statement, it will be found that the person in question never
really stammered--that his trouble was something else--lalling,
lisping, or some defect of speech that was mistaken for stammering or
stuttering.

Another case of apparent miraculous cure is the case of the stammerer
who, finding himself unable to say words beginning with certain
letters, begins the practice of substituting easy sounds for those that
are difficult and thus, provided he has only a slight case, leads many
to believe that he talks almost perfectly. This fellow is known as the
"Synonym Stammerer" and is usually a quick thinker and a ready
"substituter-of-words." If he has stammered noticeably for some time
until those in his vicinity have become acquainted with his affliction,
and then discovers the plan of substituting easy sounds for hard ones,
he may for a time conceal his impediment and lead certain of his
friends to believe that he no longer stammers.

This "Synonym Stammerer" is storing up endless trouble for himself,
however, for the mental strain of trying to remember and speak synonyms
of hard words entails such a great drain upon his mind as to make it
almost impossible to maintain the practice for any great length of
tune. In this connection, let every stammerer be warned to avoid this
practice of substitution of words. It is a seeming way out of
difficulty sometimes, but you will find that you are only making your
malady worse and laying up difficulties for yourself in the future.

CHAPTER III

CASES THAT CANNOT BE CURED

In an experience in meeting stammerers and in curing stammering it is
only natural to assume that I have come across certain cases which
could not be cured. It is only natural, too, to expect that in such a
wide experience it would be possible to determine what cases are
incurable and why.

Cases of incurable speech impediments may be divided into seven classes:

(1)--Those with organic defects;
(2)--Those with diseased condition of the brain;
(3)--Those who have postponed treatment until their malady
has progressed so far into the chronic stage as to make
treatment valueless;
(4)--Those who refuse to obey instructions;
(5)--Those who persist in dissipation, regardless of effects;
(6)--Those of below normal intelligence;
(7)--Those who will not make the effort to be cured.

Stutterers and stammerers whose trouble arises from an organic defect
are so f