ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig.

1.  The thoracic cage and its contents

2.  The diaphragm and its attachments

3.  Diagram illustrating changes of the chest and abdomen in breathing

4.  Diagram of the cartilages of the voice-box or larynx with vocal cords

5.  Front view of the larynx with muscles

6.  Back view of the larynx with muscles

7.  Diagram to illustrate movements of cartilages in breathing and phonation

8.  Section through larynx and windpipe, showing muscles and vocal cords

9.  The laryngoscope and its use

10.  The glottis in breathing, whispering, and vocalisation

11.  The vocal cords in singing, after French

12.  Vertical section through the head and neck to show the larynx and resonator

13.  Diagram (after Aikin) of the resonator in the production of the vowel sounds

14.  Koenig’s flame manometer

15.  Diagram of a neurone

16.  Left hemisphere, showing cerebral localisation

17.  Diagram to illustrate cerebral mechanism of speech, after Bastian

18.  The course of innervation currents in phonation

THE BRAIN AND THE VOICE IN SPEECH AND SONG

In the following pages on the Relation of the Brain to the mechanism of the Voice in Speech and Song, I intend, as far as possible, to explain the mechanism of the instrument, and what I know regarding the cerebral mechanism by which the instrument is played upon in the production of the singing voice and articulate speech.  Before, however, passing to consider in detail the instrument, I will briefly direct your attention to some facts and theories regarding the origin of speech.

THEORIES ON THE ORIGIN OF SPEECH

The evolutionary theory is thus propounded by Romanes in his “Mental Evolution in Man,” pp. 377-399:  “Starting from the highly intelligent and social species of anthropoid ape as pictured by Darwin, we can imagine that this animal was accustomed to use its voice freely for the expression of the emotions, uttering danger signals, and singing.  Possibly it may also have been sufficiently intelligent to use a few imitative sounds; and certainly sooner or later the receptual life of this social animal must have advanced far enough to have become comparable with that of an infant of about two years of age.  That is to say, this animal, although not yet having begun to use articulate signs, must have advanced far enough in the conventional use of natural signs (a sign with a natural origin in tone and gesture, whether spontaneously or intentionally imitative) to have admitted of a totally free exchange of receptual ideas, such as would be concerned in animal wants and even, perhaps, in the simplest forms of co-operative action.