Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1879 — Stuttering. [ARTICLE]

Stuttering.

Mr. Edgar S. Werner recently read before the Albany Institute a paper on this subject. Mr. Werner himself was, at one time, afflicted with this terrible disease, and he says that parents almost invariably treat a stuttering child with much severity, and thus, by frightening him, increase his malady, or spoil him utterly by too much leniency. The proper manner in which to treat such children is thus described: In nothing is the adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” more applicable than in stuttering. Indeed, in this instance, an ounce of the one is more effective than a hundredweight of the other. Children with stuttering tendencies should be especially well nourished; they should take a great deal of physical and out-door exercise; care should be taken that their lungs are fully developed and that their nerves are not irritated. Late hours and highly-seasoned food, and everything tending to derange, weaken or unduly excite, mentally or physically, should be avoided. The child should not be allowed to talk too rapidly or when out of breath. If he has trouble with a word he should be asked to repeat the

whole sentence and not merely the offending word. Oftentimes a serious mistake is made here. The child is drilled upon his most difficult words, and he comes to fear them,, and, as a result, his ability to articulate them is continually lessened. He should hot ’bepermitted to associate with another stuttering child; indeed, no child should. Inveterate stuttering may be caused by mimicking others. Throughout, the child should be subjected to kind but firm treatment.