Frostburg mining journal., 1894-02-10
HAS AN ARTIFICIAL VOICE.
A French man who Talks with the A'd "l
bellows and Valves

A French hman who Talks with the A'd ct
Bellows and Valves.
At one Of the recent sessions of the
French Academy of Medicine Or.
Perier, surgeon of the Lariboisicrc hos
pital, presented for the examination
of his colleagues a mute who expressed
all his ideas by speech, that is to say.
by modulated sounds. The history of
this man. as given in la Mag Sn
Picturesque" is most curious amt in
tereSting from a scientific point of
view. He was habitually enjoying ro-
bust health when he was stricken with
an incurable affection of the larynN,
the first symptoms of which he OBJ
served in January. 1891. Tired of lhc
treatment which he had to undergo for
two years, he expressed Il desire to
be operated upon as radically as pos
siblc Fortified with such authoriZa-
ton, DR.. Pericr proceeded on the eth
of June last to operate upon him for
the total eXtirDatiOn of the larynN.
Everybody knows that the region of
the larynx contains the very organ OF
the voice, and that the vocal apparl-
tus of man. if it is indisputably the
most delicate, is the most perfect of
that of the higher beings. Its de-
struction through disease or accident
is consequently followed by aphou;
The operation once terminated. ac-
cOrding to the rules of art. the Skillful
surgeon formed i'll the anterior wall
of the neck Il small orticc which he
left open This opening. consequently.
communicated with both the exterior
and the pharynX. was reserved for
experiments upon the rc-csta bliSli-
mcnt of the voice by means of an ar
titicial larynx. ConvaleScrnce proceed
ed quickly, and on the 2Sth of June
the health of the patient was suIli-
ciently recstablished to permit of
such experiments
In concert with Mr.. Aubly. manufhc-
turer of surgical instruments. DR..
Pericr directed these tcntAtivrS
toward the adaptation of an artiti-
cial larynX, actuatcd by Il blowing de.
vice, and not by the air issuing from
the trachea. The apparatus, rc. live
ly simple, that they decided to adopt
consists of a metallic reed incluScd in
IL tube, and the plates of which, ar
ranged in contrary directions. oblitCr
ate half of the light at each extremity
The tube terminates above in Il Sphcr-
zeal surface capable of being applied
hermctically to the oritce in the front
of the neck. Below it is connected
with two elastic reservoirs. coupled
and mounted upon Il metallic S-Sh&pcd
armature. permitting of one commune
eating with the other, in order to OBJ
tain Il continuous current of air OF
mean intensity. One of the reservoirs
is put in communication with Il blow
ing device formed of a bulb similar to
those that actllate vapOriZCrS. Under
the effect Of the current of air the me
tallic reed enters into vibration and
emitS IL constant note of uniform
tonality, which is. approximately. that
of the ordinary diHpaSon. The sound
thus produced is led. so to speak. into
the buccal cavity. 1t remains then. in
order to convert it into true-Spokcn
language. only to make it undergo,
through the intermcdium of the tongue
lips and teeth, as in ordinary ph,,na
ton, the series of modulatiO that
produce the nuances and the differ
encc in the pronunciation of words
These nuanceS, as incredible rs the
fact may seem at first sight, are, il ap-
pears. obtained quite easily. An cdu
cation of few days suftices.
The individual who was the object
of the communication made to the
Paris Academy of Medicine. was able
amid the plaudits Of the whole assem-
blage, after receiving his operator
with emotion. to retrace the history
and detailed phases of his painful dis
ease with a voice that was distinct
although of low and monotonouS
tone.