ADVANCE OF SCIENCE

Evening Star, Issue 20055, 21 December 1928, Page 1

ADVANCE OF SCIENCE

SPEECH FOR THE DUMB [From Ocn Own Correspondent.} SAN FBANCISCO November 8. Science lias tackled the human voice, and out of the laboratories have come sound speech for the dumb and a sound code which may be used readily to replace all codes used heretofore in war and peace. An artificial larynx has been made to do the work of the human vocal chords and voice box in those persons who have found it necessary to have this organ removed through a malignant disease, said Dr Sergius P. Grace, assistant vice-president of the Bell Telephone Company, and scientist in the New York City laboratories of the company. He demonstrated the _ instrument at a session of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers at Atlanta, Georgia. The artificial voice box is composed of a black tube about a quarter of an inch in diameter, with an enlargement and then a continuation of the tube, in all about Biti long. If air is forced through the longer tube _ the thing emits a sound something like that of a hand organ. But if the other end is placed in the mouth ;«*.'d the lips and mouth are formed as in speaking, words themselves become audible and are clearly distinct. In persons who have tho artificial breathing opening in the neck, the latter may bo provided with a connection to the “ voice box ” for the purpose of furnishing the air pressure. Dr Grace explained those “voice boxes ” are made' so that the accomplished person may oven sing with them. Then Dr Grace sot up a loud speaker and spoke into the transmitter. Unintelligible; expressions,came but of the appliance. When they Were passed through laboratory instruments they came out normal again. ■“ Inverted frequencies,” ho explained. “ Crinkaiiope,” said Dr Grace, and out of the loud speaker came the word, “company.” Vico versa, the word “company” spoken into the transmitter came out “ criukanopo.” Transatlantic telephony, it was explained, may bo coded so that it will be intelligible only to the person on the receiving end.