Whatever may be the ultimate effect of modern theories, this
at least may be said for them, that they are founded on principles deduced from observation. This is the case with Mr. WRIGHT'S Treatise on the Causes and Cure of Stuttering; which, analyzing the human articulation of elementary sounds, professes to remedy defects by removing the causes that create them. Thus, Mr. WRIGHT, in his practice as a teacher of elocution, has perceived that when the nasal passage is closed, certain initial consonants cannot by any effort of the speaker be uttered ; every attempt adds to the organic and mental (or nervous) difficulty ; and if not checked in time, extends to other letters, until the person becomes a confirmed stutterer. The mode of curing the disease is analo- gous to the manner of its contraction. The writer holds that the impeding letters should be eschewed as much as possible, or if used at all, be prefaced by a prefixed vowel. Of the probable success of the plan it is impossible to judge but by experiment; it is at least feasible.
Previous page
