On the organs of the human voice / by Sir Charles Bell.

  • Charles Bell
Date:
1832
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the organs of the human voice / by Sir Charles Bell. 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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    with parts which serve a double or even a treble function. But we ought not to be surprised at the intricacy of structure in the human organs of voice, when we find them capable of imitating every sound of bird or beast, excel- ling all instruments of music in clearness and expression, and capable of making those infinite changes on articulate sounds, which form the languages of the different nations of the earth. Although there be one subject,—Articulate language,—on which I shall prin- cipally comment, as being that in which the treatises on the voice are altogether defective; yet, as there are lesser points in which I think authors are in fault, I shall take the subjects consecutively or systematically. I do this in the hope of affording, at the same time, a sounder foundation in anatomy, to those mem- bers of the Society who are more capable of pursuing this part of philosophy in all its curious and elegant subdivisions. It will be convenient to divide the inquiry into three heads :—the Trachea, the Larynx, and the Phaiynx. Under the head of Trachea, and through the whole investigation, it is neces- sary to keep the different functions of the part in mind; or we shall be ap- propriating to the voice, structures which have reference to other functions. We read that the trachea is formed of imperfect hoops of cartilages, joined by membranes, and that it is flat on the back part, for these reasons : that it may be a rigid and free tube for respiring the air—that it may accommodate itself to the motions of the head and neck—and that it may yield, in the act of swallowing, to the distended oesophagus, and permit the morsel to descend. This is perfectly correct; but there is a grand omission. Whilst all admit that a copious secretion is poured into this passage, it is not shown how the mucus is thrown off. There is a fine and very regular layer of muscular fibres on the back part of the trachea, exterior to the mucous coat, and which runs from the extremi- ties of the cartilages of one side to those of the other*. This transverse muscle is beautifully distinct in the horse. When a portion of the trachea is taken out, and everything is dissected off but this muscle, the cartilages are preserved in their natural state ; but the moment that the muscular fibres
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