American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1859-02-17
Por Tho LAsea.lsr o.1e,,o. 4.
Respiration, voice, speech.

on lie own account. the 6rst thing that oc-
ours. is. the 10 GSliOO oilbs lungs with at
mosphsric air, which, while life lasts, is
never entirely expelled from them. We
inhale. and exhale q certain number Of
cubic inches Of air, at every breath; but
the lungs remain partially inflated notwith
standing our utmost efforts to expel it,
The first iSnaiion Of the lungs Of the new
brn infant. is painful; which is ihdiHA-
ted by the cries uttered, in the Erst ex-
pirAtiOh.
The physiological ends Of respiration,
have been explained. in our former com
munications. The mechanism Of this
function. We shall disp Sc of by merely
stating. that the ribs. tho sternum (breast
bone the psctoral muscles aud the dia-
phragm. are the parts combined, 10 Gauss
Ing the expansion and contraction Of the
chest, by which the lungs: are inflated
The sternum being loose at it's lower ex-
tremity, and the ribs being mOveable at
both their ends, are thrown outward and
upward, by the contraction Of their mus.
cles, upon every inspiration. Theft mo-
ton is a combination Of the active and
passive. as il ssems; they rather yield to
the initiating or swelling out Of the lungs,
by the introduction Of air. Breathing is
the MOST easily performed when the stoms
aehis empty: because the lungs have more
room, In which to expand. Respiration,
Is ilhpeded BY 6ater in the chest. drop
sy or BY spasm Of the ait cells Of the
liugs, which constitutes asthma. But we
design odr principle remarks, 10 be on the
VOICE, and speech.
The Upper end Of The wind. .pi5e, situa-
ted Just below, and behind the root Of the
tongue, is the organ of the voice; it is a
complicated structure, and is called larynx
The sounds which we call voice, are pro-
duced by the quick Hfpulsion of air from
The lungs. through II. 10 manner somewhat
resembling the sounds p.oddcsd 10 ihusi.
cal Instruments, by blowing in them
This cartilagenous box. oallsI laryu&.
shuts up tight, with valve, which nicely
FITS its opening and is called epiglotis. x
This valve remains open at ell times, for
the purpose Of allowing the free lugress
and egress, Of the air. in breathing: but
in the act Of swallowing, the food passes
directly over il, when it is firmly closed
to prevent tie passage Of foreign bodies
into the trschea. The parts forming the
glotis. are exceedingly sensitive. so that a
drop Of water. or other exlraneous matter
coming In contact brings on spasmodic &C.
ton. This spasmodic action, cons itutes.
10 hydrophobia, or canine madness, the
horrors Of that dreadful disease. The se-
qnel Of Group in children, where 1t ends
fatally. is sometimes characterized by this
spasmodio action ofthe muscles OF the lar.
ynx.
There are but few animals, that are in
capable ofproducing voice sound. Cries
screeching. groaning, singing. laughing
DO, are examples. The fine little muscles,
which control the PARTS of the larynx, are
brought into certain degree Of tension,
or tighIness. to produce sound; and the
different degrees Of sound, arc formed by
different degrees Of tension, OF these mus.
cular cords. From the lowest sound that
| The voice is capable Of producing. to the
very highest these cords are frightened, or
slacke ned, by au effort Of the will to pro-
dtce the effect, just as the strings OF a
musical Instrument are tightened, to in
crease their vibrations, which. produce the
Nigh and low sounds of the scale.
The average compass OF the voice is,
about two octaEes, Or twenty four semi
tones. Good singers will make by the
gliding Of tina voice, ten distrnct Intervals
between each full semiione, which, would
be equal to $40 within the two octayes;
and each one of these 24o different sounds
is the effect Of special act ofthe will, BY
which it places at pleasure, these muscu.
lar ccrds. upon different degrees of ten
sion.
This is hot one Of the least, of the won
ders FAR surprising all our conceptions OF
power. of our formation. aud fully sus.
tains the saying that "mah is feariully and
wonderfully inado." We abide to tile ac-
curacy, with which. the exact degree ol
tension is Produced determining the pre-
ctse tone preconceivsd in the mind, run
ming through the entire scope which. the
voice is capable Of comprising!
The power Of producing any desired
tone, Al pleasure, is very much Under the
control Of habit, and 6an Be improved by
education. or much application. But the
sublimity, and divinity Of mans nature, is
no; lessehed by the admission:
The ability to produce fine musical
sounds, is found 10 differ 10 degree, in diff
ferent minds But mind may have a
fine conce !ijh Of harmoiy. aid yet; from
the coarseness Of his vocal organs, never
be able 10 execute it. On the other hand
an individual may possess 6ne vocal
apparatus; and yet having in his soul no
concord Of sweet sounds" his harp
hangs silent on the willow.
Musical Sounds are to be regarded as
the voice of The soul. the odt-speaking
emotions Of the heart, the vehicle for the
transmission OF the passions. Music,
when harmoniously executed, is divine
gift. 1t has power to tranquilize and
soothe most OF the ills Of life. II has pow
er to disarm The tyrant; aud to change his
swesily chefished schemes ot vengesn nee
lnIo love, atid forgiveness.
The lips, tongue, the teeth, and soft pal.
ate. are the principal artlculatlbg orgahs,
by which voice sound 10 Produced 10 the
larynx. as above described, is formed into
words which, constitute speech. Articu.
; lated voice is speech; aud speech, il
the representative Of ideas. previously for