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Voice and Song.

By G. BAENES

< (Teacher of singing, Esk st., Invercargill.)

[all BIGHTS BESBBVKD-]

THE MECHANISM of the VOICE

(Continued.)

The windpipe through which the air has its ingress to, and its egress froni. the lungs, maw for the purpose of this article, he divided ' into’three parts. First, we have the largnx, , or human whistle ; next, th c trachea or windpipe proper, composed, chiefly, of cartilagenous rings, situated one above the other; - and, thirdly, the two branches, or Iron chi, • already referred to. The larynx is lined with ■ a-delicate substance called the mucous membrane, the continuation of which is the lining also of many other vital organs of the body. It is moved by certain organs called the vocal muscles, of which it is unnecessary here t» -speak particularly, but which are described, with more or less minuteness, in the leading works on anatomy. The glottis is a small oblong opening situated at the upper part of the larynx. Its lips are called the vocal cords, and the common theory with regard to them is that they give sound to the breath. These ligaments have been supposed to perform the office of musical strings, like the cords of a violin ; and certain muscles are regarded as the tuning power by which the cords are stretched or .relaxed at will. This theory—certainly in England and in the United States of America • ifas been quite popular, has been received without much examination, and has found favour with many physicians. There is scarcely an English or American work on the human voice in which this theory is not gratuitously assumed. It was first promul- • gated in 1742 by Ferrein, an eminent French anatomist and surgeon, but it has fallen into considerable disrepute in France, the country where it originated. Colombat De LTsere, •the founder of the Orthophonic Institute in Paris, in his celebrated treatise on the mechanism and diseases of the voice, published in 1840, thus refers to Ferrein’s book, “In 1742 Ferrein decided that the larynx was an instrument with strings, and compared it to a violin. This opinion made much noise at the time, and received an almost general assent, which it was certainly very far from deserving This learned man compared tke » ligaments of the glottis to the strings of a violin, and gave them the r ame of vocal cords. The current of air was the bow ; the thyroid cartilages, the points of support ; the arytenoid, the pegs; and, finally, the muscles which arc inserted in them, the powers de-

signed to stretch or relax the cords.” With De L’lsere, Dr Guilmette discards the theory that voice proper is produced by these socalled vocal cords, and he points out how it can be disproved by actual experiment; for, as he says “In the presence of leading medical men in the City of New York and before a large audience, I have brought into full play all of my vocal muscles, and directed the pulmonic stream with the utmost force possible against the vocal ligaments, functioning them to their utmost ability, and yet, during this exercise, I have so entirely suspended the voice proper, that nothing has been heard but a whisper from the lowest to the highest notes, pertaining to the laryngeal register. If the mucous •membranes, with the attendant nerves, arc in a perfectly healthy state, we have a clear, resonant voice. If the membranes be inflamed

•or relaxed, the voice is immediately affected. Hence, what follows on disproving the vocal •cord theory? The vocal cord theory being •disproved there seems strong reason to believe that the mucous membrane , under the influence of those nerves from which they derive their mobility and sensibility, give out phonos or 40itnd. " Now, where does this voeality commence ? In all probability, from the very .first point where the pulmonic stream proceeds from the lungs, and continues and is increased according to the membraneous surface which is physiologically contracted, till that stream makes its final exit at the lips. 3?he writer respectfully claims this, not only as original with him, but a discovery of his •own.” In a lecture given in New York to a large number of persons interested in voice •culture, Dr Guilmette gives his reasons for taking the stand he does on the question of .production, and I cannot do better in trying to convince my readers that his method c f cultivating the voice is the right one than by •quoting his own words for that purpose : “The voice is an instrument sui generis—•an animate sound, intelligent and articulate, •of which the air is the substance, the mucous membrane the phonator, and the Mrxn the motor, directing its varied expressions and adapting them to the demands of the instant.” “From the remotest antiquity, its formation and health have engaged the attention of physiologists; and though much truth and many plausible theories are bequeathed us through the instumentality of their investigations ; yet daily observation and experience prove, either that there are hidden laws concerning this important faculty not as yet revealed, or that there is an unaccountable amount of ignorance and perversity extant, altogether inconsistent with the intelligent enterprise of the age. Doubtless there are none now among the more deeply learned in .this department of physiology who would ■venture openly to declare that present re-.

search has reached the utmost bounds of discovery 7, or the final ramification of the laws of the vocal mechanism. Hence I am encouraged to present for consideration such results of my earnest investigations as appear to me to bo new truths in this department of physical science. “In order to a clearer apprehension of the just value of these inferences, it will be necessary to contrast them with parallel deductions' of eminent authorities, as brought down to the present day, and submit them to the test not merely of logical, but practical, demonstration. As preliminary to this duty permit me to call y 7 our attention to the manner in which the expired air traverses the larynx. At first, the air, which inspiration has introduced into the lungs, is driven out from their cavities, and in its passage sweeps over the entire surface of the windpipe, larynx, and pharynx, etc., by the impulse of expiration and the play of the respiratory muscles. This is the first act necessary for producing sound. “ Now, some authors have laboured to prove that the voice is produced during inspiration. It is difficult for my mind to regard such an argument other than an ingenious bit of pleasantry, I admit there are some illustrations of this theory recorded, in the cases of individuals afllicted with long-continued paroxysms of coughing, who have been kimwn (as an only alternative) to speak during inspiration. Let me lay down, therefore, as an important premise in my 7 present argument, that the formation of the voice is an expiratory phenomenon. The next thing, in order, that I desire should be taken for granted, is, that the glottis is XOT, as has been generally supposed, the organ essentially phonetic. I hope, presently, to convince you of the truth of this important prospoition. To return to our proposed citation of theories of eminent authors upon the phenomena of the voice. I shall, of course, rehearse but those which, in different ages, have been esteemed the niost authentic. “ Aristotle and Galen compared the larynx to a flute ; and regarded the trachea as the body of the instrument. Dodart, in 1700 A.D., essentially modified this previous theory, by declaring that the voice is produced upon the principle of the trumpet. According to his theory, the glottis is the point which answers to the lips of the musician ; the body of the instrument extends from the glottis to the external orifice of the vocal canal, or in other words the mouth. In 1744, Ferrein, as previously stated, declared that the larynx was an instrument with strings and compared it to a violin, but when we remember that the condition essential to the sonorous vibrations of a cord, are, liberty of motion, connection with a sonorous body, dryness, tension, elasticity, arbitrai*y length, and, finally 7, consistence —and that none of these conditions are to be met witb in the socalled “ vocal cords ” —we shall duly estimate the value of M. Ferrein’s theory.

Bichat employed his brilliant genius in an extended series of curious experiments, the most of which were verified, subsequent to his death, by Magcndie. The results, however, were not, to his mind, sufficiently satisfactory to admit of positive deductions. It is to bo regretted that he finally yielded the subject, with the declaration “that the gradation of the vocal sounds would, for a long time, be an object of research ; a problem so difficult will never, perhaps, be resolved in an indisputable manner.” (To be continued.)

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/SOCR18940210.2.9

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 46, 10 February 1894, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,470

Voice and Song. Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 46, 10 February 1894, Page 5

Voice and Song. Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 46, 10 February 1894, Page 5

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