RC 424 
 .L7 
 1896 
 Copy 2 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
 
 Chap.. Copyright No. 
 
 Shelf. , [_ 7 
 
 — JS94 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
^^^ 
 
THE 
 
 Origin of Stammering 
 
 Geo. Andrew Lewis. 
 
 A severe stammerer for more than twenty years.) 
 PRINCIPAL AND FOUNDER OF 
 
 The Lewis Phonometric Method. 
 
 Registered at patent offices in the 
 United States and Canada. 
 
 For the Permanent Cure of 
 
 STAMMERING and STUTTERING, 
 
 And all other forms of Imperfect Utterance 
 of Speech and Articulation. 
 
 A practical and scientific treatise on the ORIGIN and CAUSE of SPEECH 
 DEFECTS with original illustrations, showing the difference between 
 the mild and severe type^ of stammering. Lectures delivered be- 
 fore the members of the Wayne County Medical Society and the 
 Detroit Academy of Medicine, with suggestions for 
 treatment. 
 
 1 
 
 THE EXPERIENCE OF THE AUTHOR 
 
 a 
 
 AND 
 
 ENDORSEflENT OF PUPILS 
 
 COPYRIGHTED 
 BY GEO. ANDREW 
 
 lewis. i2-)0S^ 
 Qf DC 
 
 >R 2 1896 
 
 u 
 
 1896. 
 
PRESS OF 
 
 JOHN F. EBY & CO.. 
 
 DETROIT. 
 
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 1 
 
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The Author's Experience. 
 
 "Come, I will show thee an affliction 
 
 Unnumbered among the world's sorrows."— Tupper. 
 
 The earliest recollection of my difficulty carries me 
 back to my infancy. I can well remember my mother 
 taking me to school for the first time, and, with tearful 
 eyes, she told the teacher not to chastise me if I 
 stammered, because, said she, "He cannot help it." 
 From that time until my cure, I cannot remember a 
 period in my whole life when I did not labor to much 
 disadvantage because of my impediment or when I could 
 have said, "I can speak.- True, at times I could speak, 
 but always with a mental strain, and there were many 
 times when I was almost dumb. The severity of my 
 trouble was heightened by the fact that some of my rela- 
 tives were afflicted in a similar manner, or, in other words, 
 I had inherited my difficulty, which made a cure, in my 
 mind, all the moire improbable. 
 
 In this supposition, I have since found I w r as correct, 
 the reason being — The organism predisposed to the de- 
 velopment of the defect was planted in the pre-natal life, 
 and, therefore, had the force of the unnatural condition 
 as a part of the condition of its own existence. 
 
 Several months after my mother had taken me to 
 school, she passed away to a better world, after which 
 time, notwithstanding my father and family tried every 
 available means to lessen the severity of my trouble, I 
 gradually grew worse. My father tried to break me of 
 it by offers of money if I would or could repeat after him 
 words and sentences he would speak, — in vain. My diffi- 
 
culty was rapidly developing into the most severe form 
 of stuttering, a condition where, in my effort to speak, 1 
 placed the stress to articulate upon the wrong muscles, 
 thereby causing the rapid repetition of a word or syllable 
 before the following word or syllable could be uttered. 
 
 This is the kind of stuttering that many persona 
 mock at and mimic, many of whom have had cast upon 
 their shoulders by Almighty God the weight that they 
 w r ould burden down with ridicule and jest for the poor 
 unfortunate who carries it around. A most pitiable sight 
 occurred to me a few days ago. A young man who ap- 
 plied for admission to my Institute told me he had ac- 
 quired his difficulty by imitation, and notwithstanding 
 the fact that he was of well-to-do parents, who had paid 
 out almost a fortune in their efforts to find relief for him, 
 he said his life had been a blank, the direct result of his 
 own folly and jest. 
 
 Let those who mock be careful. Surely the poor 
 stammerer has enough to suffer without bearing the 
 taunts and ridicule of the public. 
 
 As I grew older, I naturally became more sensitive 
 about my difficulty. My friends and relatives experienced 
 and expressed great sorrow over my condition, which 
 omly made me suffer the more, because I knew that those 
 who loved me, and whom I loved, suffered with me. 
 
 Should I, by chance, be invited out of an evening 
 to a reception or party, I would many times imagine it 
 was for the purpose of exhibiting my affliction, which 
 now began to be accompanied by contortions, lolling 
 the tongue, gasping for breath, and drawing the mus- 
 cles. Why should I not imagine for such purpose was 
 
my presence desired? I certainly was not asked because 
 of my entertaining faculties, nor for my conversational 
 abilities, and as many persons whom I knew held me up 
 to mockery behind my back, and invariably avoided con- 
 versation with me except by compulsion, I felt that I was 
 almost alone in the world. 
 
 True, many persons were kind to me, and thoughtful, 
 considerate people spoke many kind words of hope and 
 comfort to me. These were a few of the streaks of sun- 
 shine that stole into my life, and it is unnecessary for me 
 to say those persons — "God bless them, wherever they 
 are" — shall never be forgotten. 
 
 Between the age of nineteen and twenty, my difficul- 
 ty began to change. That rapid repetition of words ceas- 
 ed. The outward manifestation of my trouble left me 
 for a time, but the inw^ard torture I endured was some- 
 times awful. My impediment was speedily growing 
 worse. In my effort to conceal my affliction, I rapidly 
 developed the mental phase of a most severe type of stam- 
 mering and added new horrors to my already woeful life. 
 I became almost tongue tied — dumb as it were — instead 
 of rapidly repeating my syllables, I now stood transfixed, 
 my mouth distended like a funnel, my limbs slowly draw- 
 ing themselves into ungainly shape, my eyes assuming the 
 meanwhile a glassy appearance ;when I had labored in 
 this condition for several moments, overcome by exertion 
 and extreme effort, my nerves all unstrung, I w T ould, as 
 by lightning impulse, sink back, gasp for more breath 
 and try again with the same results. 
 
 I shall never forget the evening I returned home 
 from school, disgusted. Throwing my books in the cor- 
 
ner, I vowed and resolved I would never return. What 
 was I to do? My parents had not wealth, and I must 
 soon be cast adrift to shift for myself and fight my own 
 battles with the world. 
 
 Reader, are you a stammerer? Are you a stutterer? 
 Have you ever suffered the impatience and ridicule of the 
 public? Those are the moments when we either grow 
 despondent or desperate, according to our individual 
 nature and temperament. 
 
 I decided to follow the mechanical arts, and applied 
 myself diligently to> the study of mechanics. 
 
 My skill was soon acknowledged, and, with the offer 
 of a fair salary, I left home the following year, resolved, 
 if travel would reveal to me a balm for my wound, I 
 should endeavor to be healed. Much advice was given 
 me, and many pet theories and methods of cure urged, a 
 few of which I herewith give — Hold a quill between 
 your teeth; keep a pebble under your tongue; 
 whistle just before uttering a word; take a long breath, 
 move the head from side to side, and many such worth- 
 less and nonsensical ideas. 
 
 For several years I continued to follow my business, 
 saving money in the meantime to enable me to visit the 
 East, where I understood some satisfactory results in 
 cures had been achieved. The mental strain I suffered 
 and the loss of vitality in consequence were rapidly mak- 
 ing me a mental and physical wreck. I at last resolved to 
 go and investigate, and resigned my position at 
 Bay City, Michigan, for that purpose. I visited the best 
 schools on the continent, obtaining, at an enormous ex- 
 penditure of time and money, much relief. 
 
After hard and diligent application, I used up 
 my surplus capital, and was necessarily forced to seek 
 employment. The relief I had obtained proved but tem- 
 porary for occasionally my old trouble would crop up 
 with all its horrors, notwithstanding I continued my exer- 
 cises regularly, although I did not begrudge the amount 
 of time and money I had spent, as I felt I was on the trail 
 and would soon hunt down my antagonist. 
 
 About this time I was offered, and accepted, a posi- 
 tion with I. Herzberg & Bros., wholesale and retail manu- 
 facturing jewelers, S. E. corner ioth and Chestnut streets, 
 Philadelphia, Pa. This store being one of the best ap- 
 pointed of its kind, in the most fashionable business center 
 Off the city, I felt that if I could succeed in 1 entirely over- 
 coming my impediment of speech, I would be of more 
 value to them, as well as realizing within myself my fond- 
 est dreams and aspirations. Could not a method or a 
 means of cure be devised or invented that would entirely 
 and permanently eradicate every trace of stammering? 
 Surely there could, and if so, how many others like myself, 
 who had obtained partial relief could be set at liberty? 
 How many others now being dragged back, as by some 
 invisible momster, whose claws sank deeper and deeper 
 day by day, would thus be enabled to escape? 
 
 The result of my experiment and investigation 
 proved more than I had expected. In the remarkably 
 short period of ten days, I found that I had not only suc- 
 ceeded in entirely eradicating every vestige of my own 
 difficulty, but had also evolved a method of cure that must 
 sooner or later crown with new hope the sorrowful lives 
 of manv disheartened stammerers. 
 
A new ambition seemed to cast its shadows upon me. 
 I had, by combining the application of my invention, with 
 the knowledge I had gained in the best schools on the 
 Continent for the correction of speech impediments and 
 cultivation of the voice, secured a method for the cure of 
 stammering, founded upon an educational basis; a method 
 for the cure of stammering, founded upon the scientific 
 psychological and physiological laws that underline and 
 govern the art of perfect speech; a method for the cure of 
 stammering that consists in going back to fundamental 
 principles, and building up the speech through a course 
 of training founded on a scientific, educational basis. 
 
 A method for the cure of stammering* where the 
 pupil not only learns how to speak properly and perfectly, 
 but also* to govern and control the will power in connec- 
 tion with the production of perfect speech which relates to 
 the higher nerve centers affected as well as the control of 
 the speaking organs. This means of cure, The Lewis 
 Phonometric Method, has the support of not only the best 
 business and professional men in the country, but is also 
 endorsed in the highest terms by well known schools of 
 Elocution and Voice Culture and by other institutions for 
 the cure of speech impediments. 
 
 There is no doubt but that stammering is a more 
 serious trouble than is generally believed, and although 
 the stammerer in the past has to a large extent been 
 obliged to bear with humiliation the blunt of his affliction, 
 public sympathy is rapidly assuming the place of public 
 ridicule, and the time is not far distant when the cause of 
 the stammerer will appeal to the masses in the same 
 sense as the cause of other human infirmities and de- 
 
 IO 
 
mand the recognition it deserves. The blighted lives, 
 the crushed ambitions, the wail of parents in behalf of 
 their children, the tears, the letters of despondency, im- 
 plications for help from every quarter of the civilized 
 globe, tog-ether with the nervous and physical wrecks 
 that stammering- has left in its wake combine to prove 
 the extent of the stammerer's helpless condition. 
 
 I know of no other work in which I could engage 
 to better prove my usefulness to mankind than that of 
 treating the stammerer. Having- myself for more than 
 twenty years been obliged to bear the yoke, I can bet- 
 ter appreciate the suffering and sorrow of others thus 
 unfortunately afflicted. 
 
 With an aim of devoting my entire future life for 
 the benefit of others, I have founded my institution on 
 a basis of HOME AND SCHOOL COMBINED hith- 
 erto unapproiached, and hope by the continued encour- 
 agement of success to extend to hundreds of suffering 
 and disheartened stammerers a new life, crowned with 
 new ambitions. One of God's greatest and most noble 
 blessings, the privilege and enjoyment of perfect and un- 
 fettered speech. 
 
 ii 
 
Anatomical View 
 of the 
 Speaking~Organs. 
 
 i, canal from throat to middle ear; 2, back part of nose; 3, soft palate; 4, soit 
 palate covering tonsil; 5, tonsil; 6. base of tongue; 7 epiglottis: 8, part of car 
 tilage of larynx; 9, laryngeal portion of pharynx : 10, cavity of larynx ; 11, 
 nasal fossae; 12, vault of the palate, or roof of mouth; 13, 14. tongue; 15, mus- 
 cle beneath tongue ; 16, hyoid bone ; 17, interior of larynx ; 18, 19, thyroid 
 cartilage. 
 
 12 
 
The Origin of 
 
 STAMMERING. 
 
 By George Andrew Lewis, 
 
 (Lecture delivered, by invitation, before the members of the Wayne County 
 Medical Society. February 20, 18^6, at the office and parlors of Dr. John E. 
 Clark, President of the Board of Education, Detroit, i>jich.) 
 
 Probably no class of unfortunates seeking relief 
 for an affliction have received as little benefit as has the 
 stammerer. So much that is erroneous and contradictory 
 has been written and said about stammering and its cure 
 that persons thus afflicted have become greatly confused 
 and many who have given much time and study to the 
 subject know not what to think. 
 
 The injurious modes of treatment resorted to by 
 surgeons during the early part of the present century, 
 together with the thousand and one or more useless 
 theories that have since been advanced for the cure of 
 this difficulty by as many charlatans and humbugs have 
 probably served only toi make the stammerer the more 
 discouraged and have crushed his hopes of ever obtain- 
 ing positive relief or permanent cure. 
 
 13 
 
I shall not attempt to go into detail and describe the 
 many nonsensical ideas that stammerers from time to 
 time have had imposed upon them by the countless numh 
 ber of "professors" whose dupes they have been and to 
 whom some of them have paid large sums of motley. 
 Many of these persons have applied to us for treatment, 
 after having been thus victimized, and have related to us 
 their former experiences. One stated he had been treated 
 by correspondence and that he had been obliged to pay 
 in advance for each letter of instructions. Another had 
 paid a large sum of money for a badly mutilated tongue. 
 A third had been told, as a great secret by a traveling "pro- 
 fessor", (for which he had paid well) to wash the throat 
 out every night with a gargle of salt and water and sleep 
 with a pebble underneath his tongue. We have his state- 
 ment for it that he continued to do this with faithful regu- 
 larity for more than two years. A fourth told us that he 
 had been under the treatment of an advertising physician, 
 and produced as evidence a bundle of prescriptions. A 
 fifth had worn an electrical band around his waist, to 
 which were attached wires connecting with a pocket bat- 
 tery. A sixth had unluckily fallen into the hands of a 
 hypnotist, who guaranteed to cure him in a half hour. A 
 seventh had been placed under a heavy penalty of reveal- 
 ing the secret and told if she would move her head back- 
 wards and forwards every time she attempted to speak, 
 she would in this manner open the glottis and the result 
 would be a perfect and continuous flow of speech. 
 
 I could go> on in this manner and fill a whole volume 
 with the experiences of hundreds of stammerers who 
 riav£ been thus defrauded and victimized by these charla- 
 
 14 
 
tans, from many of whom they received not one particle 
 of benefit, notwithstanding their experience cost them, 
 in many instances, an expenditure of a great deal of time 
 and money. In fact, I have arrived at the conclusion 
 that persons thus victimized are made worse than they 
 were before their contemplation of treatment. Thus for 
 years and years have been practiced different modes and 
 methods for the cure of this distressing malady, the un- 
 fortunate sufferer finding out too late that he had been 
 the victim of some dishonest quack, willing to take his 
 money from him regardless of the benefit which he (the 
 stammerer) should derive from the experiment. 
 
 Scarcely a day passes that we do not receive one or 
 more letters giving a full and detailed account of 
 former experiences through which stammerers thus vic- 
 timized have passed. Many of our correspondents who 
 have undergone one or more of such treatments without 
 success express grave doubts as to a permanent cure. 
 We never urge or offer inducements to such persons to 
 undergo treatment, but rest the matter entirely with them- 
 selves. If our recommendations prove insufficient to con- 
 vince them of the merits of our system, we furnish them 
 with the names of a great number of persons who have 
 attended our institute or who know of the success of our 
 work, and ask them to write to/ any or all, if they so de- 
 sire, and ask an honest opinion concerning the reliabil- 
 ity of our treatment. 
 
 I would dwell longer on this cause of distrust did I 
 not believe that enough has already been said. 
 
 Professor Herman Klencke, M. D., of Hanover, who 
 conducted a school for the cure of stammering as early 
 
 15 
 
as 1840, and who was probably one of the first to de- 
 nounce as quackery surgical operations and advance radi- 
 cal ideas for the treatment of stammering, very cleverly 
 draws the following comparison — "Many physicians and 
 'stutter doctors' treat this disorder whose seat and cause 
 they know nothing about. This procedure seems to me", 
 continues |Dr. Klencke, "like that of ( a person who 
 would attempt to catch up with the bright spot which 
 some one throws in his way by the reflection of the sun 
 on a mirror, and who would strive to tread out the spot 
 or cover it up with his hands." 
 
 Before entering into a discussion of the origin of 
 stammering let us first consider the following definitions: 
 
 Aristotle defined stammering as the inability to ar- 
 ticulate a certain letter, and stuttering as the inability to 
 join one syllable with another. 
 
 Mr. Potter, one of the latest, defines stammering, 
 as commonly used, as "a temporary inability to articulate, 
 the organs being tightly held together; stuttering, as the 
 repeated utterance of one sound before the next can be 
 uttered, both resulting from an inability of the will to con- 
 trol the organs of speech properly, and a deficiency of a 
 ready response to the will by the organs themselves." 
 
 Again we read — "Stammering, the inability to pro- 
 duce certain sounds, or the substitution of one sound 
 for an other." 
 
 I quote from another authority, "Stammering is the 
 result of a functional disorder of that portion of the 
 brain which presides over the faculty of speech." 
 
 A number of English and American writers use the 
 terms stuttering and stammering synonymously- 
 
 16 
 
Dr. Klencke draws the parallel as follows : 
 
 STUTTERING. 
 
 1st. The Stutterer immediately 
 begins to stutter violently when 
 he is observed, and shows a spas- 
 modic fear and apprehension. 
 
 2d. He does not betray his de- 
 fect in slow, measured declama- 
 tion or in singing or when talk- 
 ing in syllabic measure. 
 
 3d. He exhibits an agitation of 
 his respiratory organs and conges- 
 tion of the blood in the chest and 
 head, which is increased in pro- 
 portion to his efforts to overcome 
 his difficulty, and there appears a 
 convulsive action of the chest, 
 throat and head. 
 
 4th. He can correctly form all 
 consonants as separate sounds, 
 without a loud tone or in a whis- 
 per, but begins at once to stutter 
 if he attempts to join certain 
 sounds with the voice or with a 
 vowel. His voice evidently fails 
 by the wrong action of the me- 
 chanism of the muscles, respira- 
 tion and voice function. 
 
 STAMMERING. 
 
 1st. The Stammerer usually 
 speaks better when he is ob- 
 served and thus forced to pay at- 
 tention to himself, and only un- 
 der peculiar circumstances does 
 he show fear and apprehension. 
 
 2d. He betrays his defect when 
 careless, in singing, declamation, 
 and measured talking. 
 
 3d. He never exhibits an agita- 
 tion of his respiratory and blood 
 circulating organs, neither ner- 
 vous nor convulsive action, and 
 by action of his will he can 
 partly or wholly overcome his de- 
 fect. 
 
 4th. He does not have the 
 least difficulty in the formation of 
 his voice. He betrays his defect 
 as much in loud talking as in 
 whispering, and the combination 
 of his defective sounds with the 
 vowel meets with hindrance. 
 
 In addition to the above, Dr. Klencke also gives the 
 following — "Stuttering is a defect which is manifest only 
 in talking and not in singing or declaiming. Its causes 
 lie in the auxiliary organs of speech in the organs of res- 
 piration and vocalization, without the articulating organs 
 being primarily affected. 
 
 Stammering, on the contrary, is a defect which is 
 manifest the same in singing and declaiming as in talk- 
 ing. Its causes lie in the organs between the larynx and 
 the lips, in the articulating organs," 
 
 Prof. A. Kussmaul, of Strassburg, says, in Ziems- 
 sen's Cyclopedia of the Practice of Medicine, Vol. 14, 
 page 633, "Stammering consists in the incapacity to pro- 
 
 17 
 
nounce the letters properly, while in stuttering there is 
 temporarily a spasmodic inability to vocalize certain 
 sounds, especially the explosive consonants." 
 
 The above definitions are but a few of a great num- 
 ber we have been given at different times by different 
 authorities. In fact such a great number of theories have 
 been advanced, probably for the reason that scarcely two 
 persons experience this difficulty in exactly the same 
 manner or undjer the same conditions, that the stam- 
 merer has been compelled to accept a conglomeration of 
 ideas, concerning the real nature of his malady, and grope 
 his way in the dark in his effort to free himself from his 
 unfortunate affliction. 
 
 Stammering has been confounded with stuttering, 
 and vice versa, in consequence of which a multitude of 
 entirely dissimilar conditions of abnormal speech have 
 been heaped together and designated either stammering 
 or stuttering, a general cure applied, which, in a few cases 
 proved successful. The entanglement became still more 
 increased when the ignorance with regard to stuttering, 
 under which term at one time all other defects of speech 
 were included, stimulated the surgical craze to search for 
 local causes. In consequence of this entanglement of 
 ideas concerning the real causes and conditions of stam- 
 mering sprang forth as many ideas setting forth innum- 
 erable methods of treatment. I do not wish to infer that 
 all persons thus interested were impostors, but would 
 rather attribute the mistakes of many of them to ignor- 
 ance of the true origin of the difficulty. While many er- 
 rors were thus being made, much good was being accom- 
 plished, although the stammerer's tongue often times 
 
 is 
 
suffered mutilation and untold miser}- for crimes of which 
 it was not guilty. 
 
 The continued investigation on the part of eminent 
 scientists and physicians in search for an infallible method 
 of cure brought forth advanced ideas, which sooner or 
 later must abolish the crude theories of early investiga- 
 tors. 
 
 To the painstaking efforts of a few who gave almost 
 their entire lives to the study of this neglected subject are 
 we indebted for the fundamental principles from which 
 modern methods of treatment have since evolved. When 
 I say modern methods of treatment I do not refer to the 
 many schemes and trickeries that have been imposed 
 upon the stammerer by charlatans or pretentious pro- 
 fessors, some of whom know not the first principle of the 
 correct basis for voice or tone production, and a few of 
 whom have amassed ill-gained fortunes from the unfortu- 
 nates who were unlucky enough to fall into their clutches. 
 I refer to the methods of treatment and of business 
 dealing entertained by a few r conscientious and practical 
 Avorkers, who are endeavoring in behalf of the stammerer 
 to not only crush out the trickery and deception of these 
 undeserving persons and bury the crude practices of 
 surgery, but who are striving to give to their fellowmen 
 a practical and thorough means of eradication for an af- 
 fliction that is probably one of the most severe, certainly 
 ome of the most neglected of all human ailments. 
 
 In conclusion of my remarks concerning the differ- 
 ence between the definitions of the terms "stammering'' 
 and "stuttering," I give herewith, in a single sentence, the 
 concensus of opinion of the best authorities of modem 
 
 19 
 
times of this country and Europe, supported by my own 
 personal experience as a sufferer from a most severe type 
 of stammering for more than twenty years. 
 
 STAMMERING. The inability, under certain con- 
 ditions, to articulate, or control the organs of speech, 
 which are usually, under such circumstances, tightly held 
 together, accompanied, in many cases by the substitution 
 of one sound for another. 
 
 STUTTERING. A defect in respiration and vocal- 
 ization, often times causing spasmodic action or the rapid 
 repetition of one word or syllable before the following one 
 can be uttered. 
 
 The former is due to a deficiency or lack of exercise 
 and control of mental energy of the will over the organs 
 of utterance, and is usually accompanied by contorting 
 the features, rolling the eyes, or drawing the limbs. The 
 latter, due to an improper maner of breathing and vocal- 
 ization, is usually accompanied by spasmodic actions of 
 not only the speaking, organs ; but often times the whole 
 body becomes violently convulsed ?nd contorted. 
 
 Having thus considered the definitions of stammer- 
 ing and stuttering, let us now en^er into and discuss the 
 real origin or primary cause of this difficulty. If you 
 will follow me closely, I will endeavor to carry you with 
 me through a practical and scientific investigation, and 
 locate, if possible, the real source and origin of stammer- 
 ing. I shall confine my statements wholly to my own 
 practical views on the subject, gathered from years of 
 careful study of recognized authorities and from contact 
 with many persons thus afflicted, both before and since 
 my cure. 
 
 20 
 
We have already determined that stammering is an 
 impediment of the speech. Let us consider. What is 
 speech? Tupper has very appropriately said,"Speech is 
 the golden harvest that followeth the flowering of 
 thought." 
 
 Speech also can be considered a means of convey- 
 ance. I might quote many definitions for this term, but 
 do not think it necessary. It conveys to us by the most 
 direct means the thoughts of men, and is probably the 
 most important instrument God has given to us. Let us 
 then trace it to its origin and, by breaking it up into dif- 
 ferent elements, analyze it to discover, if possible, the 
 original cause of the stammerer's difficulty. 
 
 FIRST. 
 
 Ideas are received, arising either from immedi- 
 ate sensations, or originating in the brain in an abstract 
 manner, and are arranged in proper succession by that 
 organ. 
 
 SECOND. 
 
 The will determines to give this train of ideas 
 expression in any way it can. So far, the process of action 
 can only be called mental. 
 
 THIRD. 
 
 The stimulation to action of the motive nervous 
 system connected with the speaking organs. 
 
 FOURTH. 
 
 The motive nervous system thus stimulated 
 generates to action the vocal apparatus resulting in ar- 
 ticulate speech. 
 
 21 
 
Each step is, of course, tributary to the preceding- 
 one and as long as all act in harmony, one with another, 
 fluent speech and perfect articulation are the result. 
 
 The question now arises, where in this chain do we 
 find the deficiency that 'manifests itself in the stammerer. 
 Let us gx> back and discuss the first element considered. 
 
 To argue that the elaboration of thought in the brain 
 of the stammerer is deficient and its arangement for pro- 
 duction unsystematic is to argue that the stammerer, in- 
 tellectually speaking, is not only weak minded but lack- 
 ing of intelligence. Do we find this to be the case? The 
 fact that many of the brightest and brainiest men of 
 ancient and modern times have suffered from stammering 
 is conclusive evidence that stammering' is not due at least 
 to any lack of intellectual power on the part of the person 
 thus afflicted. 
 
 History tells us of many notable persons who have 
 stammered. 
 
 It is announced that Louis II of France, and Michael 
 II were both surnamed Le Begue, meaning stammerer. 
 Louis XIII of France, was also a stammerer. The Rev. 
 Canon Kingsley was a stammerer. Chas. Lamb was a 
 stutterer, and the notable physicians, Viosin, Palmer, 
 Chcgoin, Merkel, Guillaume, D'Alais, Bacquerel, and 
 Cohen, were all stammerers. Allusions to this disorder 
 are found also in the Bible. Moses was a notable ex- 
 ample. The Ephraimites, and those whom Jesus cured 
 of their impediments of speech. 
 
 Having thoroughly satisfied ourselves that the de- 
 fect is not manifest in the first element of speech, let us 
 proceed to and consider the second. — The will determines 
 
to give this train of ideas expression in any way it can. — 
 Is the desire to give utterance by physical act to internal 
 thought in any way necessarily lacking in the stammerer 
 originally? If so, the defect must arise from either ex- 
 cessive or deficient energy or desire, in which case we 
 Would find that the stammerer, during infancy, before 
 speech is complete, would be wholly unable to cry. It 
 uses this means of making known its wants, and if the 
 defect originated from a deficient or excessive mental de- 
 sire, we would find this child, when it attempted to make 
 known its wants, would not only be wholly unable to do 
 so, but would, through its efforts, betray all the symptoms 
 of a stammerer. We usually find, however, that the 
 stammerer as a child does not betray the symptoms of his 
 affliction. It is not until a more complex action is thrown 
 upon his motive powers that his defect is noticeable. 
 
 Let us consider the third — The stimulation to action 
 of the motive nervous system connected with the speak- 
 ing organs — My belief is that here in this medium, which 
 might appropriately be termed "The mental energy of the 
 will acting on the accumulated nervous force of the motor 
 organism of the body," exists the original cause of ab- 
 normal speech. I believe that there exists in some persons 
 an idiosyncrasy amounting probably to an irritability or 
 sensibility of fibre in that portion of the brain which con- 
 trols the motions requisite for the production 
 of speech, and that this peculiarity exposes 
 it to be most easily disarranged and driven 
 into spasmodic action by the ordinary mental desire to 
 speak. The peculiarity would appear to me rather a dif- 
 ference in sensibility than in structure, from the circum- 
 
 23 
 
stance that very many fluent speakers if not all persons 
 are, in a measure, liable to the affection. Very powerful 
 causes, such as horror, excessive perplexity, or shame 
 will, under some circumstances, partially paralyze or con- 
 vulse the power of speech in ordinary persons. The great 
 distinction, however, being that the stammerer requires 
 but a slight cause to overturn the balance of his ma- 
 chinery of speech, while the ordinary individual would re- 
 quire some extreme cause, such as seldom occurs to af- 
 fect his fluency, and even then can easily recover again 
 by the exercise of his will and reasoning faculties. 
 
 Having by this analysis detected what would appear 
 to be the weak link, let us now proceed to< the fourth ele- 
 ment and find if there, too, exists any deficiency that 
 would cause stammering. You will at once agree that 
 there is not the slightest ground for the supposition that 
 stammering is in any way attributable to physical defect 
 or direct physical inaction of the vocal apparatus. The 
 effect of the difficulty experienced by the stammerer is, of 
 course, manifest to the observer principally in the organs 
 of speech, yet the real cause of the malady is of a more ob- 
 scure origin and by no means attributable to malforma- 
 tion of the speaking organs. 
 
 From an experience of meeting several hundred 
 stammerers, I have as yet never found one single case 
 where the difficulty was attributable to wrongly formed 
 organs of speech. The fact that the stammerer can 
 sometimes sing without the slightest difficulty, can often 
 times read aloud to himself without the least fear, and 
 can at times speak perfectlv words that give him the 
 greatest difficulty generally, is sufficient evidence in proof 
 
 24 
 
of the above assertion. I do not wish to infer that the 
 stammerer is any different in this respect from other 
 persons. Because he stammers, it does not follow that 
 his organs of speech are perfect, but he is no more likely 
 to suffer from malformation of the organs of speech than 
 are persons not afflicted with stammering. 
 
 I scarcely think it necessary to offer any further argu- 
 ment in support of the fact that the real origin of the 
 stammerer's difficulty is found in the third element con- 
 sidered. For abstract mind to act on abstract bodily 
 organs, it is necessary that there be a medium. In this 
 medium, I believe exists the real origin of the stam- 
 merer's difficulty. Though hesitation is only a thing 
 of degree from the most fluent speaker down to the most 
 convulsed stammerer, yet practically speaking, stammer- 
 ing does not begin until hesitation has arrived at such a 
 pitch that the sufferer, by the exercise of his reasoning 
 faculties, cannot collect himself and become master of the 
 situation. 
 
 The reason that many children do not betray their 
 affliction of stammering until they have attained the age 
 of boyhood is because in early life the mental desire is 
 not excessive. It is probably the same as in any other 
 child endeavoring to be understood. As life advances, 
 mental power develops, and when the child has become 
 sufficiently old to use its mental functions to- any degree, 
 it discovers an inability to express itself, either from 
 hesitancy or convulsive action. This difficulty is owing 
 to the disturbance of mental emotion, the child through 
 original physical weakness * not being able to bear more 
 
 25 
 
than the ordinary stimulus of the mind and will without 
 betraying its defect. During the earlier days of its child- 
 hood, the mental activity was not as great, and hence the 
 child stammered but little or probably not at all. 
 
 The attention of the child is continually attracted to 
 this peculiarity, which soon becomes second nature to it, 
 and added to the original physical weakness, the constant 
 increasing mental emotion soon overbalances the equi- 
 librium of control, and although the original physical 
 weakness, may almost entirely disappear as the child ad- 
 vances in age, yet the difficulty of stammering remains. 
 
 It is an impossibility to determine, in any case of 
 stammering, the exact amount of excess of mental emo- 
 tion or deficiency of motive power. 
 
 Arguing from a supposition that these two influen- 
 ces, mental emotion and motive power, equally distribut- 
 ed would give to a person the ability to converse without 
 hesitation under ordinary circumstances, I will endeavor 
 to demonstrate to you by means of bodies of comparative 
 sizes the difference between the mild and severe types 
 of stammering. 
 
 No. i. 
 This body represents a person who 
 can talk without hesitation under ordinary 
 circumstances. If confronted with embar- 
 rassment, excitement, shame or perplexity, 
 mental emotion would increase to a degree 
 sufficient to overbalance motive power, result- 
 ing in hesitation, stammering or convulsive 
 action. 
 
 No I 
 
 , . -■ 
 
 /AoTiv< 
 power 
 
 * There appears to exist m many stammerers a predisposed condition 
 to the development of the defect. This idiosyncrasy exposes the brain fibre 
 to be most easily disarranged and thrown into spasmodic action by the ordi- 
 nary mental desire to speak. 
 
 :6 
 
No, 2, 
 
 This body represents a person who contin- 
 ually suffers from hesitation or who is ad- 
 dicted to stammering in a slight degree. 
 
 No2 
 
 Mental 
 Emotion 
 
 /Aotive 
 power 
 
 No. 3. 
 
 This body represents a stammerer wholly 
 unable to control himself under ordinary cir- 
 cumstances. 
 
 No 3^ 
 
 Mental 
 Emotion 
 
 ; P°vyer» 
 
 No. 4. 
 
 This body represents a most violent and 
 severe form of stammering, oftentimes ac- 
 companied by dreadful contortions of the 
 face, and convulsive action of the muscles 
 and limbs. 
 
 No. 5 . 
 
 This body represents the ordinary individ- 
 ual. Such a person would hesitate only un- 
 der extrme excitement, and would rarely if 
 ever lose control of his speech. 
 
 No. 6. 
 
 This body represents unusual ability to 
 speak with confidence under the most trying 
 test or circumstances, without the slightest 
 uneasiness or apprehension of uncontrol. 
 
 /V\oTive 
 poWep 
 
 27 
 
The illustrations herewith presented represent but 
 four different classes or degrees of stammering. There 
 will be found to exist as many different degrees of stam- 
 mering as there are individuals affected, as scarcely two 
 persons can be found who experience difficulty in ex- 
 actly the same manner. The influences, too , that cause 
 the stammerer to betray his defect may be entirely dif- 
 ferent. One person will invariably stammer when 
 brought into the presence of strangers, but never experi- 
 ence much difficulty among the members of his own 
 household. Another will scarcely, if ever, betray his de- 
 fect before strangers, but will invariably stammer when in 
 conversation with immediate friends. One "person can 
 speak from a platform to a public audience after he has 
 once entered into his subject, the great difficulty being in 
 getting started. Another is able to begin without the 
 slightest apparent difficulty, but will continually stammer 
 when he gets warmed up to the occasion. 
 
 While it may be impossible to analyze the different 
 phenomena of innumerable cases of this kind, yet we can 
 without difficulty draw a parallel between two distinct and 
 separate classes. I will call these for brevity and illus- 
 tration : 
 
 A B 
 
 THE PHYSICAL TYPE. THE MENTAL TYPE. 
 
 The former (A) is comparatively but little complicated 
 
 with mental emotion, while on the other hand the latter (B) 
 
 has probably lost much of the original physical weakness, 
 
 but from the over-balance of the equilibrium of control, 
 
 suffers materially from mental emotion and is easily agi- 
 
 28 
 
tatedj and made worse. Some cases of the mental type, 
 however, retain much of the original physical defect. 
 
 The nature of the former is almost entirely due to 
 lack of motive power or original physical weakness, 
 while the nature of the latter is almost entirely mental, 
 the result of continually increasing and decreasing men- 
 tal emotion. Stammerers who come under the denom- 
 ination of Class A. are troubled continually, more or less, 
 never much better, never much worse, always about the 
 same Excitement, shame, perplexity, anxiety, embarrass- 
 ment, or impaired health does not much increase the se- 
 verity of their affliction, while on the other hand stammer- 
 ers who< might be designated as belonging to* Class B. ex- 
 perience, during certain periods and while under certain 
 conditions scarcely any difficulty, but when suddenly con- 
 fronted with excitement, shame, perplexity, anxiety, or 
 when suffering from fatigue, exhaustion, or impaired 
 health, they invariably stammer and sometimes violently. 
 
 Mr. A. has the ability to address a public audience 
 with as little trouble as he might experience when reading 
 aloud to himself, while Mr. B. could read aloud to himself 
 with perfect ease and composure, but when called upon 
 to speak publicly, owing to his stronger mental emotions 
 would be wholly unable to do so without betraying his 
 impediment to a very great extent. 
 
 The different peculiarities of stammering manifested 
 in persons belonging to either class would fill several com- 
 plete volumes. The constant apprehension of fear on the 
 subject of speaking entertained by the stammerer keeps 
 his nerves continually in a state of agitation and unrest. 
 His anxiety to speak fluently, the dread and fear that he 
 
 29 
 
may not be able to do so, together with the humiliation of 
 an exhibition of his infirmity combine to increase the 
 severity of his affliction. Many persons believe that 
 stammering is the result of nervousness, but a second 
 thought would, I think, convince them that nervousness 
 is more often the result of stammering. This has been 
 my experience, and the proof is evident from the fact that 
 when the stammerer has gained control of his speaking 
 organs, his nervousness has almost entirely disappeared. 
 Having become master of the situation, there is not the 
 least fear or apprehension on the subject of speaking, and 
 thus the one great agitator of his nervous system has been 
 removed. Gradually, the nerves settle back to a normal 
 condition of rest, giving the once nervous and prostrated 
 sufferer complete self-control. 
 
 Persons who stutter, usually suffer only in a slight 
 degree from an excess of mental emotion typical with the 
 stammerer. 
 
 The original physical weakness of the stutterer may 
 almost entirely disappear and yet the stuttering habit re- 
 main, owing to recollection, carelessness, force of habit, 
 and association. 
 
 While the origin of stuttering is attributable to the 
 same source as the origin of stammering, yet the former 
 is more easily conquered and subdued. This is explained 
 by the fact that when the original physical weakness of 
 the stammerer disappears, we have left the mental phase 
 of the difficulty to contend with, while with the stutterer, 
 after the disappearance of the original physical weakness, 
 we have but to correct an improper mode of respiration 
 and vocalization, strengthen and develop the vocal and 
 
 30 
 
respiratory organs and gain an equilibrium of control. 
 This accomplished, we have established a foundation upon 
 which to build a cure. 
 
 The diagnosis and symptoms of a number of cases 
 that have come under my observation would indicate 
 that not a few persons who stammer and who suffer from 
 excessive mental emotion have also acquired peculiar 
 forms of stuttering. In their strained and labored ef- 
 forts to give utterance to certain syllables or words, they 
 have unconsciously acquired an improper mode of breath- 
 ing. Losing control of their respiratory organs, they be- 
 come wholly unable to vocalize certain sounds, their 
 efforts resulting in contraction or convulsive action. 
 
 Whatever may be the outward manifestation of stam- 
 mering or stuttering, one who has not passed through the 
 ordeal can form no conception of the mental torture en- 
 dured by persons who are thus unfortunately afflicted. 
 
 31 
 
4 
 
 :. 
 
 • 
 
 The Lewis Phonometric Institute and School for 
 STAMMERERS, 
 
 41 Adelaide Street. Detroit, Michigan, 
 
The Location of Our School. 
 
 Centrally located, easy of access for both Canadians 
 and Americans by either rail or water, Detroit one of 
 the most beautiful cities if the United States offers super- 
 ior advantages as a location for an Institute for the cure 
 of stammering. 
 
 The Lewis Phonometric Institute and School fot 
 Stammerers is situated at No. 41 Adelaide st. just one-half 
 block East of Woodward ave. This location could not 
 possibly be surpassed. The ^Private Reception Room 
 and Pupil J Class Jiooms are situated on the ground floor 
 and have been especially equipped and fitted up to meet 
 the requirements of a large attendance. The Business 
 Office, Pupils' Heading Room and PvUic Reception 
 Room are situated on the second floor immediately 
 above the Main Class Room, and are conveniently ar- 
 ranged for the accommodation of pupils and guests and 
 for the transaction of business. 
 
 The location of |our Institute, its pleasant appoint- 
 ment and thorough equipment and adaptation for the 
 treatment of stammering, added to the superior advant- 
 ages of our School Residence as a home for the comfort 
 and accommodation of pupils attending, combine in one 
 Institution advantages unequalled anywhere else on this 
 Continent. 
 
 24 
 
STAMMERING. 
 
 Practically, - Theoretically 
 
 By GEO. ANDREW LEWIS 
 
 (Lecture delivered before the members of The Detroit Academy of Medi- 
 cine, June 25, 1895.) 
 
 My experience from contact with the stammerer con- 
 vinces me that the difficulty is scarcely, if ever, manifested 
 in two persons in exactly the same manner. I have also 
 learned that the conditions under which stammerers 
 experience the greatest trouble are by no means the same. 
 
 There appears, to be a wide difference of opinion re- 
 garding the definition and origin of this malady. It is 
 not my intention, however, to enter into and discuss dif- 
 ferent authorities and criticise their definitions, but to out- 
 line as clearly as possible the cause of the stammerer's 
 difficulty and practically demonstrate to you my mode of 
 treatment. 
 
 I have frequently been asked the question, "To 
 what do you attribute stammering? "What is the dif- 
 ference between stammering and stuttering ?" To the 
 public, there would seem to be but little difference, and 
 even the close observer, unless thoroughly acquainted 
 with the pecularities of this affliction, might easily be led 
 astray in his conclusions. 
 
 Without going into detail of explanation, I will say 
 that stammering is principally manifested in the articulat- 
 ing organs. Stuttering, on the other hand, is largely 
 
 35 
 
confined to the organs of respiration and vocalization. 
 We have often heard it said that persons who stammer 
 in conversation can sing without difficulty. This is 
 generally the case, but not always. I occasionally come 
 in contact with persons who experience the same impedi- 
 frient in singing as in talking. Their efforts to articulate 
 certain syllables in singing meet with the same hindrance 
 as is manifested in their conversation. Such cases, how- 
 ever, are rare. All movements of the human body are 
 brought about by the action of muscles that are attached 
 to movable apparatuses and are made to operate 
 through the medium of the nerves. Without the proper 
 coi-operation of the muscles, it is impossible to accom- 
 plish anything. Thoughts originate in the brain — the 
 brain acts upon the nerves, — the nerves act upon the 
 muscles, — the muscles act upon the bones, — and only 
 after this process are we able to undertake any act. If 
 the process of action is one of harmony, the act will be 
 successfully accomplished. If, however, after the origin 
 of thought, there is an inability to accomplish or perform 
 any ordinary human action, the deficiency is due to a lack 
 of co-ordination. This lack of co-ordination of action 
 when spoken of in connection with or as related to the 
 production of words is the source from which originates 
 or develops all forms of abnormal speech. The humili- 
 ation of stammering, the desire to speak fluently and the 
 fear that he may not be able to do> so, keeps the stammerer 
 in a state of constant mental emotion. It is owing to this 
 condition of continued fear that we have associated with 
 stammering so much nervousness. 
 
 With the aid of a number of my pupils who are 
 
 36 
 
present with us this evening, I will endeavor to practically 
 demonstrate to you as far as possible my mode of 
 treatment.* 
 
 My manner of dealing with the stammerer is prob- 
 ably different to any that has heretofore been introduced, 
 my own experience as a sufferer having given 
 me a keener knowledge of the stammerer's nature than I 
 could possibly otherwise have gained. 
 
 The first pupil I will introduce to you this evening 
 appeared before you at your last regular meeting, and, as 
 you remember, was utterly unable to read or speak three 
 connected words. He applied to me personally for treat- 
 ment and was obliged to indicate by signs and by writing 
 his wishes. The contortions of his face, you will remem- 
 ber, were most painful. He will address you to-night, 
 and I want you to note carefully his complete change. 
 
 I will also introduce to you a pupil who has been 
 under my treatment but three weeks, who stammered 
 continually for many years and who will tell you in a 
 fluent and conversant manner of his remarkable cure. 
 
 I have also w r ith me a pupil who has been under 
 other treatments at several different periods during his 
 life, from which he says he received no perceptible bene- 
 fit and who will, I am sure, be pleased to relate to you 
 some of his former experiences. You may talk to these 
 gentlemen and to my other pupils with me this evening 
 and I do not believe any of them will stammer, notwith- 
 standing they are all here in Detroit for treatment, some 
 
 * A. number of pupils under treatment expressed their desire to attend 
 this lecture and asked permission to submit themselves for examination to 
 the members of The Detroit Academy of Medicine as evidence of the thor- 
 oughness of the treatment they had undergone. 
 
 37 
 
of them having come a long distance to attend my In- 
 stitute. 
 
 Before asking the gentlemen to address you, I will 
 endeavor to demonstrate (as far as the time allotted for 
 this lecture will allow) the mode of treatment I follow 
 in my school from day to day and from which we have 
 been able to attain the results you see manifested here 
 before you. 
 
 I can, of course, give you but an idea of the work 
 that is carried on daily in my institution, owing to the 
 fact that I am obliged to demonstrate within an hour's 
 time what usually requires from three to eight weeks to 
 accomplish.* 
 
 From four to five hours each day we exercise our 
 pupils after this manner. Vocal and physical exercises 
 are alsoi introduced and generally by a series of exercises 
 founded on an educational basis of disciplining the pupil 
 to do exactly as he is told, he gradually gains perfect con- 
 fidence and freedom of speech. 
 
 At first, the instruction to the pupil is usually private, 
 and after he has made sufficient progress to warrant it, 
 he is obliged to perform before a portion of the class 
 w r hat he has already done in my presence. If he can do 
 this successfully, other pupils are introduced and he is 
 placed under the most embarrassing conditions, made to 
 read, to converse, to deliver impromptu speeches, is cross- 
 questioned and the most severe tests applied. If with 
 perfect confidence he proves himself capable to fully stand 
 these tests, he is then permitted for a few days to talk at 
 
 * A half hour was at this point of the lecture, devoted to the practical 
 demonstrations of the Lewis Phonometic Method of treatment, used largelv 
 in effecting- a cure. 
 
 38 
 
leisure to myself or to the other pupils, asking any ques- 
 tions he desires or entering into general conversation. If, 
 after this time, we find that he does not stammer, he is 
 permitted to join our question asking expedition and 
 allowed to talk to any one or every one; the more the 
 better. 
 
 It is impossible to tell definitely the length of time 
 any pupil will require for treatment when he enters. It 
 largely depends upon his application to his work and his 
 aptitude of comprehension. 
 
 The average person, however, has been obliged to 
 remain from three to six weeks. 
 
 Author's Note. The reader must not infer from the above that pupils 
 attending our institute are in any manner asked to submit themselves to 
 criticism either in a public way or otherwise. On the contrary, we are ex- 
 tremely careful to maintain the utmost privacv for those who place them- 
 selves under our treatment and care. We never mention the names of our 
 pupils without permission, and when desired the strictest confidence and 
 secrecv of correspondence or attendance is preserved. As already stated, 
 the gentlemen who attended this lecture expressed their desire to be pres- 
 ent, knowing that they would be called upon to address the members pres- 
 ent. Notwithstanding this caution they decided to attend in a body and 
 were highly complimented on all sides for the success of their undertaking. 
 
 Stammering — A Habit, 
 
 With many persons stammering is purely a habit, 
 oftentimes the result of a lack of proper training in youth. 
 
 The first attempts at speech, made by children, often- 
 times reveal slight indications of stuttering; but not gen- 
 erally before the individual becomes completely aware of 
 his defect with all its horror, do the parents try to obtain 
 
 39 
 
for their child relief? The little prattler, instead of being 
 continually corrected for its imperfect articulation, is often- 
 times encouraged in its baby talk, by its parents and 
 friends, until it becomes second nature for it to mis- 
 pronounce and misarticulate words and syllables. The 
 writer has known children of from 10 to 15 years of age 
 who had never entirely forgotten their baby talk, and 
 slight traces of it was oftentimes noticeable in their con- 
 versation. 
 
 Many of these encouraged baby-talkers have turned 
 out to be stammerers. This way of dealing with the 
 trouble is equally as wrong as it would be to postpone to 
 a later period the necessary orthopedic treatment of a 
 child tending to bodily deformity. As the child grows, 
 the evil, instead of decreasing, increases, eventually leav- 
 ing its victim a stutterer or stammerer of the most severe 
 type. Thus what was at first, by the parents of the child, 
 encouraged, becomes to it, later on, second nature, and 
 oftentimes a bad and disgusting habit. 
 
 Many parents answer their children in this same 
 baby talk. Thus the child is taught and confirmed that 
 its own mistakes are correct, and gradually grows into 
 that evil maner of talking, whence stammering and 
 stuttering arise. 
 
 It is surprising with what fidelity a child will imitate 
 whatever it sees or hears. Children hardly able to talk 
 oftentimes surprise their parents with their knowledge 
 and actions. Therefore it becomes all parents to exert the 
 utmost carefulness in the training of their children, and to 
 watch for and correct any tendency to a faulty or imper- 
 fect articulation. 
 
 40 
 
Never strike or scold a child for defective utterance. 
 A spirit of firmness, with nothing to startle or excite, but 
 rather with a tendency to kindness, will be found to be of 
 much value. Canon Kingsley says: — "Fear of bodily 
 punishment, or even capriciousness in his teacher's tem- 
 per and rules, will surely confirm the bad habit. If he is 
 by any means kept in a state of terror, shame, or even 
 anxiety, then this stammerer will grow worse and worse 
 as he grows older." 
 
 Ask the child to slowly and carefully repeat what has 
 given it difficulty to utter; if it be a request, do not grant 
 it until the child has done its best to ask for it correctly, 
 always speaking to it in a manner to indicate that you are 
 positive. A splendid practice, and one which gives notice- 
 able results almost immediately, is to teach to the child 
 some simple rhyme or story, have it repeat after you 
 correctly, exactly what you say, being always very careful 
 not to talk in an affected or exaggerated manner. 
 
 If the child is quite young, teach it first to pronounce 
 correctly each letter of the alphabet. Many children at- 
 tempt to speak upon but scarcely any breath, first expell- 
 ing nearly all the air from their lungs ; they then begin to- 
 give utterance to partially formed words and syllables. 
 Such should be taught to carefully inhale before attempt- 
 ing to speak, and never permitted to begin a sentence in a 
 quick or hurried manner. Let the proper time be given to 
 the development of the lungs of children, and much of the 
 tendency that exists at the present day to pulmonary 
 troubles would vanish, and there would be more bright, 
 merry voices, and, consequently, happier hearts in our 
 schools and homes. Teach the child the proper mode of 
 
 41 
 
breathing, the correct manner of articulating, and much 
 of the sorrow and distress, the result of stammering,^ 
 would give w^ay to cheerfulness, and happier lives would 
 be the result. The old proverb."A stitch in time saves 
 nine," is especially applicable here. 
 
 The following is an extract clipped from an article 
 written by Dr. Morell McKenzie, for the Popular Science 
 Monthly: — "It is hardly an exaggeration to say that the 
 training of the voice should begin almost with the cradle. 
 I do not, of course mean to say that a baby should be 
 taught to squall according to rule, or that the prattle of 
 children should be made a laborious task, but I wish to 
 insist on the importance of surrounding the child, as soon 
 as it begins to lisp, with persons who speak well/' 
 
 "All languages/' old Roger Ascham says, "both 
 learned and mother tongues, are begotten and gotten sole- 
 ly by imitation, for as ye used to hear, so ye learn to speak; 
 if ye hear no other, ye speak not yourself; and whom ye 
 only hear, of them ye only learn." 
 
 Quintillian says: "Before all, let the nurses speak 
 properly; the boy will hear them first, and will try to shape 
 his words by imitating them. This applies chiefly to the 
 pronunciation and correct use of w T ords ; but much might 
 also be done for the right management of the voice, if 
 every child could grow up among people who speak well. 
 
 The flimic. 
 
 Have you ever mocked or imitated the habits and 
 contortions of a stammerer? 
 
 Beware, lest you also are made to carry the yoke ! 
 
 42 
 
It seems a severe but a just punishment that those 
 who hold up their fellowmen to ridicule because of their 
 infirmities are oftentimes similarly afflicted. A young lady 
 who applied to me for relief not long since broke down 
 and shed tears when she told me she had been punished 
 because she mocked a person who was afflicted in the 
 same manner. Many applications for admission to my 
 Institution have been accompanied by letters that told the 
 same sad and pitiful story: "I acquired my difficulty by 
 mocking/' 
 
 Children especially, and, I am sorry to say, many 
 grown persons, having witnessed some peculiar type of 
 stammering or stuttering, which, to them, appears laugh- 
 able, set about to imitate the poor unfortunate who has 
 unluckily crossed their path, and to their sorrow many 
 such mimics find that when they wish to discontinue the 
 habit, the monster, with all its horrors, has securely fast- 
 ened its talons into their flesh, not to be easily shaken off. 
 
 Take my advice, then, if you have been habitually 
 mocking the stammerer, — stop it, and stop it at once. 
 The poor unfortunate victim, the target of your jest, 
 has already enough to suffer without bearing the taunts 
 and ridicule, of inhuman scoffers. 
 
 Hereditary Stammering. 
 
 That stammering, with many persons, is a disease is 
 no longer a doubt in the minds of those who have made 
 a careful study of the subject. Dr. Raphael Cohen cites 
 the case of one family where stammering was transmitted 
 through four generations, the malady usually developing 
 
 ; - ; 43 
 
between the second and fifth year, the affliction com- 
 mencing with a repetition of syllables and words — at first 
 seldom, then often, until it broke out in all its uncontroll- 
 able force. This type of stammering has previously been 
 considered by others incurable. Eminent physicians and 
 specialists in both this country and abroad have been 
 utterly unable to afford any relief to the unfortunate 
 stammerer who was unlucky enough to inherit his diffi- 
 culty. 
 
 Notwithstanding the failure hitherto to afford relief 
 to such cases, a careful glance over the many letters we 
 have received will at once convince the reader that the 
 closing of the nineteenth century has revealed to the 
 world, among its many other inventions and discoveries, 
 a means for the curing of stammering and stuttering 
 equally adapted to and effective in each and every case, 
 from the mildest type to the most severe, the contortions 
 of which are oftentimes painful to witness, and dis- 
 gusting beyond description. 
 
 Stammering — The Result of Disease. 
 
 Stammering with many persons is the result of er- 
 uptive diseases, such as scarletina, small-pox and other 
 kindred disorders; it may be the result of external injur- 
 ies, sudden fright, or any violent nerve or brain trouble 
 may cause it; in nearly every such case, however, the 
 afflicted individual previously possessed a weak enforcing 
 power of the will over the organs of utterance. Very 
 rarely is stammering caused by any organic defect. In 
 a series of six hundred cases, carefully investigated by 
 
 44 
 
Columbat, there was not one case of stammering caused 
 by malformation of the organs. 
 
 When to Commence Treatment. 
 
 While the great number of cases we have treated has 
 proven to us and to others that at no stage have we been 
 unable to successfully combat the difficulty, yet persist- 
 ency in the habit renders it more difficult to bring the or- 
 gans back to their normal condition. The longer we 
 continue any habit, the more difficult it becomes to stop 
 it, and this especially is applicable to the subject in ques- 
 tion. For this reason no person should deny himself or 
 herself of the privilege available to recover their speech 
 at as early a date as possible. 
 
 Class Exercise. 
 
 From four to six hours are set aside daily for class ex- 
 ercise, when pupils are expected, unless satisfactory ex- 
 cuse is given, to attend diligently to the work which it is 
 their duty to perform. The exercises are both pleasant 
 and profitable, and are varied to suit the different forms of 
 speech impediment with which we have to deal. 
 
 Our treatment is adapted to> the indications and di- 
 rected against the maifestation according to the require- 
 ments of each particular case with which we have to deal. 
 
 We never administer drugs or medicine of any kind 
 to our pupils nor apply electricity in any form in connec- 
 tion with our treatment. 
 
 45 
 
Much of our success is due to the natural means we 
 employ in overcoming this unnatural difficulty. 
 
 The permanancy of our cures we attribute to the 
 physical development of the pupil, noticable from the be- 
 gining of treatment. 
 
 These exercises are not only valuable as an auxiliary 
 means but also open the way and lay the foundation for a 
 life long cure. The mental influences become regulated, 
 the will strengthened and the whole organism apparently 
 transformed into the awakening of a new individuality. 
 
 The Result of Stammering. 
 
 Separated by his affliction and infirmity from society 
 and companionship, the poor, unfortunate stammerer is 
 driven to the solitude of his own unhappy contemplation. 
 
 Canon Kingsley says: "The stammerer's life is full 
 of misery, and always a short one, by reason of the men- 
 tal depression and misdirection of vital energy which is 
 induced thereby. With many stammerers life is an at- 
 tempt with but little success. In their effort to succeed 
 they are continually kept in a state of fear and anxiety. 
 How many pillows have been saturated with tears, every 
 drop an appeal for free speech? How many hearts have 
 longed for the day to come when humanity would be re- 
 leased from this woeful curse?'' 
 
 This constant strain upon the mind and nerves ra- 
 pidly consumes vitality. The boy, vigorous as a child, 
 oftentimes finds himself a physical and nervous wreck 
 about the time he should be developing into a magnificent 
 
 46 
 
specimen of manhood. The fact that he stammers is 
 never out of his mind; thus he realizes that others have 
 bestowed upon them by nature gifts that he has not, and 
 gradually it becomes second nature for him to regard 
 himself as an unequal. The ambition which should a- 
 rouse us all to action in our youth in him is dormant. 
 Sooner or later this vital force that is being gradually un- 
 dermined perishes, and the victim awakes to find himself 
 prostrated with grief over his sad condition. The mental 
 strain in some cases, the result of stammering, is some- 
 thing awful. Many severe cases develop to such a degree 
 as to cause convulsions. Persons so afflicted oftentimes 
 lose their minds entirely, a fact which statistics prove not 
 infrequently happens. 
 
 The Unfortunate Stammerer. 
 
 There stands a person whose face is physically drawn 
 out of shape. His mental faculties are warped. He is 
 not a mute, but still he cannot speak. His thoughts are 
 crippled and confused. To all appearances he is a man, 
 but if we knew him well we would find that in many things 
 he is but a child. The persons who understand his pecul- 
 iarities are few and his sympathizers are equally rare. 
 His strange silence and timid actions lower him in the es- 
 timation of his fellowmen. The sweet privilege of social 
 enjoyment is unknown to him. Every undertaking he 
 enters into is abandoned through gloomy forebodings of 
 failure. His thoughts, denied the liberty of oral express- 
 ion, become as stagnant and unreliable as his manner of 
 
 47 
 
acting. His countenance bears a piteous but repulsive 
 appearance and is indicative of a long and fierce battle of 
 successive failures. His consolation is the ridicule and 
 cruel impatience of innumerable mimics, who ape him at 
 every opportunity. At last, pressing deeper into his flesh 
 the poisoned arrows of his terrible infirmity, his burden 
 of sorrow crushes him to the earth. 
 
 The Cure. 
 
 A careful study of the different methods for the cure 
 of stammering and stuttering, and other speech impedi- 
 ments, as practiced by the most successful of those who 
 have within recent years devoted their time and study to 
 the subject, together with the personal experience of hav- 
 ing been a most severe stammerer for more than twenty 
 years, proves to me beyond a doubt that only such systems 
 produce cures and permanent results as are founded on an 
 educational basis, where the pupil is disciplined and put 
 through a systematic training, beginning at the found- 
 ation and rebuilding the tissues that have naturally be- 
 come weakened, through lack of proper use, at the same 
 time strengthening and developing the vocal organs. 
 
 Probably no other means of cure in the world has 
 met with such remarkable success in ridding humanity 
 of this awful curse as has THE LEWIS PHONOMET- 
 RIC METHOD. Our graduates, representing now 
 nearly every State in the Union, and Province of Canada, 
 many of whom had been life-long sufferers, bear us out in 
 this assertion with their splendid letters of endorsement. 
 
 48 
 
Home Treatment. 
 
 Many persons have written to me to inquire if I could 
 give them printed or written instructions that would serve 
 the same purpose as their presence at my school, to which 
 questions I have invariaby answered, No. While I might 
 possibly give to a person instructions in a written or 
 printed form, and in a manner that they might possibly 
 obtain some relief, yet it would prove very unsatisfactory 
 ins the end to both pupil and instructor. We have known 
 of a number of unscrupulous persons who have offered 
 to treat stammerers by correspondence, but have yet to 
 learn of a single stammerer who has received one particle 
 of benefit from such treatment. Almost daily we receive 
 communications from persons asking for mail treatment, 
 with ofifers of remuneration. I invariably refuse offers of 
 this kind, always advising the correspondent that it is ab- 
 solutely necessary to attend the institution and remain di- 
 rectly under my personal observation, that I may from 
 day to day (for a short period) assist and direct them to 
 a proper use and development of the organs of speech, 
 which have been so long abused. 
 
 Time Required to Effect a Cure. 
 
 The length of time required to, effect a cure depends 
 largely upon the severity of the case and the application 
 of the pupil to duty. The average case has required from 
 three to six or eight weeks treatment. We do not guar- 
 antee the length of time for treatmnt required to effect a 
 
 49 
 
cure in any particular case, as much depends upon the 
 pupils aptitude for learning and application. An in- 
 vestigation of our testimonials will prove to the reader 
 however that many of our pupils who had been life long 
 sufferers were never heard to stammer after their first 
 week's instruction although they remained with us until 
 the completion of their course. 
 
 Letters of Indorsement. 
 
 The letters of indorsement presented to the reader of 
 this book represent and voice the sentiments of hundreds 
 of others who have spoken likewise, and whose letters can 
 be seen at any time on the files of our office. Persons 
 wishing to further satisfy themselves of the reliability of 
 our work will receive upon application a list of graduates 
 and ex-pupils, who are ever ready to express their grati- 
 tude for their relief we have afforded them. 
 
 The Results of Treatment. 
 
 The results of treatment are noticeable on the 
 pupil almost immediately. The depressed, careworn look 
 possessed by many stammerers, the direct result of years 
 of constant worry and battle, gives way to a cheerful ex- 
 pression and buoyant disposition. The improvement 
 physically, in some cases almost from the beginning ,is 
 
 50 
 
marked to such a degree that the chest development of 
 some pupils while under this treatment has been from 
 three to four inches, the gymnastic exercises being well 
 calculated to build up and strengthen the tissues and 
 muscles that have become weakened through lack of pro- 
 per exercise and use. 
 
 Terms of Tuition. 
 
 Our charges in a case of stammering or stuttering 
 depend upon the extent of the difficulty, as some require 
 much more care and attention than others. 
 
 It is impossible to determine the type and severity of 
 any case of stammering or stuttering without first obtain- 
 ing a thorough knowledge of the manifestations and indi- 
 cations surrounding it. To enable us to gain this knowl- 
 edge we have prepared a sheet of questions known as our 
 ''Question Blank" which when properly filled in will give 
 a complete chain, leading up to the diagnosis of the case. 
 We will be pleased to mail one of our "Question Blanks'' 
 to any stammerer upon request and upon the return of 
 which carefully and properly filled in we will pronounce 
 the type of stammering and quote terms for treatment. 
 No charge is made for consultation either by correspond- 
 ence or otherwise. 
 
 51 
 
Caution. 
 
 When writing letters of inquiry to persons whose 
 names we furnish, or whose indorsement of our treatment 
 is contained herein, the writer will please mark his letter 
 PERSONAL and inclose a stamped envelope to ensure 
 a prompt reply. 
 
 All business communications pertaining to- terms, ap- 
 plicatons, particulars regarding treatment, etc., should be 
 addressed direct to our office and will receive immediate 
 attention. 
 
 The Lewis Phonometric Institute 
 
 AND SCHOOL FOR 
 
 STAMMERERS. 
 
 4i Adelaide St. Detroit, flictiigafi. 
 
 52 
 
The School Residence. 
 
The School Residence. 
 
 The School Residence of the Lewis Phonometric 
 Institute, a comfortable, homelike home, has been ar- 
 ranged for the accomodation of pupils attending, and is 
 conveniently situated near the Institute, on Edmund 
 Place, probably the most beautiful residential avenue in 
 the city. 
 
 Many pupils who- attend our school regret the time 
 for their departure so pleasant has their visit been to 
 them. 
 
 The entire class board together, each of the pupils 
 being provided with a comfortable room and all the ac- 
 commodations of their own homes at a reasonable price. 
 
 Boarding with the class is optional. The pupil may, 
 if he so desires board elsewhere. However, one will find 
 it more advantageous to board with the rest of the 
 pupils. 
 
 Musicales, debates, at homes, etc., given in the par- 
 lors supply evening ' entertainment for the class, and 
 everything that can be done to make it pleasant lor the 
 pupils is carefully looked after. 
 
 55 
 
A Word to Stammers. 
 
 The management of The Lewis Phonometric Insti- 
 tute has selected the following letters of endorsement 
 from among a great number received from its gradu- 
 ates, by way of press notices, etc., and from prominent and 
 well known persons who know of or have tested the 
 merits of its method of treatment. 
 
 We shall be pleased to furnish upon application to 
 parties who desire it as further reference prominent 
 and well known resident physicians of Detroit and 
 elsewhere, business and professional men s ex-stammer- 
 ers and graduates, who will be pleased to answer by 
 correspondence any inquiries addressed to them regard- 
 ing the success of our work. 
 
 The rapid growth of our school can be attributed 
 only to the success that has followed our efforts, and 
 has not only built up for us a correspondence extend- 
 ing over the entire continent but has also rewarded us 
 with graduates from nearly every state of the Union and 
 province of Canada. 
 
 Address all communications 
 
 The Lewis Phonometric Institute 
 
 AND SCHOOL FOR 
 
 STAMMERERS. 
 
 41 Adelaide Street. Detroit, Michigan. 
 
 56 
 
From Louis S. Wagner. 
 
 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. 
 
 I write this article for publication that those who are 
 suffering from stammering or stuttering may seek and ob- 
 tain relief. I was born in Quebec City, 1866, and at my 
 earliest infancy commenced stuttering, since which time 
 my difficulty had rapidly developed. 
 
 My father stammers at the present time, and has since 
 childhood, and his brother, my uncle, is one of the moist 
 severe cases I have ever known. 
 
 I feel happy to say that I have never hesitated, stam- 
 mered or stuttered since my first lesson, and have not ex- 
 perienced the least fear that I would. 
 
 I have been in public office at the City Hall, Quebec, 
 since 1888, and have written today a letter to Mr. C. J. 
 L. Lafrance, City Treasurer, Quebec, that reads as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 Dear Sir, — It is with the greatest pleasure that I 
 have to let you know that I am completely cured of my 
 stuttering and stammering. 
 
 After having taken my first lesson at the Lewis 
 Phonometric Institute, at the hour of 10 o'clock A. M. on 
 Monday last, at 11 o'clock I could speak without the 
 least hesitation. 
 
 I expect to be in Quebec City, next week. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 LOUIS S. WAGNER. 
 
 P. S. — I speak equally as well in English as I do in 
 French. 
 
 (Written Oct. 12th., 1894.) 
 
 57 
 
From Louis S. Wagner. 
 
 City Hall, Quebec City, Can., Oct 27, 1894. 
 
 Mr. George A. Lewis, Principal Lewis Phonometric In- 
 stitute: 
 
 Dear Sir: — The Hon. E. A. Dery, Judge of the Re- 
 corder's Court, of this City, passed many compliments on 
 my speaking in court yesterday. I have as yet not had the 
 slightest trouble. His Worship the Mayor of Quebec 
 City, desires you to add to your list of references his 
 name, saying that he knew me as a very bad stutterer 
 and stammerer, and that after being but eight days in 
 your school, I returned home completely cured. 
 
 Extending to you my best wishes in your good work, 
 I remain, yours respectfully, 
 
 LOUIS S. WAGNER. 
 
 From Louis S. Wagner. 
 
 City Hall, Quebec City, Oct. 1st, 1895. 
 
 Mr. Geo. Andrew Lewis, Principal Lewis Phonometric 
 Institute : 
 Dear Sir: — It is now a year since I attended your in- 
 stitute and I can assure you I shall never regret the day 
 I entered. I am pleased to let you know of my continued 
 success. Yours very truly, 
 
 LOUIS S. WAGNER. 
 
 58 
 
From Mt\ Frank A. Tuerk, 
 
 Tavistock, Ontario, Can., Aug. 26th, 1895. 
 Dear Mr. Lewis: — As I have not written you for a 
 considerable length of time I desire to again express my 
 sincere thanks for the sucessful and permanent cure you 
 have afforded me. Everybody in Tavistock knew me for 
 years as a most inveterate stammerer, and to think that I 
 was entirely cured of my difficulty in the remarkably short 
 time of three weeks seems almost too good to be true. 
 During my treatment at your school I met a number of 
 your pupils who had tried other methods and had failed, 
 and I am pleased to tell you that I have recently heard 
 from them and that they expressed themselves as highly 
 delighted with their cure. Wishing you further success 
 with your good work, I am, 
 
 Very gratefully yours, 
 
 FRANK A. TUERK. 
 
 From V. Stock, 
 
 General Merchant and Notary Public. 
 
 Tavistock, Ont., March 1st, 1895. 
 
 This certifies that Mr. Frank Tuerk, of this village, 
 has been known to me for many years, and that 
 he has suffered very much from an impediment of speech 
 generally called stammering; at times so much so that 
 it was painful to hear him attempt to speak. On the 20th 
 
 59 
 
day of January last he left here to attend Mr. Geo. A. 
 Lewis' Institute for stammerers. After three weeks' ab- 
 sence, on the 19th day of February, he returned, speaking 
 without difficulty and freed from obstruction. When 
 cases as bad as Mr. Tuerk's can be successfully cured by 
 Mr. Lewis, then all suffering with the like trouble may 
 feel assured: of being relieved by him from their affliction. 
 His treatment merits confidence. 
 
 V. STOCK. 
 
 From A. fliller, Ass't Postmaster. 
 
 Tavistock, Ont., Feb'y 27th, 1895. 
 To Whom it May Concern: — 
 
 I have known Mr. Frank A. Tuerk for nearly eight 
 years previous to his attending Mr. Geo. A. Lewis' school. 
 He was very much troubled with stammering and stutter- 
 ing, sometimes it being almost impossible for him to 
 make himself understood, but since returning, have not 
 heard him make the least sound in that way but can speak 
 as freely as anyone. I can cheerfully recommend the 
 above school to* any who are affected with this same dis- 
 ease and feel confident their expectations, after attending, 
 will be more than realized. 
 
 A. MILLER. 
 
 60 
 
From F. Krug. 
 
 Tavistock, Ont., Feb'y 26th, 1895. 
 Mr. Geo. A. Lewis: 
 
 Dear Sir: — Your pupil, Mr. Frank Tuerk, was in my 
 employment for something over three years. It was 
 really painful to have to witness the stammering that he 
 w r as subject to. The result of your treatment is really 
 marvelous, he can now converse with ease, not the slight- 
 est sign is to be seen that he was ever such a victim of 
 stammering. I therefore with pleasure certify to above. 
 
 Respectfully yours, 
 
 F. KRUG. 
 
 From F. A. Tuerk. 
 
 Tavistock, Ont., Jan. 1, 1896. 
 Mr ,Buffalo, N. Y. 
 
 Dear Sir: — I received your letter some time ago, but 
 mislaid it and of course did not remember your address. 
 I hope: you will excuse the delay. 
 
 It will be a year the latter part of this month that I 
 was cured of stammering by Mr. Geo. A. Lewis, and I 
 must say that my cure has-been very satisfactory, indeed 
 every fear of stammering has been removed, and nobody 
 would now think that I was ever the victim of such a ter- 
 
 61 
 
reble affliction. It was very hard to speak to strangers 
 before I was cured. I was a most inveterate stammerer, 
 and used to stammer five to ten minutes at one syllable. 
 Everybody who knew me will say that. 
 
 I can now read before an audience and have not even 
 the least fear of stammering; in fact I have perfect free- 
 dom of speech. I remain, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 FRANK A. TUERK. 
 
 From James H. Stevenson. 
 
 Glencoe, Ontario, Canada, Aug. 10, 1895. 
 Mr. Geo. A. Lewis, Detroit, Mich: 
 
 My Dear Mr. Lewis: — I write to let you know of my 
 success since I graduated from your school. I delivered 
 an address before the young people of our church a few 
 evenings ago and did not experience the least difficulty. 
 
 One of our employes told me to-day that he has 
 watched me carefully for many months to see if he could 
 notice any indication of my former difficulty which you 
 know at times was severe. He told me that he has never 
 observed any hesitancy in the way of stammering. 
 
 With best wishes for yourself and the success of your 
 school, I remain, 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 JAMES H. STEVENSON. 
 
 62 
 
From Mrs. Edna Chaffee Noble, 
 
 Director of Detroit Training School of Elocution and English Literature. 
 60 Edmund Place, Detroit, Mich. 
 
 I have unqualified faith in Mr. George Andrew 
 Lewis' methods for treating stammering. His cures are 
 not miraculous, for they are founded upon the laws of 
 nature and a thorough understanding of the sensitive or- 
 ganization of those who suffer from this particular kind 
 of speech defect. It gives me great pleasure to speak of 
 Mr. Lewis' success as I have personal knowledge that he 
 is not only competent for the difficult work he undertakes 
 but worthy of all trust. 
 
 Very sincerely yours, 
 
 August 13th, 1895. EDNA CHAFFEE NOBLE. 
 
 From Joe J. Thornton. 
 
 Magnolia, III., Jan. 20th, 1896. 
 Mr. Geo. Andrew Lewis, Detroit, Mich. 
 
 Dear Mr. Lewis: — I write to let you know I con- 
 tinue to talk without stammering. I read a long article 
 in school a few days ago without the least trouble, some- 
 thing I could never do in my life before I attended your 
 school. 
 
 Do not hesitate in referring anybody to me con- 
 cerning your work, because I am always glad to tell of 
 my cure. Remember me to your secretary and to Mrs. 
 Lewis, and believe me Sincerely yours, 
 
 JOE J. THORNTON. 
 
 63 
 
From J, W. Thornton. 
 
 Magnolia, III., Jan. 13th, 1896. 
 Mr. Geo. A. Lewis, Detroit, Mich. 
 
 My Dear Sir: — I must say that I am perfectly satis- 
 fied with my son's cure. I find he is very deliberate in 
 conversation but does not have the least difficulty of 
 stammering-. To any one seeking a cure for stammer- 
 ing, I would cheerfully recommend you and your 
 treatment. 
 
 To yourself and wife I desire again to thank you 
 for your kindness to my son Joe while with you. 
 
 Truly yours, 
 
 T. W. THORNTON. 
 
 From Joe J. Thornton. 
 
 Magnolia, III., Jan. 15th, 1896. 
 
 Mr , Freeport, 111. 
 
 Dear Sir: — I received your letter today and am 
 pleased to tell you of my cure of stammering. Before I 
 went to Mr. Lewis' School, I w 7 as a bad stammerer, but 
 now talk perfectly without the least fear of my old 
 trouble. The treatment is not at all severe, any one be- 
 ing able to> take it. While there from a large class I saw 
 a number of pupils (six or seven) leave the school cured 
 and every pupil there seemed perfectly satisfied. There 
 is no doubt as to the efficiency of Mr. Lewis' work and I 
 would advise any stammerer by all means to go to him 
 
 64 
 
for treatment. 1 met a number of pupils at Mr. Lewis 7 
 School v. ho had attended other institutions and taken 
 other treatments without success, but were entirely cured 
 by Air. Lewis. Yours very truly, 
 
 JOE. J. THORNTON. 
 
 From Mrs. Fred L. Wells. 
 
 Port Huron, Mich., July 5, 1895. 
 Mr. George Andrew Lewis, Detroit, Mich: 
 
 Dear Sir: — Let me write one more letter to you to 
 express as w T ell as I can my congratulations on your suc- 
 cess in curing my niece, and the great thankfulness and 
 personal gratitude felt by her whole family for what you 
 have done. I really envy you the privilege of being such 
 a boon to mankind. How you must enjoy the lifting of 
 clouds and the opening up of new hopes and possibilities 
 to those who have been in bonds. If vou do not restore 
 them to life, you restore life to them. When I think oi 
 what a different world this will hereafter be to my niece 
 I can hardly keep back tears of joy and of gratitude to 
 you who have been instrumental in giving her this free- 
 dom. May God bless you inj all your efforts and give you 
 continued success, and may you live long to carry on this 
 good work to which you have set your hand. I am sure 
 since you cured my niece there can be very few cases that 
 will fail under your treatment. To us you will always 
 seem a true friend as one who came in time of need. 
 
 Very sincerely yours. 
 
 HATTIE WELLS. 
 
 6; 
 
From Prof. Geo. B. Hynson. 
 
 Principal of the National School of Elocution and Oratory, the oldest 
 established School of Voice Culture in America. 
 
 Philadelphia, Pa., August 31st, 1894. 
 Mr. George A. Lewis, Principal Phonomet-ric Institute; 
 My Dear Sir: — I was pleased to learn that you have 
 opened your school and shall send any one in need of 
 such a specialist to you. You are at liberty to use my 
 name as reference. Sincerely yours, 
 
 GEO. B. HYNSON. 
 
 From Annie Farrell. 
 
 Windsor, Ont., Nov. ii, 1895. 
 Mr. Geo. Andrew Lewis, Principal Lewis' Phomonietric 
 Institute. 
 
 Dear Mr. Lewis : — Since leaving your school I have 
 applied every means to test the completeness of my cure 
 and must say that the result is not only pleasing to my- 
 self but a complete demonstration of the efficiency of your 
 system. Words that were formerly my special stumbling 
 blocks I can now pronounce without the least hesitation. 
 All my friends say that such an improvement in so short 
 a time as four weeks is marvelous. I need scarcely add 
 that I shall take every opportunity of recommending your 
 treatment to any one afflicted as I was. I wish also to 
 thank you and your assistants for the kindness and at- 
 tention shown me while a pupil of your school. Give my 
 kindest regards to Mrs. Lewis and believe me 
 
 Sincerely, 
 
 13 Glengarry Ave. ANNIE FARRELL. 
 
 66 
 
The Lewis School. 
 
 The good work that is steadily being accomplished 
 by The Lewis Phonometric Institute and School for 
 Stammerers, cannot well be overestimated. The 
 methods adopted by Mr, Lewis in connection with iiis 
 work speak for themselves. The News has taken a deep 
 interest in this worthy enterprise, and is only too glad 
 to be in a position to confidently commend it to the 
 public. 
 
 "I first read about the institute in The News," said 
 T. W. Lutze, of Union City, Mich., enunciating each 
 word clearly and without the slightest halting or hesi- 
 tation. "Now I have been completely cured, I drop- 
 ped in to tell you how thankful and happy I am. I have 
 been a hopeless stammerer ever since I was a little child. 
 It was impossible for me to speak a word without a 
 desperate struggle, in w r hich my features were contorted 
 out of all recognition. I came to The Lewis Phonomet- 
 ric Institute Nov. 16. When I arrived I had a hard time 
 in letting anybody know what I wanted. You see how well 
 I can talk to you now. I am completely cured, talk 
 as easily as any man, and am satisfied that all my troubles 
 are over. I feel so grateful that I want all who suffer 
 as I have done to know that relief is so easily obtained." 
 
 The case of J. Reutter, a lad who lives at 403 Du- 
 bois street, Detroit, is even more remarkable than that 
 of Mr. Lutze. He sells The News, and lost no time in 
 informing the managers of the paper of his happy ex- 
 experience. 
 
 "I have always been a terrible stammerer," he said. 
 
 67 
 
"The trouble began with my first efforts to talk, and has 
 been incessant ever since. Before I entered the institute, 
 which was only ten days ago, it would have taken me 
 several hours to have said as much to you as I have al- 
 ready done. Now I do not stammer at all, even under 
 exeitement. It seems almost impossible that as much 
 could be done in so short a time, The future looks 
 very different to me, now that I have got the best of 
 my awful trouble. 
 
 Mr. Lewis has again been obliged to enlarge his 
 school to accommodate the rapidly increasing attend- 
 ance of pupils who come here from all parts of the Unit- 
 ed States and Canada. — Detroit Evening News, Dec. 
 1 6th, 1895. 
 
 From C. F. Daniels. 
 
 BISHOP SCHOOL, 
 
 Winder near Rivard. 
 
 CHAS. F. DANIELS, Principal. 
 
 Detroit, Mich., Jan. 15th, 1896. 
 Mr. Geo. A. Lewis. 
 
 Dear Sir: — I wish to express to you my apprecia- 
 tion of the wonderful cure you have produced in my 
 pupil, Jacob Reutter. 
 
 Before going to you for treatment his stammering 
 was painful. He could scarcely make a recitation; but 
 now he does as well as any of his class. His cure is 
 complete. 
 
 His other teachers are delighted. He will now enter 
 High School which he did not expect to do/. 
 
 Respectfully, 
 
 CHAS. F. DANIELS. 
 
 68 
 
From Miss Eva A. Reutter. 
 
 Detroit, Mich. ,. Jan. 6th, 1896. 
 Mr. Geo. Andrew Lewis, Principal Lewis' School for 
 Stammerers. 
 
 Dear Sir: — I desire to thank you for what you have 
 done for my brother. We have not heard him stammer 
 once since entering your school. He has now not the 
 least difficulty in talking ,and we consider his cure both 
 permanent and complete. 
 
 It will always afford us pleasure to have you refer 
 any one to us concerning the success of your work. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 403 Dubois street. EVA A. REUTTER. 
 
 From Wesley Lutze. 
 
 Union City, Mich., Jan. 30, 1890. 
 Mr. Geo. Andrew Lewis, 
 
 Dear Friend: — Permit me to add my testimony to 
 those of many who have been cured of stammering at 
 your Institute. I had been a very bad stammerer my 
 whole life and found it difficult to utter many sounds 
 without straining my lungs to the utmost extent. At 
 times my mouth would open wide while at other times I 
 could not open it at all but would contort and twist my 
 features in a most painful manner. I am pleased to say 
 that four weeks treatment at your school entirely over- 
 came my difficulty and I can now talk as well as any one. 
 
 69 
 
Since my own cure I do not believe there is a single case 
 of stammering that cannot be successfully treated by your 
 system. With unspeakable gratitude to you for the re- 
 lief you have afforded me and wishing you every sucess. 
 I remain, Yours truly, 
 
 WESLEY LUTZE. 
 
 The Lewis Phonometric Institute. 
 
 (Extract.) 
 
 A few weeks ago the writer visited the Lewis Insti- 
 tute and heard the class of ladies and gentlemen students 
 
 recite. Among the number was a young fellow about 
 twenty years of age. He was absolutely unable to utter 
 tw r o words without going into a contortion. His case 
 
 seemed incurable. His memory was impaired and he ap- 
 peared almost a physical wreck. He was requested to 
 repeat four words as a test of memory. His efforts to 
 speak were painful to witness. 
 
 To see the same young fellow today would astonish 
 you. He has secured a perfect command of language. 
 
 He has confidence in himself, and speaks entertainingly 
 of his cure. "1 have not stammered since the first week 
 
 I arrived here/' he remarked. "My home is in Ohio, 
 and I know it will be an agreeable surprise to my folks 
 when I return, fully cured. The Lewis system of curing 
 stammering and stuttering has accomplished wonders in 
 my case, as I had tried other methods in both New 
 
 York and Philadelphia without any apparent benefit." 
 The Detroit Tribune, September 23, 1895. 
 
 70 
 
From The Christian Herald. 
 
 Detroit, Mich., Oct. 3rd. 
 
 Seeking to be of value to its readers in its adver- 
 tising as truly as in its reading columns, a representa- 
 tive of the Christian Herald obtained an interview with 
 a patient of Mr: Lewis', Tuesday afternoon to learn from 
 the patient's point of view, all possible concerning the 
 method and success of Mr. Lewis' treatment of imperfect 
 speech. k T first learned of Mr. Lewis and his treatment 
 through an article appearing in your paper/' said Mrs. 
 N. P. Smith, or Ortonville, Michigan, who had some- 
 time before entered The Lewis Phonometric Institute, to 
 be cured of a distressing impediment of speech, from 
 which she had suffered for more than twenty-five years. 
 
 "When about three years of age," continued Mrs. 
 Smith, "my parents noticed that I was beginning to 
 stammer and notwithstanding everything was tried at 
 that, time to prevent it. my difficulty appeared to grow 
 worse. I cannot look back over my whole life and re- 
 member a time when I did not stammer." "Have you 
 any difficulty now?" asked our representative. "Not 
 the least," remarked Airs. Smith, "and it seems too good 
 to be true. You cannot imagine what a different life 
 this will be to me. One who has not stammered has no 
 idea of the torture endured at times by those who are 
 unfortunately afflicted. Of course, at times, I could talk 
 fairly well, but under certain conditions, I was unable 
 to speak a word. Now I have not the slightest difficul- 
 ty," remarked Mrs. Smith, and her face brightened up in 
 such a cheerful manner when she spoke as to thoroughly 
 
 71 
 
convince one that she was, indeed, a happy woman. 
 "Have you any objections to my informing the readers 
 of the Herald of your cure?" asked our representative. 
 "Not the slightest;" remarked Mrs. Smith. "If I can, 
 in any way, aid in directing other stammerers to the 
 happiness I have experienced, I will, I am sure, be more 
 than satisfied." 
 
 The Lewis Institute has graduated a very large 
 number of pupils since it established in Detroit. Mr. 
 Geo. Andrew Lewis, the founder and principal of the 
 school, suffered from stammering in a most severe form, 
 and after many efforts to find relief, incorporated and 
 registered at patent offices, both in this country and 
 Canada, his school and method. Since that time, 
 his efforts to relieve others of this affliction have met 
 with unprecedented success. The Herald has personal 
 knowledge of the success of this work and of remarkable 
 cures that have been effected. 
 
 A unique feature of the school, introduced by Mr. 
 Lewis, is a comfortable, homelike residence, fitted up 
 especially for the accommodation of pupils, and which 
 is conveniently located near the school. 
 
 From firs. N. P. Smith. 
 
 Ortonville, Mich., Jan. 23, T893. 
 Mr. Geo. A. Lewis, Detroit, Mich. 
 
 Dear Sir: — I shall be pleased to refer any person 
 who stammers to you for treatment. I attended your 
 school for three weeks and can truthfully say that your 
 system does all that you claim for it. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 MRS. N. P. SMITH. 
 72 
 
From Robert J. Hubbard. 
 
 Mt. Clemens, Mich., Jan. 20th, 1896. 
 Dear Mr. Lewis: — My parents and friends are de- 
 lighted with my cure. I am pleased to tell you that I am 
 talking without the least fear of stammering. My cure 
 I consider remarkable as I had stammered for more than 
 twenty years. Kindly remember me to your staff and 
 pupils and believe me, 
 
 Most sincerely yours, 
 
 ROBERT J. HUBBARD. 
 
 From Allan M. Henderson. 
 
 Glendenning, Manitoba, Canada, Aug. 29th, 1895. 
 Mr. George Andrew Lewis, Principal Lewis Phonometric 
 
 Institute : 
 
 Dear Mr. Lewis: — I am pleased to tell you that I am 
 talking with perfect ease and freedom and have not ex- 
 perienced the least difficulty in reading. You will re- 
 member when I came to you I could scarcely utter a 
 word. Everybody says they would never know that I had 
 ever stammered. You may refer any one to me with re- 
 gard to your method and I can give them a satisfactory 
 reply from experience. 
 
 Very sincerely yours, 
 
 ALLAN M. HENDERSON. 
 
From ilr. M. McKenzie. 
 
 Wyoming, Ont., Canada. 
 
 Mr. George Andrew Lewis, Principal Lewis Phonomet- 
 ric Institute: 
 
 Dear Sir: — lam really proud of the success of my 
 friend, Mr. Allan M. Henderson, at your school. I am 
 now thoroughly convinced of your ability to cure stam- 
 mering, and feel confident that you have placed him in 1 a 
 position to engage in the active duties of life in whatever 
 sphere he may choose : with the assurance that at least one 
 great barrier to success has been removed. 
 
 Wishing you every success in your grand under- 
 taking, I remain, Yours very respectfully, 
 
 M. McKENZIE. 
 
 A Practical School for Stammerers. 
 
 An educational feature that has recently taken 
 high rank in Detroit, and which is doing much to 
 relieve the unfortunate, is the phonometrical cure of 
 stammering. It is a method which is based strictly upon 
 natural and scientific methods, and the success which is 
 being achieved is giving the city a wide and enviable 
 reputation. Patients who have been pronounced hope- 
 less come to Detroit from all parts of the United States 
 and Canada, and in a remarkably brief space of time, 
 are returned to their homes, thoroughly cured of the dis- 
 tressing habit. This great work is under the care of 
 gentlemen of superior ability, and the public can always 
 feel assured of fair dealing. — Detroit Tribune, Friday, 
 August 24, 1895. 
 
 74 
 
Stammer No fiore. 
 
 To a representative of The Free Press who called 
 yesterday at The Lewis Phonometric Institute (register- 
 ed), several of the pupils told some remarkable experien- 
 ces. Mr. Ernest McCorkell, of Quebec City, who arriv- 
 ed in Detroit just a week ago, was introduced to us and 
 told of his cure — as follows. I learned of Mr. Lewis 
 through a Air. Louis Wagner, who has been in public 
 office of the city hall, Quebec City, for many years. 
 
 Mr. Wagner was once to my knowledge a very bad 
 stammerer. He attended! Mr. Lewis' school about a year 
 ago, and ever since his return he and my friends have been 
 constantly urging me to take this course, and I can as- 
 sure you that I am not sorry I am here. I arrived just a 
 week ago today and will surprise you when I tell you that 
 I have not had the slightest difficulty since I entered Mr. 
 Lewis' class. 
 
 Other pupils were now introduced to us by Principal 
 Lewis and all seemed to have the same encouraging re- 
 ports of their progress, A pupil from Montreal, assured 
 us that he had been so severely afflicted that he often- 
 times took an interpreter along to do his talking for him. 
 He said he would reach home next week, having been 
 with Mr. Lewis not three weeks, and that he believed his 
 friends would scarcely know him. A large class of 
 pupils, including several ladies, now began to assemble 
 in the class room and our reporter took his departure, 
 strictly cautioned by Air. Lewis not to mention the names 
 of any of his pupils without their consent and expressed 
 permission. — From the Detroit Free Press. 
 
 75 
 
From Ernest McCorkell. 
 
 Quebec City, P.Q., Can., June 28th, 1895. 
 George A. Lewis, Esq., Detroit, Mich.: 
 
 Dear Mr. Lewis: — I arrived home safely yesterday 
 morning feeling quite well. My friends are all pleased 
 to hear me speak so well and astonished at the great im- 
 provement and they all wish you much success with your 
 Institute. 
 
 Kindly remember me to all your pupils and believe 
 me, Sincerely yours, 
 
 6 Herbert Street. ERNEST McCORKELL. 
 
 From G, S. Parke, M. D. 
 
 Quebec City, July 5th, 1895. 
 I certify that Ernest McCorkell, Esq., has been under 
 the care and treatment of George A. Lewis, Detroit, 
 Mich., for stammering, and that he has made a perfect 
 cure of the case. Mr. McCorkell now speaks without 
 any hesitation. 
 81 St. Anne Street. C. S. PARKE, M. D. 
 
 From W. H. Childs. 
 
 St. Roch, Quebec, Canada. 
 Geo. A. Lewis, Principal Lewis Phonometric Institute 
 Detroit, Mich: 
 
 Sir: — I am highly pleased with the success you had 
 with my friend Ernest McCorkell. I have known him 
 since he was a boy. He has always been a bad case of 
 stammering, but is now perfectly cured, thanks to your 
 good care. Yours truly, 
 
 340-342 St. Valier Street. W, H. CHTLDS. 
 
 76 
 
Surprised the Audience. 
 
 The recitation given by Mr. John Thomas Moore, 
 at the "At Home" given by the Court Imperial, No. 8092, 
 A. O. F., in the C. O. F. hall, on the sixth of November, 
 was rather a surprise party to many of those present. 
 
 Mr. Moore has formerly been known to all here as 
 a stammerer of the most severe type, with most disgust- 
 ing contortions at times. He attended the Lewis Phono- 
 metric Institute several months ago, and, judging from 
 the manner in which he handled himself on the evening 
 referred to, his stammering is to him a lost art. His 
 descriptive and vivid account of the Battle of Marengo 
 was exceedingly well rendered. Mr. Moore seems like 
 an entirely different man since his cure. — Petrolia Topic, 
 November 23, 1894. 
 
 From John Thomas Moore. 
 
 Petrolia, Sept. 15, 1894. 
 
 Mr. George Andrew Lewis, Principal Lewis Phonometric 
 
 Institute: 
 
 Dear Sir. — Kindly permit me to add my testimony 
 to those of many whom you have cured of stammering. 
 I had stammered my whole life, sometimes becoming 
 purple in the face in my painful efforts to speak; at 
 other times I would almost go into convulsions. 
 
 I can truthfully and thankfully say now, however, 
 
that I never have the least fear of stammering* or hesitancy 
 and have never stammered since my first week's in- 
 struction. 
 
 Having tried other methods in both this country and 
 abroad, I am in a position to judge of the merits of the 
 methods you use. I believe there is no case of stammer- 
 ing or stuttering that you cannot cure, having witnessed 
 equally remarkable cures performed at your Institute in 
 a most remarkably short time. 
 
 With unspeakable gratitude towards you for the re- 
 lief you have afforded me, I remain, 
 
 Yours truly, 
 JOHN THOS. MOORE. 
 
 From J, Dunfield, M.D., 
 
 (Mayor of Petrolia.) 
 
 Petrolia, Ont., Feb. 7, 1895. 
 
 I have much pleasure in testifying that I have known 
 Mr. Geo. A. Lewis for many years, and have seen some of 
 the wonderful cures he has made of persons addicted to 
 stammering, especially in the case of Mr. John T. Moore, 
 who was a very bad stammerer; but who, at the present 
 time, talks without the least hesitation. I have pleasure 
 in recommending any person so afflicted to Mr. Lewis 
 for treatment. 
 
 JOHN DUNFIELD, Mayor. 
 
 7S 
 
From the Essex Free Press. 
 
 Essex, Ont., Septemper 14th, 1894. 
 Regarding the remarkable cure of Jno. T. Moore, 
 and the gentleman who has been the means of effecting 
 it, Mr. George A. Lewis, the Free Press may say that its 
 editor has been personally and familiarly acquainted with 
 Mr. Lewis for the past four or five years. Mr. Lewis is an 
 energetic and enterprising young business man, but the 
 impediment in his speech, from which he himself has been 
 remarkably cured, was to him a painful affliction from his 
 childhood, and the writer was pleased, on meeting Mr. 
 Lewis a few weeks ago, to note that he was entirely cured 
 of his old trouble. 
 
 A Fluent Speaker, 
 
 (Petrolia Topic June 16th., 1894.) 
 
 Our citizens were much surprised at the eloquence 
 displayed by Mr. Geo. A. Lewis, last Saturday evening, at 
 Goldsmith Hall. Mr. Lewis spent fifteen years of his 
 life here, and was known by everybody to be an inveterate 
 stammerer. In fact, sometimes it was positively painful 
 to listen to him, so severe w^as his affliction, which was at 
 that time regarded by all as incurable. Two years ago 
 he went East for the express purpose of ridding 
 himself of this distressing impediment in his speech. 
 He gained much relief at an enormous outlay of 
 money and time, but gradually found himself drifting 
 back into his old habit. It was then he brought his own 
 
 79 
 
ingenuity to the rescue, and succeeded in inventing a 
 system of treatment, by the aid of which he permanently 
 cured himself in the wonderfully short time of ten days. 
 His improved method at once met with the most remark- 
 able success. Many cases by others considered incurable 
 found almost instantaneous relief by the application of 
 his system. Many Petroliates could scarcely believe that 
 so wonderful a change could be brought about as was ap- 
 parent in his clear and distinct enunciation. During four 
 hours of incessant speaking, he showed not the slightest 
 S)^mptoms of his old trouble. We consider his voice a most 
 remarkable one. The Topic but echoes all his' friends' 
 voices in congratulating him on the success that has at- 
 tended his efforts towards curing himself and others. 
 
 From the Petrolia High School. 
 
 Petrolia, Ontario, Can., April 27, 1894. 
 
 To Whom it may Concern : 
 
 This is to certify that Mr. George A. Lewis during 
 the earlier part of his life was a student in the Petrolia 
 High School for several years. During his course he 
 made substantial progress in the various subjects in the 
 High School course to which he devoted himself, and it 
 was only owing to' an impediment in his speech that he 
 relinquished the idea of studying for one of the learned 
 professions. 
 
 On leaving school Mr. Lewis devoted himself to the 
 mechanical arts, and his success therein is a guarantee of 
 what his energy and skill can accomplish. Besides at- 
 
 80 
 
taining to the highest excellence in his art, he has not 
 been neglectful of his natural defect, viz., that of stammer- 
 ing; and he has at last succeeded in wholly overcoming 
 the annoyance and is now in a position to instruct others 
 how to combat and successfully remove a disease which 
 is not only a great personal inconvenience, but also often 
 militates against a man's success in life. We have great 
 pleasure in recommending Mr. Lewis as a specialist, 
 who, we feel satisfied, will so fulfil his obligations as to 
 give entire satisfaction to his students, and afford relief 
 to all who may have the good fortune to consult him. 
 
 JNO. J. BELL, B. A., Principal. 
 WM. CLYDE, M. A, Eng. Master. 
 
 From Geo. S. Waite. 
 
 TOLEDO MANUEL TRAINING SCHOOL, 
 Geo. S. Waite, Supt. 
 
 Toledo, Ohio, November 30, 1895. 
 Mr. Geo. Andrew Lewis, Detroit, Mich.: 
 
 Dear Sir :— Please find enclosed N. Y. Draft on First 
 
 National Bank for the sum of $ , for which please 
 
 send receipt. 
 
 We are more than pleased, and I can assure you we 
 had a Thanksiving in earnest. Not only has my sister 
 been cured, but she has improved in every way. We 
 thank you and I know you will have much success with 
 your school. 
 
 Yours respectfully, 
 
 GEO. S. WAITE. 
 
 81 
 
From Alfred A. Palmer. 
 
 Montreal, Quebec, Can., Feb. 23, 1896. 
 
 Mr. George Andrew Lewis, 
 
 Detroit, Michigan. 
 Dear Sir: — I heartily recommend your school and 
 system of treatment to all who suffer from defect and im- 
 perfect articulation, and can say that your method is the 
 only common sense one I know of. Wishing you every 
 success in your noble and helpful work, I remain, 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 ALFRED A. PALMER. 
 41 Gain Street. 
 
 From nailery Palmer, 
 
 Montreal, Quebec, Can., Feb. 23, 1896. 
 
 Mr. George Andrew Lewis, 
 
 Principal Lewis Phonometric Institute, 
 Detroit, Michigan. 
 
 Dear Sir: — I take great pleasure in certifying to the 
 cure of my son Albert (Fred) who has been under your 
 treatment for one month only. He was a stammerer for 
 the past fourteen years, but now is entirely cured of this 
 complaint. His voice and breathing have improved so 
 much that I can hardly imagine he is my son who went 
 to Detroit to be cured of stammering. Before attending 
 
 82 
 
your school, he was unable to speak for any length oi 
 time without complaining of pain in his chest, back, and 
 side. These symptoms have entirely disappeared and no 
 trace of his former troubles remains. It is indeed wonder- 
 ful that such a cure was effected in so short a time, and 
 I can only say that I am extremely thankful for your care- 
 ful attention and success. I trust that if you ever visit 
 Montreal, you will not fail to let us know of the fact, 
 and we w r ill endeavor to make your visit as pleasant as 
 possible. Wishing you every success in your good 
 work, I remain, 
 
 Yours thankfully, 
 
 MALLERY PALMER. 
 
 41 Gain Street. 
 
 From Mrs. George Kling. 
 
 412 W. Washington St., Ionia Mich. 
 Having been under treatment at the Lewis Phono- 
 metric Institute for five weeks I am pleased to say that 
 although I stammered for twenty years of my life, I am 
 now entirely cured and have never had the slightest diffi- 
 culty in speaking since my first few lessons. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 MRS. GEORGE KLING. 
 
 S3 
 
The Evening News. 
 
 Detroit, Mich., Dec. 30, '95. 
 
 Mr 
 
 Alpena, Mich.: 
 Dear Sir: — In answer to your inquiry of the 28th, 
 we take pleasure in stating that we have investigated The 
 Lewis School for Stammerers and have found that they 
 not only do what they advertise, but from many inter- 
 views with former patients, find that a complete cure has 
 been effected in every case, which has come under our 
 notice Yours very trulv, 
 
 EVENING NEWS ASSOCIATION. 
 H. S. SCOTT Assistant Manager. 
 
 From The flichigan Christian Advocate, 
 
 Office of the Methodist Publishing Co., 
 189 Woodward Avenue, 
 
 Detroit, Mich., Sept. 30, 1895. 
 
 Rev. J. E. Arney, Pana, 111. 
 
 Dear Sir: — Your inquiry of the 27th is before us. 
 We have made personal inquiry concerning the Lewis 
 Phonometric Institute and School for Stammerers and 
 know of some splendid work, which they have done in 
 this vicinity. Have your friend come to Detroit for 
 treatment and if he wishes to call on us first, we shall be 
 /glad to take him up to the Institute and introduce him to 
 the Principal, Mr. Lewis, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 THE METHODIST PUBLISHING CO. 
 
 84 
 
flany Successful Cures. 
 
 Detroit, Mich., Jan. 20th, 1896. 
 
 Mr , Whiteville, Mo. 
 
 Dear Sir: — Replying to your favor of Jan. 17th., 
 we take pleasure in saying that The Lewis Phonometric 
 Institute is all it claims and has to our knowledge 
 turned out many successful cures of the worst possible 
 cases of stammering. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 EVENING NEWS ASSOCIATION. 
 
 H. S. Scott, Assistant Manager. 
 
 Unfettered Speech. 
 
 Of all the institutions designed to relieve suffering 
 humanity, one of the newest, and one that will be hailed 
 with joy by many a poor victim, is the Lewis Phonomet- 
 ric Institute, a school for the cure of stammering and stut- 
 tering and other forms of imperfect speech and articula- 
 tion. A man who had stammered for 35 years told a 
 Journal representative today that after the first few les- 
 sons he has not experienced any trouble and is cured 
 after being in the school only a w r eek and a half, and 
 further proved his assertion by reciting a difficult selec- 
 tion from "Hamlet" without any difficulty of utterance. 
 
 A complete staff of instructors attend to the classes 
 under the personal direction of Mr. Lewis. The pupils 
 making up the school are here from different parts of the 
 United States and Canada. — Detroit Tournal, May 7th, 
 
 1895. 
 
 S5 
 
From Henry Doerfling. 
 
 Baden, Ont., Can., Feb. 25, 1S96. 
 Mr. George Andrew Lewis, Detroit, Mich. - 
 
 Dear Mr. Lewis: — I write to express my thankful- 
 ness to you for the relief you have afforded me. Although 
 I stamered for many years and my difficulty of speech 
 was certainly increasing, you have completely cured me. 
 I feel that I cannot recommend your system of treatment 
 too highly to others and shall always be pleased to speak 
 with gratitude toward you and your school. I find in con- 
 versation that I speak without stammering as well in Ger- 
 man as in English. Yours very truly, 
 
 HENRY DOERFLIXG. 
 
 From Paul Gil low. 
 
 Dearborn, Mich., Feb. 10, 1896. 
 Mr. Geo. Andrew Lewis, Principal Lewis School, De- 
 troit, Mich. 
 
 Dear Sir: — You need not have the least hesitation 
 in referring any stammerer to me concerning the thor- 
 oughness of your treatment. 
 
 My son, Henry, before attending your school was 
 one of the worst cases of stammering I had ever known. 
 His efforts to articulate brought on severe contortions 
 and his painful manner of talking was not only embar- 
 rassing to himself but also to those with whom he came 
 
 S6 
 
in contact in conversation. I am pleased to say that 
 although it is nearly a year since he left your school he 
 still continues to talk without stammering. 
 
 He often speaks of your kindness to him and will 
 certainly never forget you for the relief you have afford- 
 ed him. With gratitude towards you and wishing you 
 the continued success you well deserve 
 I remain yours very truly, 
 
 PAUL GILLOW. 
 
 From Albert O. Thayer. 
 
 WESt Somerville, Mass., March, ioth, 1896. 
 
 Mr. Geo. Andrew Lewis, 
 
 Detroit, Michigan. 
 
 Dear Mr. Lewis: — I wish to express tx> you again my 
 great thankfulness and gratitude for what you have done 
 for me. I feel that I can better appreciate the value of 
 your treatment than the majority of others who have 
 attended your school in as much as I have tried other well 
 known Institutes in Philadelphia and Boston but without 
 success and at an enormous expenditure of money and 
 time. 
 
 You may refer any one to me and I will be only too 
 pleased to speak well of you and of your institution be- 
 cause from experience I can say that your system of treat- 
 ment and application is the most thorough and complete 
 of any in America. When I went to Detroit to undergo 
 treatment it was with the greatest difficulty and effort that 
 I made myself understood and I was oftentimes obliged 
 
to write my wants upon a tablet which I kept in my 
 pocket for that purpose. I am glad to say now however 
 that my old trouble has left me and I feel entirely cured 
 for which I can never thank you sufficiently. I should 
 certainly recommend your treatment to any stammerer 
 believing that when cases as severe as mine can be suc- 
 cessfully treated that any case will yeald readily to your 
 system of application and method of treatment. Believe 
 me. Sincerely yours, 
 
 ALBERT O. THAYER. 
 
 A Noble Work. 
 
 The success achieved by The Lewis Phonometric In- 
 stitute is attracting wide interest in educational and scien- 
 tific quarters, and the methods employed in relieving 
 supposedly hopeless stammerers are matters for pro- 
 found and approving discussion all over the country. 
 It comes as a revelation, and its very simplicity is re- 
 garded as its highest reccommendation. George Andrew 
 Lewis, the head of the institution, was formerly a hope- 
 less stammerer himself, and it was while groping about 
 in search of personal relief that he perfected the methods 
 which are now doing so much to restore other unfortu- 
 nates to happiness and confidence in themselves. Mr. 
 Lewis lays no claim to anything miraculous in his man- 
 ner of treatment, but depends wholly upon natural, phy- 
 sical laws, aided by a thorough knowledge of the dis- 
 tressing conditions which call for relief. The Institute 
 
 88 
 
at present has an attendance of twenty pupils and 
 is constantly flooded with eloquent letters of thanks from 
 those who have been cured and their friends. Those 
 who constantly leave the institution restored to perfect 
 speech are its very best possible advertisement, and they 
 are scattered all over the United States and Canada. 
 —Detroit Tribune, February 15, 1896. 
 
 All business communications, pertaining to terms 
 applications, particulars regarding treatment, etc., should 
 be addressed direct to our office and will receive im- 
 mediate attention. 
 
 The Lewis Phonemetric Institute 
 
 AND SCHOOL FOR 
 
 STAMMERERS. 
 
 41 Adelaide Street. Detroit, Michigan. 
 
 89 
 
Rules and Regulations, 
 i. 
 
 Each pupil shall report for class exercise daily, or 
 give a satisfactory excuse for absence. 
 
 2. 
 
 Any instructions from the principal to the pupil, at 
 any time during treatment, shall be observed by the lat- 
 ter, provided such instructions are: calculated to hasten 
 his or her cure. 
 
 3- 
 
 Any pupil wishing to leave class exercise shall first 
 obtain permission from the instructor. 
 
 4. 
 
 Absolute silence shall be observed by the pupil for 
 such period of time as shall be by the instructor specified 
 as necessary for his or her particular case. 
 
 5. 
 
 The total abstinence from, the use of narcotics, such 
 as tobacco, cigarettes, alcoholic liquors, opium and 
 morphine, shall be observed by all pupils while under 
 treatment. 
 
 6. 
 
 Late hours, late suppers, and dissipation of any kind 
 must be careful avoided by pupils during treatment. . 
 
 7. 
 
 Any pupil making use of unseemly or ungentleman- 
 ly language in the presence of other members of his 
 class will immediately forfeit all right of scholarship and 
 be forthwith expelled from the school. 
 
 NOTE— If the names and addresses of stammerers are furnished us we 
 shall be pleased to mail them copies of tbis pamphlet without mentioning 
 the source of information. 
 
 90 
 

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