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Full text of "Stamering And Cognate Defects Of Speech Vol - Ii"

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MODES OF ENUNCIATION, ETC          205

Physical relaxation has long been employed in the
therapy of stammering. Thus Hofmann, who wrote
in 1840: *

"The patient must use no muscular effort In the throat,
tongue, or lips. Further, he must avoid working other parts

of the body, such as the arms, feet, etc. All of this simply
aggravates the trouble, while it seldom affords even temporary
relief. Its tendency is to check immediately the respiratory
and vocal stream. The utmost relaxation of the body must
prevail during speech, for effort necessarily impairs the atten-
tion, which both in speaking and reading should be directed
to the voice. Effort, therefore, confuses the senses, induces
hurry, and brings speech into execution before thought is
prepared: in this way it occasions stammering."

Relaxation is employed in a majority of present-
day stammering-schools. The oft-repeated injunction

is, "Use no effort,11 {t Devitalize the muscles of speech/*
"Relax the muscles of the throat/' "Sigh the word
out," "Talk with Indifference/1 etc.

In a few institutions relaxation-exercises are em-
ployed. They are typically as follows:

RKLAXATION-EXEUOSES

Sit or recline in a comfortable chair,

x. Relax the muscles of the foody.

2. Contract the muscles of the arms: keep them contracted
for several seconds. Relax them for an equal period. Con-
tract them; relax them; etc,

1 "Xheoritiseh-praktS&che Answeisung z\iv Radical-Helluag Stofe-
temder,'1 pp. 25 L