Lecture on scientific voice production and breathing exercises : their relation to health / delivered by Cortlandt MacMahon.

  • MacMahon, Cortlandt.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Lecture on scientific voice production and breathing exercises : their relation to health / delivered by Cortlandt MacMahon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    during inspiration, being fixed by their attachment to the diaphragm, are pulled down and in, and so contract the lower part of the chest, the abdominal viscera are neces- sarily pressed up, and they push up the diaphragm, which again ascends into its dome shape ; the internal capacity of the chest is thereby reduced, and the air expelled in such quantities and with such force as the circumstances require. You can easily see how the force of the air going out can be absolutely controlled by the “ abdominal press.” When the pressure is taken off, the abdomen regains its natural line, we breathe in again, and the whole movement starts afresh, and thus the breathing part of a properly produced voice is brought about; but to get these movements perfect requires the greatest attention and care, and, as I said before, unless they are correctly done the whole method is robbed of practically its entire efficacy. Having explained to the best of my ability how the breathing should be properly performed, I would like to say a few words on the larynx or voice-box, in which are contained the vocal cords which cause the air passing between them to vibrate when they are approximated for vocalisation, and so begin the phenomenon. Voice. I say “ begin ” because unless the vibrations were carried into and resounded in the resonating chambers there would be no sound. I hope it may be interesting to describe very shortly the vocal cords and tli5 muscles and cartilages of the larynx. First of all, let us take the thyroid or shield cartilage, which is V-shaped, and the upper portion of which is easily felt in your throats, and is commonly known as “ Adam’s apple.” By placing the hands together in a V-shape with the palms facing each other, with the thumbs standing up, the shape of it is roughly shown; the thumbs represent the superior cornua or horns, and, keeping the same idea, with the hands turned with their backs to each other so that the thumbs are underneath, we get a rough view of it showing the lower cornua or horns. The thyroid has two sides but no back of its own ; I will describe in a moment what makes a back for it. Underneath this cartilage is another cartilage called the cricoid cartilage; this forms the top of the windpipe and