Stamering And Cognate Defects Of Speech Vol - Ii

" STAMMERING-SCHOOLS " 291

that has not yielded the fee. But most secret methods
have for nearly a century been public knowledge ; and
secrecy concerning matters of public knowledge can-
not be enforced, — Any clause prohibiting the pupil
from subsequently treating stammering 'in the United
States of America, the British Isles, Australia, and the
moon, is also farcical. Any man that can cure stam-
mering will find himself at liberty to do so anywhere
at any time, and need not be deterred by contracts
with rapacious "specialists."

It will be evident to the reader that treating stam-
mering is with most "speech specialists" an organized
business. As a business it will not always sustain
investigation of its methods ; but, for this reason, it
is profitable to investigate.

Most " speech specialists" reply to the stammerer's
initial inquiry by sending him a poorly disguised
f own-letter, in which the "specialist" figuratively
weeps upon the stammerer's bosom. He portrays the
terrible affliction under which the stammerer is lan-
guishing, and pleads with him to restore his self-
respect and flee a stammerer's grave. — Briefly,
he "rubs it in,"

The following letter is a typical "leader":

41 Dear Sir:

was formerly the manager of our Phil-

adelphia branch and who is now removing to California, has