Stamering And Cognate Defects Of Speech Vol - Ii

MECHANICAL APPLIANCES, ETC. 219

ysis of the ninth nerve, and attempted to overcome it by the
use of stimulating masticatories, electricity, etc*

"In all these instances it is obvious that a special was mis-
taken for a general cause.

"A more accurate knowledge of the anatomy and physiology
of the organs of phonation led to an improvement on the above
restricted conjectures. . . ,

"Mr. Bates, by an independent course of investigation and
observation upon himself and others laboring under stammering,
has arrived at the same conclusion concerning the difficulty to
overcome, as is entertained by the modern physiological school.

"The instruments invented by him are all based upon the
same principle, and, in the opinion of the committee, are more
efficient in obviating the vocal defect in question than any other
contrivance or method with which they are acquainted. As
the spastic difficulty obviously accompanies different sets of
letters in different persons, Mr. Bates has invented three va-
rieties of instruments, as applicable to all the forms of stammer-
ing ; all have the same object in view, however — the main-
tenance of an uninterrupted current of sonorous breath.

"His instruments are as follow:

"i. A narrow, flattened tube of silver, seven-eighths of an
inch in length, very light, thin and smooth. The diameter of
the calibre of the tube, measured from the inner edge of one
side to the inner edge of the other, is three-eighths of an inch;
while the depth, measured from the anterior inner edge to the
posterior, is one-sixteenth of an inch. This is applied to the
roof of the mouth, in the median line, in such a manner that the
anterior end is lodged just behind the teeth; while the posterior
opens into the mouth, looking upward and backward toward the
fauces. In this position it is maintained by a delicate piece
of wire or thin slip of india rubber fastened to one end of the
tube, the other passing between the incisor teeth of the upper