Abstract
111.—STAMMERING
AFTER the emotional and intellectual sides of human utterance, what may be termed its pathological aspect was considered. Imperfections of speecb, though serious hindrances to intercourse, are unfortunately not uncommon. It is not easy to realise how common they are. The statistics collected by Colombat point to the conclusion that about two persons in every thousand stammer, an estimate which is exactly borne out by official returns obtained in Prussia. This would make two and a half millions of stammerers in the world. But it is hardly fair to argue from the higher to the lower races of mankind, for stammering, like hysteria, is undoubtedly a disease of advanced civilisation. It was unknown among the North American Indians in Catlin's time; Livingstone says he never met with a case among the Negroes, and Cameron is stated to have confirmed the observation. It is uncommon in Spain and Italy, but reaches its maximum in highly-educated Prussia and in this country. “No nation in the civilised world,” says Mr. Deacon, who has been already quoted, “speaks its language so abominably as the English.”
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SINGING, SPEAKING, AND STAMMERING 1 . Nature 27, 558–559 (1883). https://doi.org/10.1038/027558a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/027558a0