CHAPTER VI. 



The Phonograph as an Aid to Science. — Vowels the Basis of 

 Phonation. — Consonants Developed from a Vowel Basis. — 

 Vowels are Compound. — The Analysis of Vowels by the 

 Phonograph. — Current Theories of Sound. — Augmenta- 

 tion of Sounds. — Sound- Waves and Sound-Units. — Con- 

 sonants among the Lower Races. 



The application of the phonograph to my 

 special work is really the discovery of a new field 

 of usefulness for that wonderful instrument, 

 which up to this time has held the place of a toy 

 more than that of a scientific apparatus of the 

 very highest importance in the study of acous- 

 tics and philology. In many ways the use of this 

 machine is so hampered by the avarice of men 

 as to lessen its value as an aid to scientific re- 

 search, and the letters patent under which it is 

 protected preclude all competition and prevent 

 improvements. However, I have been able, even 

 with the poor machines in general use, to dis- 

 cover some of the most important facts upon 

 which are based the laws of phonation. I shall 



here attempt to give in detail but a few of these 



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