Mr Dugald Stewart on Ventriloquism. 243 



we are conscious depends on the mechanical impression con- 

 nected with the direction in which the last impulse is made on 

 the organ of hearing ; but how this impulse is modified accord- 

 ing to the position of the sonorous body, (although that it is 

 so, our daily experience leaves no doubt,) it is not an easy 

 matter to imagine. 



If this conclusion be admitted, the imitation of the ventrilo- 

 quist (in so far as direction is concerned) would appear to be 

 not only unaccountable, but quite impossible; inasmuch as the 

 effect on the hearer's ear, which serves to him as a sign of the 

 place of the object, does not depend on any particular modifi- 

 cation of sound which a mimic can copy, but on the actual di- 

 rection in which the sound falls upon the organ. 



Mr Gough himself seems to be sensible of this, and, accord- 

 ingly, he supposes the art of the ventriloquist to consist in a 

 power of throwing his voice at pleasure towards the different 

 walls of a room, so as to produce an echo in that particular 

 direction which suits his purpose. His own words are : " He 

 who is master of this art, has nothing to do but to place his 

 mouth obliquely to the company, and to dart his words, if I 

 may use the expression, against an opposing object, whence 

 they will be reflected immediately, so as to strike the ears of 

 the audience from an unexpected quarter, in consequence of 

 which, the reflector will appear to be the speaker." But to 

 this theory, two obvious and insurmountable objections occur : 

 1*/, Supposing the ventriloquist to possess this very extraordi- 

 nary power of producing an echo in a room where none was 

 ever heard before, it still remains to be explained, how this 

 echo comes to drown, or rather to annihilate the original 

 sound. In every case of echo, tzvo sounds at least are heard. 

 Whence is it, then, that the echo of the ventriloquist's voice 

 should so completely supplant the original sound, as to occupy 

 solely and exclusively the attention of the audience? 



%d, Mr Gough's theory proceeds altogether on the supposi- 

 tion, that the art of ventriloquism can be practised only with- 

 in the walls of a room ; whereas I apprehend the fact to be, 

 that it may be exercised, at least, with equal advantage, in the 

 open air. If this last statement be correct, it puts an end to 

 the controversy at once. 



