1 2 1 4 ON VOCAL SOUNDS. 



Martels l affirms that, in the chest register, the whole cord vibrates, while 

 in the upper register only the mucous membrane is in motion. Lermoyez 2 

 agrees to a certain extent in this view of Martels, and states that the pitch 

 is altered solely by variations in the tension of the cords. 



The falsetto register, according to Martels, is a flute sound; the chest 

 register, on the other hand, is comparable to the sound produced by a reed 

 instrument. 



Although almost all observers agree that the posterior portion of the glottis 

 is closed during the production of the upper registers, the condition of the 

 anterior part is not so satisfactorily settled. Browne and Behnke 3 state that 

 even in the highest register the anterior portion of the glottis is open, while 

 the larger posterior portion is tightly closed. This register, according to 

 these writers, is only used by women and boys. Wesley Mills, 4 however, 

 states that the anterior as well as the posterior portion of the glottis is closed 

 in the head voice ; that is to say, that it is the same mechanism as that which 

 is used by men for the production of their high falsetto voice. 



French 5 has obtained photographs of the larynx, as it appears 

 during the different registers, which should tend to modify very con- 

 siderably some of the views hitherto prevalent concerning the production 

 of the different registers. He found that, in proceeding from the lowest to 

 the highest notes of the lower register, the vocal cords became lengthened 

 by j- in. ; this was in a contralto singer. When this singer passed 

 to the middle register, the cords became shortened by T V in., this 

 shortening being followed by another increase in length, as the upper 

 part of the middle register was approached. 



From the photographs of the larynx during the production of the 

 lower notes of the head register, French infers, contrary to most 

 authorities, that the edges of the ligamentous cords are not in 

 contact at any portion ; so that air passes through the whole length 

 of the ligamentous glottis. During the upper notes of this register, 

 however, it is probable that the cords are closed in their posterior 

 portions. 



According to French, it is a general rule, to which, however, there 

 are many exceptions, that in the lower notes of each register the vocal 

 cords are short and wide, and the glottis is open both in its ligamentous 

 and cartilaginous portions. On ascending the scale, the cords increase 

 in length and decrease in width. 6 



1 " Physiol. de la phonation," Rev. Ubliog. univ. d. sc. m<*d., Paris, 1885, Nos. 13 

 and 15. 



2 " tude exper. sur la phonation," These de Paris, 1886, p. 199. 



3 " Voice, Song and Speech," 1893, p. 135. 



4 Loc. cit. 



5 Verhandl. d. internal, med. Cong., Berlin, 1890. 



6 For further information on the subject of the vocal registers, the reader is referred to 

 Semon's exposition, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Institution, 1891. The 

 following are some of the works on this subject : Behnke, "The Mechanism of the 

 Human Voice," 1880; Bennett, "The Falsetto Voice," Med. Rec., N. Y., Nov. 1, 1893 ; 

 Browne and Behnke, "Voice, Song and Speech," 1893; Castex, "Hygiene de la 

 voix parle'e et chantee," Paris, 1894 ; Fournie', Rev. med. franc, et etrang., Paris, 1881 ; 

 French, "The Action of the Glottis in Singing," New Fork Med. Journ., Jan. 1891 ; 

 Garnault, " Cours the"orique et pratique de physiol.," etc., 1896; Gavarret, "L'audition 

 et la phonation" ; Gouguenheim and Lermoyez, "Physiol. de la voix et du chant," 1885 ; 

 Garcia, " Beobachtungen ueber die menschliche Stimme, " Monatschr. f. Ohrenh., Berlin, 

 1878; Griitzner, " Physiologic der Stimme u. Sprache "; Hermann's "Handbuch," 1879; 

 Hodgkinson, Brit. Med. Journ., London, 1895, vol. ii. ; Gordon Holmes, "The Physiology 

 of the Vocal Registers in Male and Female," Med. Times and Gaz., London, 1885, p. 476 ; 

 Franklin H. Hooper, Ann. d. mal. de Voreille, du larynx, etc., Paris, 1890 ; Hooper, "Tension 



