330 Dr. Felix Semon [Marcli 13, 



has been definitely stated which of the adductor muscles is, as it has 

 been called, the "leadin^:;" muscle for each register. A theory of 

 this character has been developed in a very attractive little book by 

 Dr. Michael, of Hamburg, entitled ' The Formation of the Registers 

 in Singing.' The author, whilst claiming that each register is 

 distinguished by one of the adductor muscles specially presiding over 

 its functions, positively states that for the production of each sound 

 the co-operation of all laryngeal muscles up to a certain degree is 

 necessary, and that on complete disablement of a single muscle only, 

 complete loss of voice must necessarily ensue. 



Statements of this character show how dangerous it is to make too 

 bold and absolute assertions in this whole question. According to 

 the nature of things it is quite imaginable that certain of tlie adductor 

 muscles may be concerned more in the formation of one, others in the 

 formation of another register, but to make, as Dr. Michael has done, 

 ahsolute and general conclusions from a few cases of paralysis of one 

 laryngeal muscle or another in singers, as to the exact function of 

 each of them in the j)roduction of the register, is quite inadmissible, 

 as I am in a position to show at once. 



A distinguished tenor, whose case is known to several British 

 laryngologists, had the misfortune a few years ago of entirely losing 

 his voice from a tumour in his neck, jn-essing upon the left recurrent 

 laryngeal nerve and completely paralysing the left vocal cord. Not 

 only the singing but even the sj)eaking voice was entirely lost in the 

 beginning of the illness. Under apj)ropriate treatment the tumour 

 almost disappeared, and certain fibres of the recurrent laryngeal nerve 

 recovered, whilst other ones had already been irretrievably damaged. 

 The result of all this was that his left vocal cord was finally immov- 

 ably fixed in the jiosition of phonation. In this position it remains 

 up to the present day, i. e. it is not the least abducted wlien the 

 patient inspires, and there cannot be the least doubt that the left 

 abductor muscle is as comjjletely paralysed and unable to fulfil its 

 natural functions as it possibly could be. Yet this gentleman at the 

 present time is able not merely to sing and to sing high chest as well 

 as falsetto notes, but the voice, according to the statements of many 

 who have heard him before and after his severe illness, has entirely 

 regained its former character, power, and comjiass. 



This case at once disposes of two theories which have been brought 

 forward as if they were unassailable facts, namely, first of the state- 

 ment just mentioned, and secondly of the frequently heard assertion 

 that in paralysis of the abductors the possibility of producing high 

 notes is lost. 



Another point also associated with the question of registers and 

 of the greatest possible importance for tlie rational cultivation of the 

 singing voice, is that, whether in voices of identical character, say 

 for instance contralto voices, the break always occurs in one and the 

 same note of the sjale, or whether the exact note on which it takes 

 place varies in dilFerent individuals. I hope that the number of the 



