it'

not to a

a most considerate aim of benevo-

relief of the distress

occasioned by stannueriug.

from authority of high professional eminence, as

1 learn,

well as from the attachment of his personal friends, that his

mode

of treatment

liberal

was attended with the most distinguished

and that to the poor

success,

and kind

as

especially he

was signally

an instructor."

Mr. Hunt's death appeared

to be the signal for the revival

of competition in the walk he had occupied, to the exclusioa of the advocates for surgical operations

and pretenders. The

notorious and the obscure rushed forvrard, and

anonymous

books, pamphlets, and advertisements ajDpealed to the public,

with every assertion of speedily besieged

The

infallibility.

by a corps of

public was thus

resolute curers of stammering,

widely differing from each other as to the nature of the

But

affection.

judges, there

is

if

there be v.-isdom in the multiplicity of

distraction in the nmltiplieity of counsellors.

Some, mere teachers of languages, fancied themselves able 10 coj.e v/ith the sometimes intricate causes ihii:

alleotion

;

which produce

others not nearly so qualified were

still

more

Irretentions.

"

On

his death a host of pretenders^

course, professing his system

heard (an lailing,

"

1

Heaven knows

;

and

all,

used old

Jtlr.

his successor,

all,

of

I have had cause to hear CDough),

and ducking under again into

One man,

sprang up,

as far as I have ever

a Weslej^an deacon, or

their native

mud.

some such functionaiy,

Hunt's testimonials, boldly announced himself

and received, without a word of explanation,

inquirers and pupils

who came

to seek him.

APPENDIX

166

A.

"This was a 'pretty sharp state of business,' as our and one is puzzled to guess brethren say

transatlantic

;

-whether (and if so in what terms) he related his

ences and exercises

'

on

other father- confessors.

'

experi-

the subject to his class leaders or

But probably he had

arrived at

that state of sinless perfection, boasted of by some of his sect, in

which such legal and carnal distinctions as honesty

and dishonesty vanish before the the utterly renewed man. not, I neither

way

know nor

spiritual illuminations of

Whether he

care.

practises

now

or

I suppose he has gone the

of other pretenders."*

*Fraser*s Magazine, July, 1859.

—

APPENDIX

Hints

The

to

B.

Stammerers.*

following advice to stutterers and stammerers

-valuable that I have thought

it

is

so

advisable to print the extract

entire, '•'•

And now one word

as to Dr.

Hunt, son

of the Avorthy

old Dorsetshire gentleman, the author of the book mentioned at the liead of this article.

I could say

very

much

in his

praise w^iich he would not care to have said, or the readers

of Fraser to hear. of stammerers,

seen him

fail

I

But

as to his

makes

it

of curing the

—that

1

— the

Of

course the very condition

conscious use of the organs of speech

depend on the power of

self -observation,

attention,

on the determination, on the general

power, in

fact, of the patient

Yet

will give weary work.

go away

unrelieved.

i^illingly into the

what

she

average

never have yet

where as much attention was given as a school-

"boy gives to his lessons.

of the cure

power

can and do say this

and a stupid or

all

volatile lad

I never have seen even such

For nature,

new and

was meant

;

on the

intellectual

plastic

and kind,

slips

yet original groove, and becomes

along to be

;

and though

to be con-

scious of the cause of every articulate sound which

is

made,

* Extracted from an article entitled *' The Irrationale of Speech, by a Minute Philosopher, C.K." being a review of the author's work, " A Manual of the Philosophy of Voiceand Speech," and "The Unspeakable, or Life and Adventures-

of a Stammerer,"

See Fraser' s Magazine^ for July, 1859.

;

APPENDIX

168

even in a short sentence,

B.

a physical impossibility, yet

is

a

general watchfulness and attention to certain broad rules

enable her, as she always

For

whole.

is

inclined to do, to do right on the

after all, right is pleasanter

health more natural than disease

when once

iiny organ,

liarmony with that of universe

itself,

the habit

all

on

slips

than wrong, and

and the proper use of

;

established, being in

is

other organs, and with the whole

knows not how, and

noiselessly, it

the old bad habit of years dies out in a month, like the tricks

which a child learns one day to forget the next." " But, over and above what Mr. Hunt or any other man. can teach

all

corpore sa7w, ^vhich sively,

who have been stam-

stammerers, and those

;

merers need above

men

to keep

up that mentem sanam

m

now-a-days called somewhat offen-

is

muscular Christianity

and enervated generation of

—a

term worthy of a puling-

thinkers,

who prove

own

their

imhealthiness by their contemptuous surprise at any praise of that health

the whole

which ought to be the normal condition of

human

race."

"But whosoever can afford an enervated body and an abject With him it is a questioa character, the stammerer cannot. He must make a man of himself, or bd of life and death. liable to his

tormentor to the

"Let him, therefore, eschew all

last." all

base perturbations of mind

cowardice, servility, meanness, vanity, and hankering after

admiration

;

for these all will

judgment, stammer on the

make many a man, by a

spot.

just

Let him, for the same

reason, eschew all anger, peevishness, haste, even pardonable

eagerness. selfishness

In a word,

let

and self-seeking

him eschew the root of ;

for

he

all evil,

will surely find that

Avhensoever he begins thinking about himself, then

dumb too,

devil of

all

stammering at

superstition,

his elbow.

is

the

Let him eschew,

whether of that abject kind

^vhiclL

HINTS TO STAMMEKEKS. fancies that

God by a

can please

it

169 and a

starved body

hang-do«: visage, which pretends to be afraid to look

kind in the

more openly

face, or of that

whicli upsets the balance of the reason

and

either nerves of digestion

or efienainate, remembering that

it is

sexual:

ices as

over beef

beer."

Let him avoid those same hot slops (to go on with the

corpus sanum), and his digestion,

and

cises v/hich will

him,

lastly, all all

;

as easy to be uuwhole-

someiy gluttonous over hot slops and cold

*'

kind

intemperance in drink or in food, whether gross

excesvses, all

and

man-

hysterical raptureri

Let him eschew

assumptions.

self -glorifying

which can weaken

by

self-couceited

which

all else

let

will injure his

him betake himself

to all

wind

and.

manly exer-

put him into wind, and keep him in

Let

it.

he can, ride, and ride hard, remembering that (so

if

does horse exercise expand the lungs and oxygenate the blood) there has been at least one frightful stammerer ere novr

who

spoke perfectly plainly as long as he was in the saddle.

Let him play rackets and

fives,

row, and box

fur all these

;

amusements strengthen those muscles of the chest and.

abdomen which all, let

him box

become

to

for so will

'

the noble art of self-defence

him over and above a healing

this assertion, let

him

(or, indeed,

over deiks) hit out right and

on the wall

Above

are certain to be in his case weak. ;

art.

If

any narrow-chested porer

left for five

minutes at a point

as high as his o^vn face (hitting, of course,

from the elbow,

like a

;

he doubt

woman, but frourthe

loin, like

not

a man,

and keeping his breath during the exercise as long as he can), and he will soon become aware of his weak point by a severe pain in the epigastric region,

which pains let

him

teaches

liim after a convulsion

try boxing regidarly, daily

him

to look a

man

;

in

the

same spot

of staunnering.

and he

Then.

will find that it

not merely in the face, but in the

;

170

APPENDIX

Tery

eye's core

of air to use

to keep his chest expanded, his lungs

;

to be calm

;

all

B.

;

And

let

and learn

in

it

is

all

let

soldier,

him

rifle-club,

learn to

active, healthy,

"Meanwhile, with

in these

to carry himself

but peculiar to

but ought to be the common habit of every

march

out losing breath

laving

now

him,

with the erect and noble port which tbe

and

those muscles of the torso on which deep

iealthy respiration depends.

Tery days, join a

full"'

and steady under excitement and lastly,

and more,

;

man

;

to trot under arms with-

and by such means make himself aa

;

and valiant man." let

him

learn again the art of speaking

learnt, think before he speaks,

self-respect, as

a

mnn who

and say

;

and

his say calmly,

does not talk at random,

and has a right to a courteous answer. Let him fix in his mind that there is nothing on earth to be ashamed of, save doing wrong, and no being to be feared save Almighty

and so go on making the best of which Heaven has given him, and few months

his

the body I will

warrant that in a

old misery of stammering will

Lim, as an ugly and

all

awakes in the morning."

God

and the soul

lie

behind

but impossible dream when one

APPENDIX

The

publishing of testimonials has always been a questlo

That

vexata.

and

enterprise,

and if

C.

extensively abused in every branch of

it

is

is

equally the resort of truth and honesty,

of falsehood

and

any be necessary,

fr^^ud, is

undeniable

new

other means, a public hearing of any entitle

to public consideration.

it

but the apology,

;

discovery, so as to

This mode of producing

prima facie evidence in favour of any new theory, ally requisite in cases,

track,

with

''

is

especi-

when the discoverer has left the beaten

and having struck out a path

collision

by

the great difficulty of obtaining,

is

for himself,

vested interests," and

is

comes into

consequently at-

tacked and obstructed in his onward march by interested parties.

To confound

the obstructors, he

self-defence, to vindicate his theory

obtained.

Little or

by

no importance

is

compelled, in

shov.'ing the results

is

to be attached to

anonymous testimonials, when, however, the most eminent medical practitioners, like professors Liston, Fergusson, and Forbes, andliterary characters like Kingsley, Robert bers,

John

they

may

Forster,

and many

produced

is sufficiently

fidence.

It

is

and

submit that the evidence

strong to entitle

me

to public con-

with this view—-bearing in mind the adage,

ponderanda

sunt^

nan nwneranda

lowing testimonials, selected from a host of

my

odium

incur, bear public witnesses to the simplicity

efficacy of the system I pursue, I

testimonia

Cham-

others, disregarding the

possession, are submitted to the public.

— that

the fol-

siuailar

ones

in.

TESTIMONIALS.

173

TESTIMONIALS.

The

tion that

by the public

it is

which

dent

Westward

remove

all

scepticism

in the cure, will owe their doubts

IIo

convinced

much

and

to such

Years Ago,

must carry that

it

;

Two

Glaucus,

!

Such a testimony

deserves.

it

to

am

and I

&:c.,

men-

generally, that I need only

from the pen of the author of Yeasty Alton

Ilypatia^

LocJce,

&c.,

from a gentleman so well known and

first letter is

iippreciated

is

\\

eight

ia itself surely sufh-

suiferers

who

disbelieve

an authority for removing

and misgivings on the

subject.

" Eversley Rectory, March, 1856.

" IMy dear

sir,

— I have Avaited

relapses tell

and

failures,

you now that

all

me

which put

my

till

At

saying before I wrote to you.

I

had something worth

first

I had various small

out of heart

:

but I must

friends are quite surj^rised

lighted with the change in

my

many trying evenings vfithout

and de-

speech. I have gone through

stanunering a word

when, coming home tired and excited,

I broke

;

and even-

down

a

little,

I have alvrays been able to recover myself before any spasm

came

If I fail

on.

lect of

your simple

now,

it

will

lules, for

be only from

my own

which I thank you with

neg-

all

my

heart.

"Three things gave me confidence in you at our first First, I saw that you really understood the

interview

:

—

mental excitants of the disease.

Secondly, that you did not

an empirick would) take for granted the symptoms which the disease had produced, but knew them to be various and

(as

ever varying, even in the same patient fully

examined

(.•rgans

was

till

;

and

therefore care-

you had found out which of the vocal

chiefly affected.

Thirdly, that you had no

panacea, Irick, or " dodge " to offer

me

;

(had you done

so,

APPENDIX

174

C.

I could not have had confidence in you,) but that your aim

was to

restore

me

to a conscious use of the vocal organs, ex-

actly similar to that which the healthy subject employs unconsciously

and

;

so to deliver

me from

tricks

which the stammerer employs

plaint

:

and which

(as

my

art,'

'

To

return to nature

seems to be your notion of your work

you must be right and successful also, for it is and aim of aU worthy work in this world. "

*

*

* has given

*

up

all his

gone to Australia, simply on account of

three

and I dare say

months

before,

if so,

:

the great law

prospects,

Had

he might have been saved

his story is that of

many.

for me already has been much talked of many have promised me to get you pupils.

" 1 must not iorget to say

that, thanks to you^ I

I ;

what

I assure you

you have done that

and

stammering.

his

This had happened while I was in town with you.

known you

com-

me) are

experience has taught

equally useless and unwholesome.

through

those half-conscious

as remedies for his

;

and

have been,

preaching and lecturing extempore, not only without stammering, but with an ease I never

'*'

felt before.

" Believe me, yours most truly grateful, " C. Kingsley." James Hunt, Esq., &c.

"Newton Toney,

near Warminster, " March 26th. 1857.

"

My dear sir, —It is with great pleasure that I

my testimony

stammering as instanced in the case of *'I

am

send you

of the success of your system for the cure of

my son.

glad to say that he continues to speak and read

without hesitation, and I have every reason to hope that his cure will be quite permanent, as

he was under your *'

I have

it is

now

six

months since

care.

made your

successful treatment

known

to

many

— TESTIMONIALS.

my

of

friends,

and

shall continue to

175

use

my

influence with,

uhoni I know, that have stammering children. " I beg that you will use my name whenever you wish. " I am, dear sir, yours truly,

all

"

" To Dr.

The writer

Mary Anne Kendle."

James Hunt."

following letter

kindly allowed publicity by the

is

:

*'

Chatham House, Brixton " September

"

My dear madam, —In

reply to your inquiries respecting

Mr. Hunt's treatment for the cure that with regard to pletely successful.

my

Hill,

1856.

1st,

of stammering, I consider

daughter's case, he has been

com-

His mode of treatment, of course must

vary occasionally, according to the degree of the pupil's defect in speech

plete cure.

— also the time requisite for effecting the com-

I consider his plan of treatment to be founded

upon the most

means

judicious

and

scientific principles

disagreeable to the pupils themselves

;

and by no

—to whom he

is

always most kind and considerate, in every way, making al allowance for the nervousness, &c., which generally attends

impediments in the speech. *'

I

was

perfectly satisfied with all the domestic arrange-

ments superintended by Mrs. Hunt, who attentive

—and I am quite sure

is

most kind and

that your daughter would

be perfectly happy and comfortable with her, as mine was in every respect.

" I have very great pleasure in forwarding this testimonia. to you, as I feel that I cannot say too much of Mr. his kind

and judicious treatment of

my

Hunt for

daughter, whose case

was of long standing, and difficult to overcome. " I remain, my dear madam, " Yours obediently, *'

Sophia Z. Morris.'*

;

:

APPENDIX

176 Extract from a

letter

Street^ Bath^ to the

*'AVhen I saw

my

C.

from Mns. Simmons,

son, I Avas the

most

King

46, Neiv

Author^ Dated Septcmher

4,

1853.

astonislied at the

great ease and iluency he had acquired, and that too, in so short a time, as from the age of four or five years, he

stammered

to a

most painful degree.

ment has had a most wonderful

Yonr mode of removing

effect in

hindrance to his future success in

I shall

life.

had

treat-

this great-

always feel

a great pleasure in answering any inquiries respecting your skill,

of

and pray make whatever use

or kindness of treatment,

my name you

think proper."

" 23, Fenchurch Street, *'

Dear

sir,

—It gives me great pleasure

May 3,

1856.

to bear testimony^

to your success in relieving ray son from the very painful im-

pediment in

his speech,

which had been a growing trouble to

him up to the time of his first introduction to you in the autumn of last year. He then spoke with much difficulty and some words he could ''

I

part.

may

scarcely say at

all.

confidently say the cure has been perfect on your

I feel very thankful that I was induced, by two emi-

nent medical gentlemen, to consult you, and place the case in your hands

mj son,

and

;

and that the

result has

satisfactory to us

"Believe me, dear

sir,

been so beneficial to

all.

yours very faithfully,

" Charles Moss."" *'

James Hunt, Esq."

The

following letter, in answer to some inquiries,

is

kindly

Allowed publicity by the writer

" 104, Edgeware Koad, Paddiugton, (W.^ " April 15, 1856.

" Dear

Sir,

— My nephew was under Mr. Hunt's care more

than three years

since

;

and although only with him a few

TESTIMONIALS. •weeks, he returned

He was

his age.

home speaking

177

as fluently as

then about ten years

any boy

and had

old,

of

stut-

tered to a painful degree from his infancy, which produced great contortions of the face, and an entire motion of the

muscles of the whole body.

"I

am happy

to say he continues to speak

as on the day he

"

If

your son stammers badly, I believe

consider

it

the cure

effected in a shorter time,

is

I believe Mr.

earher (after the pupil

may Mr. ••'

his care, the

rely

Hunt will when

and rendered more

Hunt

considers the

able to read) the case

is

more easy and certain

is

is

placed

the result.

You

on every domestic attention being given both by

andlNIrs.

Hunt.

I always feel a pleasure in answering any inquiries on

the subject

who have

and

;

I

am

convinced you will be grateful to

ful practice,

on the

which is worthy the admiration '

quack statements

of '

all,

and not

so often forced

notice of the public.

" I remain, dear

sir,

yours very truly,

" D. Sydenham."

To H. F." "

4,

Halkin Street West, Belgrave Square, S.W.

"March "Dear

sir,

—When

I

first

applied to you,

21, 1857. it

was with a

very distant hope, indeed, that you could possibly cure of a defect, which I had inseparably

vous system

:

bound up with

that I applied to you at

reading your very admirable if

all

induced you to procure his assistance and success-

to be confounded with the

*'

I\Ir.

necessary that he should reside with him,

certain and permanent.

under

and read as well

left.

treatise,

all,

was the

which

my

result

satisfied

me

ner-

of

me that

any man living understood the stammerer's very peculiar

—

that man was yourself. artificial state of mind, " The weighty evidence afforded by every page of the trea-

and

M

APPENDIX

178

tise that actual experience

C.

and not mere theory had dictated

the language, encouraged me not only to put myself under your tuition,

tity af *'

but at the same time to invest a considerable quan-

f .\itli ill

tlie result.

I have very great pleasure in testifying that that invest-

snent has returned tically, in

which

n

me good interest in two ways — first, pracmy hands a clue to the labyrinth in.

putting into

had

for years I

placing before

me

lost

myself in exploring

in a simple

and

clear

and secondly,

;

manner, the nature

of articulation, and the principles necessary to be employed

to produce voice

;

and you very

satisfactorily

demonstrated,

that the vast amount of time and labour I had expended in

my

endeavouring to master

defect,

by acquiring a fancied

mechanical expertness in utterance, failed at the most critical times

;

simply from

my

of the science, so that •will

remember

ignorance of the very

by

I assumed

this

some

very practice credit

—T

first

conditions

— for which you

had actually

been,

confirming myself in a bad system.

" Strange to say from once regarding stammering as a great calamity, I blessing

;

it

am now

begiuning to look upon it as a real

me

aim at being a correct speaker,

has led

to

without such a stimulant, I should have been

all

my

life

what

most people are, careless and slovenly in articulation. " In conclusion I will just add what occurred to me very frequently of late •

—vk., that to

all

who speak

convinced your instructions would be of

to the actual stammerer, and although "

men "

in public I ani

little less

value than

mumbling clergy-

of the class so graphically described in the Times the

other day by " Habitans in Sicco " are rare, yet few can be

aware how much more powerful and sustained would

be,

their voices

were they to put into practice the principles yea

teach. *'

I am, dear

sir,

yours faithfully, *'

Joseph W. Blake."

— 179

TESTIMOJiTIALS.

" Cork, 70, South ^lall, " April 24, 1857. "

My dear sir, —For

purposes of

my

my

life

"vva,s

the last ten years one of the chief to overcome a severe

pounds in

this attempt. I

every person

who

London, and

Paris.

imp aliment in

months and many hundreds of

speech, I have spent

have been under the care of nearly

professed to cure such affections in Dublin,

So that I believe I have as much ex-

perience in this matter as any one in these kingdoms.

" The

you

result of this experience is a clear conviction that

/

practice the true art of cure.

consider other systems

valuable only in so far as they approximate yours, terious

inasmuch as they differ from

deliberately selves

recommend

And

it.

all fellow-sufferers

under your care. " I am,

my dear "

sir,

and

dele-

I earnestly to place

and

them-

yours very truly,

John George Mac Carthy.'*

" James Hunt, Esq., Ph. D.," &c.

The foregoing edition of

my

testimonials were inserted in the third

former work.

to omit the testimonials of

It is with sincere regret I

have

two clergymen, whose sons have

been snatched away from this world Avhen they ^vere just beginning a noble career. of

mind

They had shown their strength and the country

in conquering their stuttering

:

has to deplore no tw^o more promising youths than Frederick

Dusantoy and George Hamilton.

The following

are selected from amongst the most recent

testimonies of the value of

pleasure of receiving

my

services,

which

I

have had the

:

" Old] Anchor House, Carmarthera,

"July

18th, 1860.

" My dear sir,— Since Ileft you, I have been gradually

APPENDIX

ISO getting better, and

if

C.

I stutter occasionally,

it arises

under some very trying circumstances

spoken in public

without any impediment.

was

I

excited

so

my

it

But such

off.

my

to stand,

:

audience,

the

addressing

in

weak

so strongly that I think

over

I must mention one instance

much

that I felt almost too

dozen yards

from

I have

the want of strict attention to your simple rules.

heart throbbing

could have been heard half a is

the

command

I

have obtained

vocal organs that even on this trying occasion I

My

spoke without the slightest stuttering.

voice

is

also

greatly improved, having acquired a fulness and compass

which I did not hope "

My friends

for.

and acquaintances are astonished

and fluency with which I now

and

speak,

at the ease

testify that

they

never witnessed so complete a cure. " I feel as if moving in a new world, the great barrier to

my

success in

life

having been removed.

strength and courage to pursue

my

Words can never

perseverance.

This gives

me new

plans with diligence and

express

my

gratitude for

the kind and simple manner which you have reheved

me

of

a most distressing affliction. " I should like your system to be universally known, and I promise to do

all

"wonderful cures

it

I can to

make

the world understand the

has wrought.

" I remain, dear *'

" Dr.

Wm.

sir,

yours truly,

Lewis."

James Hunt." " 17, Westbourne Square,

" October 20th, 1860.

"My dear you

sir,

— Before

I

had the pleasure

of

knowing

I was, at times, utterly unable to articulate words

mencing with

certain consonants,

to the necessity of

wished

to use.

com-

and consequently, reduced

mentally changing the expression I

TESTIMONIALS.

my profession lias not permitted you have given me

" The absorbing nature of

me

181

fully to carry out all the directions

for the full

development

and proper control over the

of,

vocal organs, but I find that proper attention to the rules

you] have given me, enables

me

to pronounce

any word

whenever required. " I have only to add, that I think your excellent system

worthy the attention of *'

all

Believe me,

who

my

value clear articulation.

dear

sir,

yours sincerely,

" E. Aguilar."

"Dr. James Hunt,

F.S.A., F.R.S.L." *'

23, Redcross Street,

"Novembers, 1860. " Dear

sir,

—It

is

with feelings of the deepest gratitude I

write these few lines.

About two years ago

a very bad stammerer, as bad a

under your " The

"But now, resided with

my own

name.

after having practised

you

your excellent rules, and

at Hastings for a short time, subject, I

and have great pleasure to

and having

have mastered

say, I

jind read with great satisfaction to myself I

can to

my friends,

my

thanks for

and

cannot conclude without expressing

my

now speak

the great kindness I received both from you and Mrs.

when

yoa comp

to

two days I was with you I could not speak one

had your sound advice on the

"

came

notice.

first

word, not even

defect,

I

case, perhaps, that has

Hunt,

at Hastings.

" jNIake use of

my name

in

any way you think proper, as

I shall be most happy to answer any inquiries respecting

your

skill

or kindness of treatment.

Hoping you

always prosper, " I remain, your grateful Pupil, " F. *'

P.S.

W. Gray."

— I am just eighteen years of age."

will

APPENDIX

182

C.

" AVadliam College, Oxford, " October 31st, 1860.

My

"

dear Dr. Hunt,

send you the results of

When

your system.

—It

with

is

my own

I first

much

pleasure that I

experience of the value of

came

to you, nearly three years

ago, I was

much annoyed by stammering, and very sensitive

about

Although mine was not a severe case,

it.

bad enough, and I could not

And

my

so

interval, I

relief

was very

see

great,

my way

my

convinced that

" In it

fault

my

at

all.

hands that from that time, and it

would be entirely

the cure was not permanently completed.

opinion, a principal advantage in your system

is,

puts his cure so entirely within the povrer of the

of success. it

if

felt

own To me

will can alv/ays

that his

j)U25il,

it

found that the rules and help which you gave me,

ever since, I have

that

was quite

when, after a very short

so far put the clue into

my own

it

out of

determine the conditions

this has constituted its chief

charm, for

produces in this respect, a feeling of self-reliance, that

could not be enjoyed

if

the completion of cure, or recovery

in cases of relapse, by any means necessarily depended on

your own extern d

being no longer the

stammer "

And

as one

slave,

it

is

first

and happiest

but the master of one's annoyance,

that this has been

To

my happy experience,

all

those

who most

'

I

can most

prize success

has been attained by persevering exertion, your

system must have peculiar attractions, for in where,

effect

a pleasing consciousness of

may.

unhesitatingly assert.

when

The

assistance.

produced by your treatment,

Amat

it,

as every-

victoria curam.'

" Wishing you

all

the success that you have placed within

the reach of myself and so

many

others,

" I am, always, dear Dr. Hunt, " Yours gratefully and affectionately, " Arthur H. Haringtox."

*'Dr.

James Hunt." THE END.

BY THE SAME AUTHOE, RecenUu PahUslied^ Crown

8i-o.,

pp. 422, Price

6d,

7s.

A MANUAL OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF

TOICE AND SPEECH APPLIED TO THE AKT OF PUBLIC SPEAKING. London, Longman and Co., or tost free from the Autiiok, Ore House, near Hastings. OPINIONS OF THE PKESS.

From the Spectator. " Mr. Hunt has introduced the re-

of

for

its

developraent^.

under all its variety of heads, must have been the labour of many years^ and the lucid arrangement of them cannot be praised too highly. Wehave now, for the iirst time, ihe philosophy of voice and speech ex-

;

own cousideration of the questions, espe ially iu reference to * * his professional experience. * vast repertory of facts and opinions relating to the physical

suits of his

materials

i

i

I

A

plained

thoroughly,

intelligently,,

organs of utterance, and of utterand plainly. The nervous system^ ance itself, from the lower animantia the organ of hearing, the vocal apto man, and of the various questions paratus, and the manner in which connected with voice and language, the voice is produced, form the :

j

i

These

facts,

too,

are

curious

and

useful."

From the Obsekver. "The volume is learned, and

at

of several chapters, vvhereiu a fund of useful knowledge is developed, and suggestions are made of

topics

practical utility.

The

disorders

of

the same time instru tive and amus- the voice and defective articulation and as a work which has no also receive attention, and are verysai ising parallel in the English language, as factorily treated. Considerable space•well as a work of great value, it can is given to public speaking, and the a topic lie safely recommended to public rules for success therein, which may be studied with advannotice." tage, not only by those who aim at From the New^s of the World. public displays, but by those who *'This is the most comprehensive, would arrive at a good style of elophilosophical, and practical book we cution in domestic life. Dr. Hunt's have met with upon a subject deeply book is one of great merit throughinteresting to many thousands of out, and well desersung of public;

the British public.

The

collection

attention."

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

From the "The above-named work, wherein

John Bull and Britannia. unaccustomed

to

address large as-

semblies," and who pronounce the care, ability, and research abound, most miserable moments of their we most sincerely hope will stimu- existence as the happiest, this late attention to the much neglected manual is invaluable, and we strong-

recommend it to all classes of readers by its perusal the scholar will add greatly to his fund of information, while the unlearned will be struck with new ideas of philoly

Mr. Hunt explains simply, and advises practically ; but not content, as many are,

art of oral delivery.

with

merely

pointing

out

;

error,

besides the best counsel towards correcting it. In a word, sophy of which he had never pre•either as a treatise on physical or viously dreamt. mental defect or accomplishment, so From the Morning Chronicle. far as the voice and speech are con" Not one professor in a hundred cerned, it is unexceptionably the result of long experience and study, knows anything of the physical comand a complete text book on the position of the organ whose managesubject." ment he teaches, nor is he aware of the acting causes which contribute

.affords

From

the

Examiner.

of its kind, a mere advertisement of his own practice he is interested in the subject of his special study, and

failme or deficiencies. Dr. Hunt, for many years a practitioner in the cure of impedihas speech st pped ments of forward to remove this reproach, and supply a great existing requirement. In a goodly volume he has placed his experiences before ^the world, and for the lirst time we really have an authority upon, not merely impediments and physical obstructions, but upon the voice

out of his real interest therein, this

itself,

book arises."

ment,

" There are

many

to

and sensible remarks in Doctor James Hunt's book, on Philosophy The author of Voice and Speech. is well-known as a practitioner to

whom many

are indebted for

its

James

curious details

the

removal of impediments in speech but his book is not, like so many ;

;

From, the Country Gentleman's

Journal.

its relation to its employand upon the thousands of causes which weaken, deteriorate, We and impoverish its powers. confess, on taking up this volume,

in

" This volume is rich in new matter, and the Philosophy of Voice and Speech is fully expounded by a learned professor thoroughly competent to undertake the task. By its clearness and compactness, the reader, even of moderate capacity, is enabled to seize a clear idea, and garner in bis mind a large store of the subject

we were at first a little dismayed; a hurried glance at it seemed to show that it was diffuse treating of subjects not immediately within the scope of the object proposed, and that instead of a practical inquiry

To those unfortunate individuals who stammer out at public meetings that "They are

be led into the

under discussion.

—

into a question of universal interest, it was a mere medical treatise after all.

to

Lest any of our readers should

warn them

true that

same

error,

we beg

of it in limine.

we have

It is

at the outset

the

OPINION'S

OF

chapters on. respiration, tlio nervous system, the organs of hearing, sound, &c. but in the broad way in which the subject is afterwards treated, these chapters will be found to be absolutely necessary and it is fair, moreover, to say that, taken separately, ;

;

they are eminently worthy of perusal, as giving a plain and comprehensive insight in the physical conformation of some of the most delicate organs * * * of the humaa system.

The work

before us is most valuable, indeed, and in no part more so than in that portion which treats of the organs, which in their turn contribute to the integrity of speech. Here Dr. Hunt gives us much amusing as well as instructive inAs might be expected. formation. Dr. Hunt is great in the chapter on

TIIS PRESS.

From

"We

the.

Illustrate o Times,

complain of this superabundance of information, for there is not an uninstructive or uninteresting chapter in the volume. But in giving our readers an account of the work, we feel it necessary to state, that it is not merely a handbook of public speaking, but something more. Viewed without reference to the special utility of the whole to public speakers, Mr. Hunt's Manual can only be spoken of in. terms of praise. * * * A mere

do not

directions for the

management

of the voice, together

with a few-

list of

formed but a poor, dry volume. Like everything Mr. Hunt has written, the Philosophy of Voice and Speech He is never abounds in anecdotes. this We commend stammering. at a loss for popular illustration or chapter to the perusal of persons an amusing story with which to enAltogether Dr. Hunt's liven the subject and engage the afflicted. Manual is an attractive as well as an reader. The best chapters in Mr. useful work, and, considering it must Hunt's book are those directly rehave cost not a little labour, has a ferring to oratory, and young speakers high claim to the patronage of the will find his remarks on the subject public."

oratorical precepts, would have

very valuable.

From

From

the Athent.'eiim:.

"Keadable and

because the author explains his subHas peculiar claim to ject clearly. notice, as the work of a man who has brought study and experience of his life to bear upon a special suhinteresting,

ject."

"

the

Globe.

We need scarcely

say that on all

subjects bearing on the rectification of defects of the voice and speech. Mr. Hunt's remarks are worthy of respectful attention, and the present

work adds the weight of views to-practical results."

scientific-

From Chaimbers' Journal. From the Morning Star. " There are many iatexesting anec~ " The preparation of such a work advice was not a task within the scope of dotes, and much practical good "

many

writers, for physiology, philo-

which

is

applicable to all

From the Press. " Theconcludingpartof the volume is devoted to subjects to which the general qualifications for the labour author has paid special and profeshe has undertaken, and to the great sional attention disorders in the orvalue of the book." gans of voice ; defects in articulation,.

logy,

and

rhetoric,

must each be

laid

under contribution. We can bear willing testimony to the author's

—

;

OPINIONS OF THE PEESS.

A

very useful MaDual, blending deaf-dumbness, and muteisni on the one hand on the other hand, the science with simplicity." cultivation and management of the From the Literary Gazette,

—

Toice, and the art of elocution. Here the author proves himself to he thoToughly master of his subject not a mere theorist, but one who has had much practical experience, and speaks with all the authority which that experience gives him. Those especially Tvhoare called upon to address public assemblies, whether from the pulpit,

—

"

We

Manual in

many

bound to admit that the a very entsrtaining, and respects, a very useful book.

are is

All sorts of readers will find matter here to interest them."

From Sell's Weekly Messenger.

" This is a very curious work, and one which merits all the attention at the bar, or in the senate, will do that can be given to it, and if Dr. "well to consult so judicious an ad- Hunt meets with the re\vard to vvhich Whatever we may think of he is justly entitled, his book will be"viser. Dr. Hunt as a philosopher, we hold come as popular as it is creditable it to be undeniable that he is an ex- to his. patience, his talent, and his

cellent practical

manager of voice and

speech."

research."

Illustrated

Paper pok ths Schoolmaster. "Dr. Hunt's Manual comprehends

News

of the World.

this

" This is a thoroughly able work every thought in it bears the mark of having been tested by experience and in thus recording his observations and experiments, after many years of professional study of the subject. Dr. James Hunt has conferred an inestim.able benefit upon the public in general, and upon all vfho seek to sway the public by the living voice in par-

ciation of schoolmasters, we feel sure that v/e are doing them a service for which they will be grateful."

of creative

much more

than might have been

anticipated from its title. It is, indeed, full of varied matter, of the most important character not as too many philosophical treatises are cold and dry, but every page replete with interest. In strongly recommending ;

—

book as one which ought to be placed in the library of every asso- ticular."

Derby A^^) Chesterfield Bepoeter. " This work

* tion,

seal

*

From the Beacon. * He tracks the

footsteps

power along its line of acand with a bold hand, lifts the of its operations, and discloses ta

written in a clear and lucid style. Most of the techtenns nical are explained as they first occur in the course of reading. Altogether it is one of the most important works published in this teeming age of literary productions. venture to predict for it a high rank among the best standard works of our country." is

the eye of science the workings of the Almighty in the production of that marvel of nature, the voice Divine,' exercising its loftiest functions in its most impassioned mode. Oratory, no doubt, surpasses music and to hear good speaking, is the highest intellectual enjoyment of Avhich our natures are capable. Superior intelligence may command the v,hole of it From the Sun. at a glance but it is as delightful "This is a very able and useful as astonishing, that we should be able, work, which has evidently cost the even by laborious processes, to follow author much labour and study * * * and comprehend it; and that it is '

;

We

;

.

OPI>;iO>.S

OF THE PEES3.

"brought to the level of all is due (no light praise) to the ability, energy, and recourses of the author. That he has treated a subject to Avhich the whole experience of his life has been devoted as a labour of love, and that the rules he deduces for the management of the voice are no en:ipu-ical nostrums, but the plain dictates of common sense, resting on an intimate

From "

the

Medical Times & Gazette..

A great

deal of information has been collected and arranged in the form of a useful manual."

Colburn's New Monthly Magazine. " Dr. James Hunt, son and successor to Mr. Hunt, who obtained so

much celebrity by his treatment of the difficulties of utterance and other scientific knowledge as their founda- impediments of speech, has expounded tion, we might have been sure of from the whole philosophy of the questhe experience aud position of so suc- tion in an excellent work, " A Manual Philosophy of Voice and This work addresses itself of a clear, simple style, which is in- to a far wider circle than Ihe aillict d, valuable in a work that lays claim to and we have no doubt will meet with a popular interest." such a reception at the hands of the cessful a practitioner as

and he

is

" Mr.

Mr. Hunt, of

fortunate in the possession

From the Eka. Runt has established a

the

Speeh.

public generally as

its

merits entitle

it to.

repu-

tation as a special doctor, the best who can be consulted on all defects

"

From the Morning Herald. The author has collected

his

in the voice and utterance, and this materials from the best authorities. volume shows that he is minu ely The work is one which will interest master of all that science has yet any one who takes it up. To those interested in the treatment of defects discovered." in the vocal organs the information From the Art Journal. it affords must prove extremely valu"When a practical man writes able. The chapters on public speaking C071 (imore, upon a subject he loves, are at once siiggestice and amusing." he rarely misses to make a book From the Morning- Post. generally interesting to all. This is " The Vv'ork before us is a careful the case in Dr. Hunt's volume, which abounds with curious details and epitome of the labours of previous amusing anecdotes sufncient to make writers It is divided into tv/enty-oue it agreeable to readers who v/ould ' philosophy fear less palatably given. Dr. Hunt, following his '

been known for his successful treatment of vocal defects the present book is a proof how sound is his knowledge, and hovv' well-grounded he is in all that refather's career, has long

;

lates to the art."

From Eraser's Magazine, JuIi/ 1859.

A

" book which should be in the hands, not only of surgeons, but of public singers, schoolmasters, and

above

all,

of preachers."

chapters, each

proper head

embodymg under

its

all that is essential to. the

elucidation of the main subject. Dr. Hunt's " Manual " must be considered partly as a professional and partly as In its proa popular composition. fessional bearings he deals with those parts of the human anatomy immediately involved in the production of healthy and efficient voice He opens the great question of races and lan-

guages which during all time must be one of absorbing interest to the scientific philologist. Dr. Hunt has evidently bestowed much care in the?

OPINIONS OF THE P3ESS. collection of the materials necessary for the elucidat on of this part of his subject. His chapter on the origin of the English

language

is

clear

been exercised in the collection of the materials,

and matter

embodying in a short space the most prominent facts illustrative of the subject," coinpreheu.!ive,

and conscientious care and

their application. The characterised by fulness of exposition, without redundancy, and clearness of arrangement." ability

in

is

Fi-om the Brighton Exajviiner.

From the Dorset County Chronicle. "Dr. Hunt's work is of a very " Mr. Hunt has shoAvn by his recomprehensive nature, embracing the searches into a special branch of condensed results of much curious human physiology what can really and laborious research." be done in scientific combat with the complicated infirmities of speech His present effort transcends in ability all his previous endeavours,

have had

much

which we

occasion to praise.

And though no longer

a neighbour,

we

perceive that he has for a time relinquished his romantic marine abode at Swanage, and founded a larger institution at Hastings, the volume before us possesses attractive for

merits,

such

as,

proceeding

From "

the

Sheffield Independant.

We think Dr. Hunt has done good

by his work, and wish that the cultivation of the voice may henceforth receive more attention under

service

such preceptorship as

his.

We may

add that, scholarly as is the book, it by no means dull, and will prove

is

really interesting to those who will care to do it justice by an intelligent

from perusal."

Avhatever locality, must rivet upon it general attention, and elicit on all hands the acknowledgment that the

accomplished author has, indeed, developed the philosophy of his intricate subject, and has been the first to resolve the difiicult theories of voice and speech into a practical code

From

the

Daily Telegraph.

" Dr. Hunt has published a v/ork of very great utility, and which ought to be in the hands of clergymen, bar-

members of parliament, and those whose vocations necessitate much public speaking. It will also be found an excellent and instructive of scientific laws." volume for those whose immediate From the Weekly Times. duties do not bring them so promi" This is a useful Avork. It does nently forward. None of us, however, not pretend to originality, nor ad- can say that chance may not, at some vance any views calling for discussion. time, place us on a platform, and then It is, however, an excellent compilathe study of works of this character tion. All the information relating to will not have been entirely thrown, the subject of which it treats that away." could be gleaned from the best From the Freeman. authors is collated, arranged in a " This book professes to be almost careful and skilful manner, and where necessary,

made comprehensible by

risters,

all

entirely a compilation

— —

;

but

it

has

notes of the author's very enlarged the merit in these days none too experience. Nor can it be denied common of doing well that which, that this subject is a very important it professes to do. Various topics one. connected with the Voice and Speech Midland Counties Herald. are treated with brevity and clearness, " Great industry appears to have and in respect to scientific details^

OPINIONS or THE PRESS.

The with commenda'ble accuracy. subject is one in which all have an interest. Man can never cease to regard with curiosity that gift of language by which he is so highly distinguished, and if the most searching investigation of the organization by whicli speech is effected still leaves the mysterious power unexplained, yet such knowledge as can be thus acquired is rich in interest and value."

From

tJie Civil Service Gazette, " Mr. Hunt, who has long devoted himself to the special investigation of

Jimnan speech, and written learnedly and well upon it, has now produced a very comprehensive volume, which bears evidence of extensive reading and great care, and which, we doubt not, will be accepted by the public as a valuable contribution to the library of useful knowledge."

From

tlie

Court Circular.

" Contains a variety of information arranged, and carefully digested, interspersed with judicious remarks, and possesses more than passing v.'ell

order in pursuing his subject. The concluding chapter of Dr. Hunt's work is on Oratory and Public Speaking,' to the consummation and perfection of which the whole of this able and instructive work may be said '

to contribute."

From

the

Brighton Gazette.

'•The author has given us principles rather than ih3ories, his aim being rather to advance that v/hich is true than that which is new. The work is the result of considerable research and careful study the different branches of the subject are well and clearly arranged, and dove-tailed as it were, very nicely, one into the other. The earlier chapters which are devoted to the elucidation of the physiological nature of voice and sound, are concise, clear, and wellarranged the author's reviev/ of the philosophy of language, and especially of the English vernacular, is fair, ;

;

practical and instructive his observations on diseases of the voice and ear are valuable, and evidently based ;

on considerable personal knowledge,

The work will be found of and his remarks on the cultivation considerable use by any youthful and management of the voice and member who is about to make his oratory, and public speaking, merit the most extensive perusal, for the maiden speech at St. Stephens."

interest.

F7-om the Clerical Journal. "

We

Dr.

readily concede this praise to Hunt that he has produced a

—

book which

may

low position of oratory in this country, and especially among those who, by profession, should be orators, or at all events,

tinique."

F7'0}n the

From the Leeds Intelligencer " The author is entitled to all the credit tion,

of

originality

for

his

selec-

arrangement, and the use he

makes of his materials, and for applying them in a way in which they were never before brought together in the elucidation of one connected He has also the merit of great research and extensive requirements, and remarkable clearness and

theme.

good public speakers

is

pro-

be considered as verbial."

Nottingham Eeview.

"All who are anxious to make the best use of their vocal organs, will find in the ' Philosophy of Voice and Speech " an invaluable and most instructive companion.

The study of precede all introductory works on singing and oratory. But those who would not think of listening to the counsel which this volume imparts to singers and orators may perhaps be induced to read it from. it

should

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. Dr. Hunt's account of the voice good suuimarjr the standard productions of our na- of what has been observed on the subject, and is well worthy of perusal. tional literature." Placing ourselves in the position of Notes A^'D Queries. the general reader, which is thj only '' An elaborate essay upon the sub- one we are entitled to assume in ject, which we should think, must be respect to a considerable part of the read with advantage by all who are matters treated of, Dr. Hunt's work nnderthose disadvantages in speaking contains a vast variety of information, which it is Mr. Hunt's peculiar object which seems to us of a less inaccurate to remedy." character than that usually to be consideration of healfh; v:e predict for this

volume a high position among

the British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Keview.

From

'•This book treats of so many l)ranches of knov/ledge, that a doubt naturally arises as to the competency of any one individual to deal with them all. The chapters on the vocal

of animals contains a

found in books of such comprehensive scope."

From "

the

Gentleman's Magazine.

The leading

treati-e

is

an account

object ol this

bulky

to furnish the reader

with

of various opinions

upon

the philosophy of speech. In pursuit of this plan Mr. Hunt first makes us acquainted with the physiology of the organs of speech and hearing, and sums up with simdry suggestions on. the management and cultivation of speakers. public in the voice Throughout the volume we have a

apparatus, organs of articulation, and the production of the voice are on the whole very good. The larynx is well described,- and the progress of opinion respecting the action of the vocal ligaments and the formation of The the voice is accurately traced only vocal phenomena which are not yet fully reconciled with the hypotheses are those of the falsetto. On this Dr. Hunt has some observations

variety of illustrations drawn from numerous sources, from which we may infer that, in addition to his

which we believe represent pretty accurately the present state of the case.

professional studies, Dr. vates the belles lettres"

London

Hunt

culti-

:

Longman, Green, Longmans, and Roberts, Paternoster-row, AND ALL Booksellers in Town and Country.

Printed by T. Blower,

3,

Black Horse Court, Fleet Street, E.G.

RC424E61

^°^'^°^

UNIVERSITY

iliiiilii