862 INFLUENCE OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 



the middle of words themselves. One important remedial means, on which 

 too much stress cannot be laid, is to study carefully the mechanism of the 

 articulation of the difficult letters, and to practice their pronunciation re- 

 peatedly, slowly, and analytically. The patient would at first do well to 

 practice sentences from which the explosive consonants are omitted ; his 

 chief difficulty, arising from the spasmodic suspension of the expiratory move- 

 ment, being thus avoided. Having mastered these, he may pass on to others, 

 in which the difficult letters are sparingly introduced ; and may finally ac- 

 custom himself to the use of ordinary language. One of the chief points 

 to be aimed at, is to make the patient feel that he has command over his 

 muscles of articulation ; and this is best done, by gradually leading him 

 from that which he finds he can do, to that which he fears he cannot. The 

 fact that stammering people are able to sing their words better than to *pr<iL- 

 them, has been usually explained on the supposition that, in singing, the 

 glottis is kept open, so that there is less liability to spasmodic action ; if, 

 however, as here maintained, the spasmodic action is not in the larynx, but 

 in the velum palati and the muscles of articulation, the difference must be 

 due to the direction of the attention rather to the muscles of the larynx than 

 to those of the mouth. One of the most important objects to be aimed at 

 in the treatment of stammering, consists in the prevention of all Emotional 

 disturbance in connection with the act of Speech ; and this requires the ex- 

 ercise of the voluntary power over the direction of the thoughts, in the fol- 

 lowing modes : 1. To reduce mental emotion, by a daily, hourly, habit of 

 abstracting the mind from the subject of stammering, both while speaking, 

 and at other times. 2. To avoid exciting mental emotion by attempting un- 

 necessarily to read or speak, when the individual is conscious that he shall 

 not be able to perform these actions without great distress. 3. To etude 

 mental emotion, by taking advantage of any little artifice to escape from 

 stammering, so long as the artifice continues to be a successful one, Much 

 may frequently be done, also, by constitutional treatment, adapted to improve 

 the general vigor of the nervous system. 1 



CHAPTER XVII. 



ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM ON THE ORGANIC 



FUNCTIONS. 



710. OF the modes in which the Nervous System influences the Organic 

 Functions, a great part have been already considered ; for it has been shown 

 to be concerned in providing the mechanical conditions, either immediate or 

 remote, under which alone these functions can be performed ; so that, when 

 its activity ceases, they cannot he much longer maintained. But the influ- 

 ence of the Nervous System is not alone exerted upon the motor or contrac- 

 tile tissues of the body ; for there is good evidence that it has a direct opera- 

 tion upon the molecular changes which constitute the functions of Nutrition, 

 Secretion, etc.; and this view may be admitted to its fullest extent, without 



1 See on the subject of Shimmering and its Treatment, a usofal pamphlet under 

 this title, hy M:ir<'. M <<!. < ).\on., 1850 ; and Mr. Bishop's treatise, On Articulate Sounds, 

 and on the Causes and Cures of Impediments of Speech. 



