Clinical report on Robert Bates's cure for stammering : clinic of Jefferson Medical College, services of Professor Dunglison, February 21st, 1852 / reported by J. Aitken Meigs. Report of the Committee on Science and the Arts of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania, on Robert Bates's instruments for the cure of stammering.
- Robley Dunglison
- Date:
- [1854]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Clinical report on Robert Bates's cure for stammering : clinic of Jefferson Medical College, services of Professor Dunglison, February 21st, 1852 / reported by J. Aitken Meigs. Report of the Committee on Science and the Arts of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania, on Robert Bates's instruments for the cure of stammering. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
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![narrow tube, the posterior end of which opens into the mouth, looking towards the fauces, whilst the anterior projects between the lips. By fins- contrivance the current of air is made to be in part continuous, and the patient finds, to his surprise and delight, that he can produce the sound without any limitation other than his will. The subject of the third case has been materially benefited, and is, in- deed, in a fair way to be entirely cured of his unfortunate habit, by means of a neckerchief or cravat, in which is a little spring, pressing—as you observe—directly upon the projection of the thyroid cartilage, in such a manner as to relax the lima glottidis, by approximating the thyroid to the arytenoid cartilages; thus permitting the exit of air and preventing the spasmodic action of the muscles that close the glottis. The spring is so regulated, that the amount of pressure upon the thyroid cartilage can be increased or diminished, as occasion may require. [The effects of these different forms of apparatus were exhibited on the stammerers before the class; and the action of each was clearly man- ifested.] By such contrivances, which are simple, and adapted to the accomplish- ment of the object in view, Mr. Bates succeeds in effecting a great desideratum,—the restoration of self-confidence,—the want of which is a main obstacle to improvement in all such cases; for as soon as the patient becomes thoroughly and practically convinced that there is no difference between his vocal organs and those of his friends, whom he hears speak without difficulty or hesitation, he becomes inspired with confidence in himself, and his exertions are thenceforth the commencement of his restoration.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21116416_0006.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
