Suggestions to medical writers / by George M. Gould.

  • George M. Gould
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Suggestions to medical writers / by George M. Gould. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    theless he will talk inaudibly for perhaps a half hour and then look for a verbatim report of his speech. The stenographer, the while, with eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and eustachian tubes open, endeavors to jot down unheard things ! The country practitioner, however, who is unused to testing his vocal powers more often assumes this role. Hon. Thomas B. Reed, in his book on “ Parliamentary Rules,” in speaking of qualifications of a certain official, says: “ Either he or his assistant should be a good reader, with a clear voice, capable of being heard in all parts of the place of meeting, even where there is considerable confusion. Too much stress cannot be laid upon this qualification, since bad reading, ill understood, breeds confusion, disorder, and misunderstanding.” This obviously applies to all classes of public speakers. Mention might briefly be made of the fact that not in¬ frequently one will hear a 300-word-a-minute talker. It is very interesting to listen to a rapid speaker when he comes in contact with a long word, for instance, monotrichloracety- ledimethylphenylpyrazalon (hypnol) ! The speech of the average rapid talker is likely to be incoherent, testing, to the utmost, the mental capacity of the auditor; as well as the stenographer. Perhaps the most annoying custom which unfortunately prevails in some well-regulated societies is a conversation carried on at or near the stenographer’s table between the secretary and a member, or perhaps between two members seated near-by on an extraneous subject, while an import¬ ant discussion is in progress. Sometimes the stenographer is directly interrupted by a question from a thoughtless member or newspaper reporter, thus rendering a report defective. This is inexcusable and should be prohibited. The stenographer has but one ear under these circum¬ stances and that is for the speaker. The informality of several persons talking at once, each presuming the other has obtained the floor, is another unparliamentary feature of many meetings. “ Wherever
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