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

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MECHANICAL APPLIANCES, ETC.          217

"To make the balls, take a piece of gutta-percha and put
it in boiling water till it is quite soft. Break a piece off large
enough to make a good-sized ball — the larger the better [1].
Wipe it dry; roll it between the palms of the hands till it be
perfectly round. Put it in cold water to cool; it will otherwise
flatten by its own weight; make another in the same way.
Make two smaller balls —- four in alL

"To use the balls, put one of the smaller ones in the mouth
between the teeth and the gums; put the other smaU one in
on the other side; put the larger balls in front of the smaller
ones. Speak with the balls in the mouth,

"The object is to handicap the speaker and make him strive
after power. It does not render speaking impossible, but much
more difficult* The practice is preferable to the use of corks
between the teeth/*

The use of cork between the teeth was recom-
mended by Charles Kingsley. In a letter to Miss

—, he says:l

"If you find it difficult to speak with your mouth open (and
it will very likely give you pain in the ear at first, but only at

first), get a bit of cork, cut it about so thick (-----}, and put

it between your back teeth, and speak so, . * ,

"You must practise reading out loud to yourself,, opening
your mouth at the vowels as wide as you can, and perhaps
keeping the cork in at first, till you have made a habit of it."

Kingsley Is still died at times as authority for tMs

procedure*
Devices for relieving expiratory pressure are some-*

1" Charles Kiagsley; his Let tew and Memories of Ms Life/1 Vol,
H, pp. 260-261»