Page:Scientific American - Series 1 - Volume 009 - Issue 47.pdf/2

370 Bale's. Apparatus for the Cure of Stammering.

Heretofore, there has been much difference of opinion as to the cause of the annoying habit, among physiologists and elocutionists, designated "stammering." Some investigators, who have entitled themselves to rank high, still refer it to a portion of tho general vocal apparatus, which more recent investigations would seem to indicate as only concerned in the failure of that portion of the perverted or interrupted sounds, classed as gutturals—that is, the glottis. Where the glottis is undeniably at fault, a greater or less spasmodic closure takes place in the valvular arrangement of that organ, whereby an arrestation of the ascending column of air is effected, and the gutturals, such as king, court, great, goose, &c., fail of enunciation. Sometimes the interruption is so sudden and complete as to cause the most painful and hideous distortions of the entire facial muscles, which only cease when the air finds egress through the glottis.

These guttural interruptions do not occur in the enunciation of vowels. They flow without difficulty, being simply modifications of sound formed in the larynx, uninterrupted by the oral machinery. The consonants, which take their name from a latin word, expressing inca­pacity of intelligible sound, except with vowels, (consonant—sounding with) require various and sometimes difficult and delicate adjustments of the vocal apparatus. Hence the difficulty which children experience in learning to talk. Especially does this obtain in attempts by stammering to produce the class of consonants known to physiologists as explosives, such as b, t, d, g, &c., they having no independent sound beyond the merest uncontrolled explosion of the breath, and hence being known as mutes. Not so with h. m, f, r, &c., which admit of a prolongation of sound, though they also require to be combined with some vowel, to insure enunciation.

There are several different ways in which the stammerer's attempts at intelligible articulation may be arrested. It may be in fruitless efforts at self-adjustment by the tongue to the cavity of the mouth, to form lingual, labial, or guttural sounds, or those compounded of these, severally, and denominated dento-labials, and linguo-dentals, &c.—for we are now proceeding upon what is regarded the improved theory, viz., that the bony cavity and muscular appliances of the Mouth, as contradistinguished from the Throat, are mainly concerned in phonation. In failures to make the various sounds just classified, the tongue, instead of so adjusting itself, in turn, against the palate, the teeth, the lips, &c., as to form the required vocal tube, presses against these points so uncontrollably as to block up the voice entirely, for the moment, and to let it pass only as the result of a spasmodic effort of the will to overcome the obstruction, the influence of which is perceptible, not only in the stammering sounds, but in the facial muscles as well. The remedy is plainly indicated by the conditions which are severally detected, and must consist in artificial aids to the proper adjustment of the tongue and lips, in the instances of orally seated difficulties, and of the muscles of the throat in the guttural ones, the desired result being attained in a two-fold way, viz., by direct mechanical and indirect mental assistance—confidence restored being a most important desideratum in the curative process. The plans of cure heretofore suggested, have not only been mostly predicated upon the theory of the glottis being the sole seat of the difficullydifficulty [sic], but they have been chiefly mental,—that is, have mainly relied upon the will of the stammerer, instead of relying to any great degree upon involuntary mechanical aid. Such are the various thousand-and-one "secret cures," with which the veriest charlatans have excited the hopes of their victims, to filch from their pockets, and this to an extent which has rendered it embarrassing to get the public attention to a hopeful consideration of any new suggestions such as we have in view in this article.

The above remarks upon the anatomy and physiology of speech have been deemed essen­ tial to a correct comprehension of the new principle of cure which the following diagrams

� titntifit

�mtritan.

illustrate, and of which Robert Bates, of Phil­ rest both the lingual and labial impediments, or but one applied when the lingual sounds aaelphia, is the patentee_ alone were the object of treatment. These he has separated and improved in important par­ ticulars, which the scope of this article will not allow us to point out, our purpose being, in fact, merely to direct those interested to the principle of this plan of cure.

Figure 1 is a belt intended to be worn around the neck after the manner of a stock, with a view to pressure upon the glottis, as tl:e seat of difficulty with respect to guttural sounds. The letter g represents a curved metallic spring acted upon by a screw, f. which works tlarough a solid metallic plate, e. The spring is shield­ ed on the inner and concave side by a moroc­ co pad which rests upon the neck. By turn­ ing the screw, the pad is made to press upon the glottis to the extent desired, whereby it is kept open for the free passage of the air em­ ployed in the articulation of guttural sounds. These metallic appliances may be concealed in an ordinary stock or a cravat. Figure 2 is a representation of the roof of the mouth and the upper teeth. a is a thin, polished, and flat­ tened tube, of either gold or silver. It is at­ tached to the roof of the mouth by a gum­ elastic spring, b, which passes between the teeth, so as to hold the tube firmly to Its place. One end of the flattened tube, a, opens against the interstices of the teeth, while the other points backwards and upwards. This tube carries off the breath, which would be converted, in its absence, into a spasmodic lin­ gual sound, when the stammerer attempted to utter a consonant, because of the spasmodic adherence of the tongue to the roof of the mouth. The air passes from the vocal cavity in a whisper-like, inarticulate, and unexplosive sound, making no voice whatever. Thus the stammerer is notified that the difficult sound has been reached; and being timely warned, he re-adjusts his tongue, and utters the words at which his voice was arrested, with a facility which agreeably surprises him, and gives him confidence for the future.

Figure 3 is a small metallic disk, convex on both sides, and hollow. In the center of one side is an aperture, c, designed for the ingress of the expired breath to its cavity, while in its periphery there is another aperture for the egress of the breath from its cavity into a little ' straight tube, a, which conveys it from the cavity of the mouth. This instrument has re­ ference to the labial sounds. It is worn in the angle of the mouth, resting against the teeth, ' with the straight tube, a, pointing obliquely outwards. It arrests the stammering words of the class for which it is worn, in the same man­ ner as fig. 2, conducting a mere inarticulate gush of air, instead of a peverted vocal sound. This little tube may be armed with a quill toothpick, b, whereby its length is increased without decreasing its utility, and its real pur­ pose is disguised. Originally, Mr. Bates used a combination of two flattened tubes, similar to fig. 2, which were united and fastened to the roof of the mouth when it was desirable to ar-

It may serve the purpose just named better than the expression of any opinion of our own, to state that Mr. Bates' apparatus has suceess­ fully passed the scrutiny of a committee of the Franklin Institute, whose favorable report an­ nounces the bestowal of the usual tokens of approbation, and also the affirmative opinion of Professor Dunglison, who is known as a deservedly: physiologist, given in a clenof the Jefferson Medical Colic before ·lege of and more recently by a publicly Committee of medical professors and students of the New York Hydro­ pathic and Physiological Schools; and other friends of science and interested persons, in­ cluding several inveterate stammerers, appoint­ ted a Committee of Investigation, on which we find the names of Professors R. T. Trall, M. D., and J. E. Snodgrass, M. D. It

.- ••

Flax Indultry.-No. 13.

FLAX INDUSTRY OF RUssIA.-We havealrea­ dy stated that the North, West, and center of the Empire are the principal sources of the production of flax in Russia. In Lithunia, Courland and Livonia, the peasant grows flax once in three years upon the same soil; in a part of these provinces it is grown principally for seed, but the flax fiber yielded is neverthe­ less merchantable as "inferior quality," unless the crop is entirely neglected. In those dis­ tricts where the flax is cultivated for the fiber, the seed is sold undllr the title of "swingled flax seed." The most usual method of rotting is by the means of stagnant water, and the time required varies from eight to fifteen days. In 1838-39, Belgian workmen were employ­ ed by the government i n various districts, to teach the peasantry the method of rotting flax by the improved processes used in the Low Countries, and the Minister of Finance was au­ thorized to distribute the sum of one thousand silver roubles, in premiums, to the peasants who should most successfully carry out the Belgian improvements. In quality the flax of Russia ranks after that of Holland, Belgium, France, and Germany. Some attribute this inferiority to difficulties which arise from the nature of the climate. It is said that in Russia" the season proper for vegetation is too short." The flax grows and ripens too quickly-much faster than in France or Belgium, where nature performs her tasks more slowly and perfectly. Flax in Southern Europe, when sown in March, generally expe­ riences some bad weather, which hinders its first growth, lind strengthens the root, and when the warm season afterwards comes on, the vegetation is vigorous and furnishes a fiax moro delicate than the flax of the Baltic_ A difference is noticed even in Franoe, when the sowing is protracted from March until May, or June, then, here the crops grow more quickly and the quality of the fiber closely resembles that of the Russian flax. Two reasons concur to favor the exporta­ tion of the flax from Russia, vi�: the low price, and the di visiou of flax into classes according to quality. The cheapness of flax is owing to the fact that the Emperor and the nobles possess all the serfs, and have thus an abundance of cheap hand labor. The land is of little value, and the peasants have little to occupy themselves with in the long winters with the exception of dressing flax. Flax, in common with all other productions of the conntry, is classed according to its qual­ ity. This is effected as follows: When the flax arrives at Riga, or St. Petersburg, it is stored in depots specially designated for the purpose. Here inspectors, appointed by gov­ ernment, are charged with the duty of classi­ fying it. All marks and designations are first obliterated; the bundles are then opened, and all which is not of the first quality is tllken out and placed by itself. This second lot is again

© 1854 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC

examined, and again sub·divided according to its quality. A commission appointed by the buyers watch over the inspectors, and no sam­ ple of flax is examined unlesa one or more of the commission is present. When the classifi­ cation is effected each parcel receives its dis­ tinctive mark. The expenee of these regula­ tions, which is inconsiderable, is borne by the proprietors of the fiax. This plan offers all satisfactory guarantees to the purchasers, and the owners are prevented taking any unfair ad­ vantage_ The export of flax' and hemp from Russia has greatly increased within the last twenty years, and is progressing. The largest propor­ tion exported finds a market in England.­ Taking the trade of 14 years, from 1840 to 1853 inclusive, it appears that during the first seven years of this period Great Britain was in­ debted to Russia for '12 per cent. or all her hemp importations; and during the last seven years for about 62 per cent. of flax. About two thirds of all the quantity imported is Rus­ sian. l!'rom tables of European commerce re­ cently published, it appears that the 28,000,000 of British people annually export produce to the value of about 90,000,0001. sterling-the 36,000,000 of the French export to the Talue of about 50,000,000l.-and the 6'1,000,000 of European Russian exports to the value of about 14,000,0001. Russia exports raw produce exclu­ sively-consisting chiefly of grain, tallow, flax, linseed, hemp, wool, timber, and bristles; the three items first named commonly exceeding in value all the rest. The following statistics of this flax and hemp exportations 'of Russia, furnish some idea of the extent of the production of these substan. ces in that country. The yearly average importations of flax, hemp, and tow into Great Britain from Russia for the ten years ending 1851, was 160,000,000 Ibs. The other countries ef Europe import as, follows: France, in 1838, importQd of flax and hemp, 1'1,000 Ibs.; in 1846 the Russian im­ ports amounted to over 15,000,000 Ibs" and in 1849 to 20,403,466 Ibs. Belgium, which in 1838 imported only 4400 lbs. of flax, imported upwards of 4,000,000 Ibs. in 1846. The Russian export of flax seed averages an­ nually about 9,000,000 English bushels. At the Exhibition of the Industry of all Na­ tions, at the New York Crystal Palace, in 1853, a new variety of flax and flax seed from Rus­ sia was exhibited by Mr_ Leon Falkersaborf, Member of the Agricultural Societies of St. Petersburg, Moskowa, &c" &c. It was des­ cribed as a new variety of flax, sown as a win­ ter's crop, and superior to the Spring sown seed. l'he samples of the fiax fiber produced from ihis seed, which were exhibited in con­ nection with it, were the most perfect as re­ gards strength, luster, and life· like appearance of any on exhibition, and were only surpassed in fineness by one extraordinary premium sam­ ple exhibited from Ireland. Samples of this flax seed have been ordered by M,E. Johnson, the Secretary of the New York Agricultural Society, for distribution among American flax growlns, and it is to be hoped that its intro­ duction may prove successful and important. Most of the thread man ufactured in Russia is spun by hand. There are, however, two es· tablishments for machine spinning, the one at Alexandrofsky belonging to government, and introduced as a model, the other a private es­ tablishment of little importance. Both togeth­ er contain about 50,000 spindles. Notwith­ standing, Russia exports a considerable quan­ tity of yarn to America, and supplies in addi­ tio�, the domestic consumption. The manu­ facturers in the. vicinity of Moscow, Jerosloff, and Archangel, furnish the common fabrics consumed in the Empire. Fine linens are im­ ported into Russia to a slight extent, the year­ ly lVerage not exceeding 35,000 Ibs. in weight. Notwithstanding the low price of the raw ma­ terial and of hand labor, this branch of nation­ al industry is protected by an excesliivcly high tariff of duties, and sail cloth, canvas, and cord�ge of all descriptions are contraband. A number of our cotemporaries have publish­ ed the New Patent Law, and have commented upon it severely; it meets with no favor.