The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-10-30
CULTIVATION OF THE VOICE,
HeaIth.Glyiug Value of the Right Use
tha Vnrnl OrRnnR,

CULTIVATION VI HE NVlVL
lIeaIth.Glving Value of the Right Use of
the Vocal Organs.
Dr.. Ferdinand Steger N "uellieal Clasile''"
We have no more than touched upon
the heslth.giying value of liberalization
Of the voice. The writer has again and
again seen delicate constitutions madero-
bust by intelligent and properly directed
vocal exercises, and were medical men
thoroughly conversant with the subject
they would quite as often send their
irail patients 10 some sensible teacher ~
the divine art, whereby the health to be
gained in its practice aud the agreeable
and pleasing diversion OF the intellect
which 1t affords, they would find their
medical success become more raulcal'
The medical man OF the present DAY
must DO something more than an adept
in the prescribing OF drugs, Profound
acquaintance with the rules oil heroic
treatment or skill in symptom:mongery
have had their day, The physician who
recognizes the signs Of the times COM
bines with the thorough study Of the
art Of prescribing tho knowledge OF pre-
Vention, and in systematic and lnlelll'
gent VOlCe'Culture he will soon discover
that he has q most powerful hyRIenlc
and therapeutic agent, a.,
The votaries OF voice culture will lind
themselves possessors OF expanded or
developed lungs; OF u lessened susCeptl'
bility to throat, bronchial aud puImo'
nary difficulties; Of q more thoroughly
oxygenated or reVitalized lile'fuid, and
in its train, OF o capacity Of digestion
and the power to work and 10 do, such
as they have been strangers 10 before. l
have made use OF the qualification sys'
tematiC and intelligent voCal'CuIture,
aud therefore feel called upon to ex'
plain.
An immeasurable amount OF injury
has been done by the ignorance Of So
called teachers or professors" OF sing
ing. Not long since young lady came
to me for the relief OF throat disease
with which her professor" insisted that
she was afflicted. The most careful and
conscientious examination failed to dis
cover the least sign Of diseased con-
dition. Fifteen minutes Of attention,
however, to the lady's rapid and uneven
manner OF speech satisfied me that in
this hasty method OF speaking lay the
whole difficulty, which ] can, perhaps,
explain the best by saying thnt her vo'
col organ being so accustomed to 0 he'll
ter.skelter rapid action, found itself too
much astonished and too impatient for
more orderly and systematic study.
How often VoiCe.Culture, especially in
this most trying climate OF ours, Is at
tempted under the disadvantages OF some
existing form OF throat trouble, aud not
only at the expense OF wasted time,
money and efforts, but with consequent
aggravation Of the diseased condition,
only those familiar with the subject can
fully appreciate.
Professor Sicber has touched one OF
his evils OF the day when he declares
that there prevails keenly.felt dearth
OF thoroug III teachers who have devoted
their lives 10 the special study Of the
formation OF the voice, and this remark
applies Just as forCibly in public speak.
ing. Our people have yet to learn that
a ready flow Of ideas aud the gift OF CAB
do not constitute the sole and only re.
quisitO OF the impassioned and eloquent
orator. Cicero, when he began his pub.
lie career, soon found his voice and de-
livery so inadequate that he gave up his
profession for time, and spent mum.
Der OF years in Greece and Asia Minor
In the study Of eloCution. When he re-
turned and resumed his profession his
voice became proverbial for its sweet
ness, compass and power, and his de-
livery charmed and delighted one Of tho
most eloquent ages In the worlds his.
tory. The severity OF the exercises pur.
sued by Demosthenes have furnished
texts for even the writing books OF our
schools, and, as a result, he so developed
the clearness Of his articulation aud the
strength Of his voice that 1t enabled him
to subdue into silence and awe those
tumultuous assemblies Of the Athenian
democracy, where the noise and con.
fusion were often like that ION the lips
OF the many.sounding sea. )"
Professor MCIlvain, Of Princeton,
strikes squarely at the evil known as
clergymen's sore throat when he says,
1t wonld seem that he who imagines
himself to be preaching the gospel
whilst he violates almost every law Of
oral speech, deceives himself and com.
mits no little siu-a sin which, like all
Others, does not fail to punish itself,
For those wasting throat diseases with
which clergymen are afflicted more than
any other class of public speakers, are
to bad management Of tbs Voice; to thHss
violation Of those laws which nature has
prescribed for artiCulate speaking-laws
which, like all others established by the
God oil nature, can never be violated
with IMMUNITY. This view is confirmed
by the fact that no more eiIeCtual pre-.
ventite for these diseases has been dis.
covered than thorough course OF sound
elocutlonary training.