ANALYTIC ORTHOGRAPHY. 291 
CHAPTER VII. 
ORGANS OF THE VOICE. 
Ce qui doit encore résulter de ces considérations...., e’est Vadmiration qu’inspire ce mécanisme merveilleux du plus 
parfait de tous les instrumens, l’organe de la yoix. Ah! sans doute, il a pour auteur le plus parfait de tous les artistes. 
—Abbé Stcard. 
§ 148. The larynsx is the organ of voice. It is composed of five yielding cartilages united 
by ligaments, and various muscles, forming a mass at the head of the trachea or windpipe, 
of which it is a continuation. Although large enough externally to render the front of 
the neck more or less prominent, the larynx is reduced within to a narrow opening, ex- 
tending front and back, named the glottal fissure (rima glottidis.) 
149. Hach side of the glottal fissure has an elastic band with the inner edge (next the 
fissure) free, and the outer edge, as well as the ends attached to the cartilaginous frame- 
work. ‘These bands are the vocal ligaments; they have no independent power of vibra- 
tion, but are as passive as the reed of a clarinet, until acted upon by a current of air. 
Their tension and length vary in speech and song, but they are never quite relaxed. 
150. When the larynx is in repose, as in ordinary breathing, the glottal fissure is widest 
atits posterior end. In this condition there is no vibration, even with increase of breath; 
to cause vibration, and consequently voice, the glottis must be narrowed to a uniform slit, 
(Willis.) The singing voice is due to a greater approximation of the vocal ligaments than 
is required in speech. (Haber, inventor of the speaking and singing machine, in a verbal 
communication.) In /alsetio singing, the extreme edges alone vibrate. (Johann Miiller.) 
151. The parallelism of the vocal cords is the effect of volition, and is chiefly due to the 
action of two triangular cartilages (the arytenoid,) the anterior angles of which approach 
each other, and the cords with them. As every sonant element of speech requires the 
parallelism of the vocal cords, and every surd avoids it, there is a continual quiver of 
closing and opening, which can be viewed in the throat of some birds; and as eight sylla- 
bles (like pity, Popocatapetl,) can be pronounced in a second, there are sixteen motions in 
this short space of time, not like the unappreciated trills of the tongue, but controlled and 
individualised by the speaker. This is about double the rapidity of the motion of the 
eyelids. 
ORGANS OF SPEECH. 
152. The mouth and nose act on the voice or breath proceeding from the glottis, by 
means of the lips, teeth, tongue, palate (roof of the mouth,)*and its continuation, the soft 
vo . X1.—38 
