!^^«MMMiMMMMMnnrtiiiA^iii»JMlM5 from a lady who de- sired to come to me for treatment for stammer- in". She had been treated by a specialist, who thought to overcome her impediment of speech by allowing her to sing her words instead of at- tempting to speak them. Acting under the ad- 6 STAMMERING. vice of her physician, she had, for several years, sung every word she wanted to say. She stated in her letter that if she came to me she would have to sing her symptoms to me instead of speaking them. I answered her that she would be welcome to sing to me all she pleased. I could hardly repress my laughter in listening to the description she gave me of her case after her arrival, singing every word of it in a high. clear soprano voice. She had quite a colloquy with the colored porter on her arrival in trying to get him to understand, in her song, who she wanted to see, the porter supposing that she was either drunk or crazy. In one hour after her visit to my office she was able to speak with perfect ease, and in taking leave of us she laughed heartily at the ridiculous sensation she created on her first arrival. Some specialists undertake to treat this im- pediment of speech by teaching the patient to beat time with the hand or foot, speaking the words only at regular beats. While practicing at Lancaster, Pa., a gentleman called to see me who had been treated by this method at some Eastern institution. I asked him to be seated, inquiring what I could do for him. Before he commenced his reply he began beating four- four time with his right hand, striking his knee at each beat, pronouncing, in monotonous regu- larity, the following words: " I—some—times— have—to—strike — hard—be—fore—I—can—get —the—words—out." He declared it was quite impossible for him to speak without either strik- ing his knee or nodding his head. Others who have been similarly treated, or have fallen into the habit of their own accord, stamp the foot on the floor at each word, or rub the hands together, and many other foolish movements. ONLY A HABIT. Perhaps th"e reader will say: "Oh, well, if stammering is only a habit, I can cure myself. STAMMERING. 7 I will just quit it by force of will power. I do not need Dr. Hartman or anyone else to cure me." It does seem so, and I have met many people who had cured themselves, and I believe anyone can quit stammering if he only will try hard enough ; but, unfortunately, it is very diffi- cult to break away from a habit so strong. Bad habits are numerous and very damaging to health and good morals. The habits of drinking whisky, beer, coffee and tea, chewing tobacco, smoking, snuffing, opium eating, swearing, de- ceiving, flattering—all these are habits, and some of them are very injurious to health. Many assert their powers and quit these habits, but many more fail utterly and go from "bad to worse. Exactly so it is with the stammerer. He tries hard and fails. He must then have help or he goes on through life with his im- pediment to speech rendering him almost en- tirely unfit for many of the duties and blessings of life. It is easy for the Rev. Sam Jones to say : ''Quit your meanness," but it is not so easy for the average person to quit. Habits fix themselves so firmly that only few people are able to get entirely rid of them when once formed. This is especially true when the habit produces a nerv- ous derangement, weakening the will and de- stroying self-confidence. The chronic stammerer becomes morbidly sensitive in regard to his habit, and soon conies to believe himself hope- lessly its victim. TREATMENT. [ do not want any one to come to me for treat- ment unless he has first convinced himself that ' stammering is nothing more than a habit. Then I will have no trouble to cure him in one hour. I have never failed in a single case. I have had cases, however, that it took me as long to convince them that their trouble was nothing but a habit as it did to cure them of stammering. I must, therefore, insist on every one to thor- 8 STAMMERING. oughly convince himself before he comes that 1 am right in saying that stammering is a habit. Unless he is so convinced I will not treat him, and his visit here will be for nothing. My time is too valuable to be spent in needless arguments and explanations, and when' stammering pa- tients insist on this I charge $1.50 lor every minute consumed. CHARGES. I also want you to understand clearly all about the charges as below given, that they are cash, as stated. I can not spare the t ime to dis- cuss anything when you come here, except to treat you. Some want to put the monej into the bank, to be paid in case a cure is effected, so that, if the patient sees fit to stammer after he is treated in order to keep from paying, he can do so, and quit stammering after he has gone home. I have had this trick played on me -m'\- . eral times years ago; but I am now too old for such things. I formerly charged $500.00 for one hour's treatment, but as this debarred all poor ' people from my treatment I have reduced the charges to $100.00, which must be paid in cash when ready to commence the treatment. I want each stammering patient to feel the ab- solute necessity not only of having confidence in me, but of obeying ine while under treatment in every particular, just as a small school boy obeys his teacher. This is necessary to a grand success. I also want him to feel that it is the only way to get the value of his money. I would not, for any amount, t real a person who would all the while be thinking that if the treatment did not succeed it would not cost him anything. I want him to feel that he has paid me for my time, and not for a cure, and hence the import- ■ ance to him of getting all out of the hour he can. These are my only terms to stammerers. It is the hardest hour's work I ever do. I ■■ never give so much time and labor for the same STAMMERING. 'J amount of money in any other case. I would rather straighten twenty cross eyes, or operate on a half dozen cases for cataract, than treat one stammerer for an hour. It is true,however, that hundreds of cases are perfectly master over their stammering before I have them half an hour under treatment. A one-armed veteran brought his eleven-year-old son to me. He was a terrible stammerer, and before I had treated him fifteen minutes he said to his father: "I am well; I understand it all; I am cured; I'll never stammer again." His father did his best to per- suade him'to go over the whole course, but he refused, and no persuasion would induce him to spend another minute under treatment. I ad- vised his father to take him to the court-house and introduce him to the lawyers and the judge and to every prominent person he would meet. This,l said," would make him stammer if any- thing would. His father called again some three or four hours later, and fold me he had done as I had told him to do, but his son went through every ordeal without a slip or the least hesitancy. RELAPSE. Some fifteen years ago I treated a man by the name of Wagoner. Six weeks after I had treated him betook typhoid fever, which confined him to bed for two' months, and then he stammered again as bad as ever. He said he tried to think what I did for him when I treated him, but he could not recall a single item of the treatment; so he came to see me, and, after he had regis- tered his name, he tried to ask the clerk where my office was, but, for the life of him, he could not articulate one syllable. The clerk, surmis- ing his business, said to him: " You want to see Dr. Hartman ?" Mr. Wagoner nodded. The clerk showed him in, and I at once recognized him, and while I did not for a moment suspect that he wns again stammering. I extended my hand and said: " How are you. Mr. Wagoner "" 10 STAMMERING. 1 said this in the way I speak to stammerers. He grasped my hand in both of his and squeezed it so hard that I tried to extricate myself from his grip. He laughed and laughed like a lunatic. I said to him: " What is all this fun ?" "Oh !" he said, "how are you, Mr. Wagoner, is its cause. Ask the clerk what 1 tried to say to him," and he continued to talk the same as though there never had been anything wrong with his speech. He then explained that he had forgotten, through having had typhoid fever, everything I had taught him, but that the way I spoke the words, " How are you, Mr. Wag- oner ?" brought everything back to him as fresh as if it had been but yesterday that I had taught him how to speak. This is all the explanation I will give the reader of my treatment until he comes here and sees the treatment develop it- self as we pass, step by step, from the commence- ment of my method to the end. PLAN OF TREATMENT. 1 have often been asked by letter to give some idea what my plan of treatment is, and almost insisting on my doing so. I have sometimes yielded to these entreaties and made some ex- planation regarding it, and every time I did so it made my treatment more difficult. The pa- tient was prepared to anticipate what was com- ing next, and by his inquiries consumed much of my time without compensation. Again, I have received letters from poor washerwomen begging me to tell them how or what they can do them- selves at home to cure a little daughter, or per- haps a son, declaring they never could come to see me, a preacher or some good person perhaps interceding for her; so that not to do something for them would seem cruel. In every case that I complied, no matter how fully I explained every particular, the result was a complete fail- ure. In some of these cases, through the assist- ance of friends or the church, tne little unfor- STAMMERING. 11 tunates were brought to me for treatment. Through the instructions I had sent them (and through those who endeavored to carry out my instructions) they were so spoiled that it took twice as long to treat them as it would have taken me had they come here without any pre- vious knowledge of my treatment and without an effort at treatment having been mad© at their homes. Hence it is that, in the future, I will make no explanation whatever as to my methods or means used in treating cases of stammering. MUST NOT EXPECT. Those so afflicted must not expect to get cured of this habit without an effort on their own part. Stuttering, stammering, lisping, or any impedi- ment of speech, is a most grievous misfortune to anyone; it deprives them of the pleasures and enjoyments of the social circle; renders them incapable of entering into business or engaging in any profession, painfully embarrassing in the presence of strangers; in short, it utterly inca- pacitates and unfits them for juirsuing any of the higher callings of life; and. therefore, they should feel most willing to make any sacrifice within their power to get rid of such a barrier to success in business, in love, marriage or pleas- ure. I never treated a person who did not de- clare, after I was through with the treatment, that he would not for all the money he was worth be back again where he was and remain a stam- merer all through life. A hundred dollars is a big sum of money for a poor washerwoman to pay to have a child cured of stammering; but it is not half as large an amount as the amount of sorrow she carries in her heart in contemplation of her child's journey through life, with the hindrance accompanying it, which must compel it to be satisfied with a crum instead of a loaf, with a penny instead of a dollar; to take a back seat instead of one in the front; to follow in- 12 STAMMERING. stead of leading; to labor hard with the hands instead of merchandising or following one of the higher professions. Ten thousand dollars, if you have it, is no object when you compare it with being cured of stammering; hence you should feel quite willing to make any effort within your power to rid yourself of such a grievous habit. PRACTICE. It is true the great majority will never stam- mer at another word fifteen minutes after treat- ment is begun ; but there are some who will have to follow my methods for a week after my treat- ment has been given, and I have had cases who had to practice my principles for nearly a month. I never had a case who had to continue them longer than two months, except a Air. K. from the eastern part of this State. He was the very worst stammerer I ever met in my life. He stammered at every word, and never could speak a single word without stammering He had never tried to sing. He was very smart had edu- cated himself at home during leisure hours and while at work, aiid had read to himself every book he could get, but had given up all hopes o ever being able to read aloud. 1 spent two hoi. < > on him. We were both almost exhausted and had been only partially successful. He did not have to stammer after the treatment, but h could not pronounce a syllable that contained the sound of s or c soft, except by putting a shor spiral spring between his upper and lower teeth that I took out of an old door lock that was lying in the corner of the room. With the assistance of this spring, placed between his front teeth, he got along very nicely. He agreed to perse- vere with the principles I had given him until he was completely master of all his former impedi- ments, and agreed to report progress to me once a month. He did so, and every time he wrote he declared he was on the highway to triumph- ant success. At the end of six months he wrote ST AMMKRING. II! that he had conquered and that he was reading law, having commenced a week before; that he was attending a debating society, and, if he had to say it himself, he has been vanquishing all his opponents. He is now a prominent lawyer in Kansas and one of its most eloquent public speakers. I find, however, the older a stammerer is the harder he is to cure. I do not like to treat one who is over thirty, and when over forty-five I refuse to treat him absolutely. I do not treat children under eight years, and then only pro- viding they can read English well. I can and have cured every child I have ever undertaken to treat, even before they could read and when not over four years old, but it takes too much of my valuable time, and for that reason I no longer treat them when younger than eight. I have not accepted any certificates from this class of cases for a long time, but find the fol- lowing in an old circular of mine. They may have changed their location ; in which case your letters will be returned if you so mark the en- velope : Stammering is a very grievous impediment of speech to anv one. Dr. S. B. Hartman, who was in Canton. <>., the first part of March, 1S79, can cure it. His methods of treatment and the principles they involve are so rational and phil- osophical that, if faithfully followed, can not fail to effect a cure. I say this from the effect his treatment had on a little daughter of mine who had stammered for nine years. Rev. E. Ellison, Canton, O. Dr. S. B. Hartman—My Dear Benefactor: I am happy to inform you that your one hour's in- struction has enabled me to talk perfectly, and the only thing I can compare my feelings to is to one who has long been in prison and was sud- denly released. You can never know how grate- 14 STAMMERING. ful I feel toward you. With heartfelt thanks, I am yours most sincerely, Ozro Lull, Eastmanville, Ottawa Co., Mich. Dr. S. B. Hartman—Dear Sir: Your method for curing stammering and stuttering is infalli- ble. I have talked perfectly ever since your short instructions. I am the wonder of all my friends, and all I can say is, God bless you. Gratefully yours, Geo. Wagner, St. Johns, Mich. From the .St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Feb. 25. A young man of about twenty-two years of age—a telegraph operator—was next seen. He declined to give the reporter his name, as he feared persons might visit him, which he ob- jected to, as in the telegraph office it is a viola- tion of the rules to receive visits. He said,how- ever, that if anyone doubted his cure, and has to see in order to believe, they could get his address from Dr. Hartman. One week ago this young man stuttered so badly that he could not utter two words without breaking down. Now he con- verses with ease. Had the reporter not known of his case he could not have told that his speech had ever been affected. August Stumborg, aged eighteen years resid- ing at 523 South High St., stammered frightfully when he went under Dr. Hartman's treatment. It was with much difficulty that he could speak at all He was very skeptical at first, and had little confidence in the doctor's ability to cure him. He was first treated December 25, and now he is entirely cured and talks fluently. William Harris, seventeen years of age, who resides with his later, John Harris, at 152b Aus- tin street, stammered so badly that he could no utter three words without breaking down. This was only two weeks ago, when he first .visited Dr. Hartman. He now converses fluently, and can read with comparative ease. Last night lie STAMMERING. 15 was able to give utterance to a well-spoken speech of thanks to Dr. Hartman. William Boat, 1503 South Tenth street, was an inveterate stammerer. Dr. Hartman treated him some ten days ago, and the improvement he has made is astonishing. His parents, as well as himself, are delighted with the result of Dr. Hartman's treatment. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 24. Franklin Lam pel lives at 1113 Chouteau ave- nue. He is a son of the brewing firm of Wain- wright & Co., and says himself that he has been a hard stammerer " ever since he can remember." He went to Dr. Hartman four weeks ago, and now talks as glibly as the best. He says he feels confident that any stammerer can be cured by Dr. Hartman. From the New Orleans Times-Democrat. A beautiful little lass of fourteen summers, beaming with mirth and cheerfulness, called on Dr. Hartman the other evening, in company with her mother. " This, my daughter, stutters very badly," said the mother; "but for which we would have all our hearts could wish." Dr. Hart man talked to the little lady, but every word she spoke was painful to listen to on account of the painful effort she made in stuttering it out. '•Oh,doctor,can you cure her?" said the mother. The answer was, " Yes." Dr. Hartman treated her and cured her in less than an hour. Anyone doubting the above statement can, by calling on Dr. Hartman, get the lady's name and address. Mr. Gust Hire, Cleveland, O., says that ever since he remembers he has had an impediment in his speech, which was variously named stut- tering, stammering, hesitating, faltering, etc. He took treatment of Dr. Hartman, and in less than an hour he talked as fluently and distinctly as anyone, and has done so ever since. 16 STAMMERING. Mr. Daniel Drew, of 116 Fulton street, Cleve- land, has been a terrible stammerer for the last eighteen years. It was difficult for him to speak a single word without stuttering. Dr. Hartman treated him for one hour, and now he speaks as well as anyone. Mr. Peter Dolheimer's niece, thirteen years old, was a great stutterer. Dr. Hartman treated her only fifteen minutes, and she could talk as dis- tinctly and nicely as any other young lady. Nothing can be so surely done as the curing of this habit; there can be no failure.