92 CLEFT palate: 



deficient in meclianical ingenuity, with little trouble 

 and in a sliort time. The first velum must of course 

 be fitted by the dentist, as it requires to be made 

 with a nicety which only a mechanic could attain ; 

 but this once made, copies can be produced with 

 certainty and ease. 



It would be a useless waste of your time to 

 describe the various patterns I tried before I arrived 

 at the very simple one I now exhibit. It will be 

 enough to say that this pattern has been in use for 

 about two years ; during this time it has never been 

 out of order, which from its simplicity you will 

 readily believe ; that it has been renewed several 

 times by the wearer — in fact, about every four 

 months — and his articulation, according to a report 

 which reached me only last week, is more and more 

 easy and natural. 



The principle laid down by Mr. Stearn as neces- 

 sary for the construction of a useful velum, I 

 recognised and acted upon, without, as I have 

 already said, knowing of the existence of his paper ; 

 had I known of it, it is more than likely that I should 

 have contented myself with endeavouring to imi- 

 tate his very ingenious contrivance, but, ignorant of 

 his plan, I was free to work out my own design. 



My velum is made of two pieces of vulcanized 

 india-rubber, the larger piece extremely thin, the 

 smaller much thicker. The shape of both is* 

 represented in Plates XI. and XII., Eigs. b, b. 

 The dotted line on both shows where they are 

 attached by sewing to the posterior margin 



