Stamering And Cognate Defects Of Speech Vol - Ii

214 SYSTEMS OF TREATING STAMMERING

stammering, fear, and to some extent multiple thought.
Dr. Sandow's theory concerning damaged speech-
nerves and damaged motor cells is almost certainly
erroneous — likewise his theory of their gradual
recovery as a result of the procedure advocated. His
conception of the functions performed by the various
centres is somewhat indeterminate; the kinaesthetic
verbal centre is frequently lost in the shuffle. Dr.
Sandow's "Mechanik des Stotterns" is, however, a
splendid Work, and it is highly recommended to the
reader.

And now a few miscellaneous expedients:

There is a "professor" that marauds around
America telling his victims (after the necessary cash-
transaction) to grunt before they speak. Stammer-
ing occurs — according to the professor — only on the
"sounding consonants"; therefore if the stammerer
will breathe and grunt before he articulates, no diffi-
culty can arise.

A German expedient, which was recently intro-
duced into England, consists in accentuating the
"sense-bearers," or principal words in a sentence
(since these alone occasion difficulty!). "Tell me the
.truth." Accentuate "'tell" and "truth" and raise the
pitch on these words. "Follow a wave of sound."

The employment of synonyms and circumlocu-
tions is recommended by some teachers of stammerers.
If asked your name, you say, "It is spelled —," and