Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-30
Drawings by Modest Stein

quite so important 10 a
singer, an actor, or an
orator as his voice He may neg
lect his family and friends, he
may defer payment on his life h@
insurance premium, or he may kIl
forget to wind the clock and put n u
!. !: :: !:
the cat out; but he must not in P \
any circumstances forget to care
for his voice If he does, he will III m
soon find himself on the tobog- TjNN/H
gan, bound for the land of Vocal AIkH/N
Oblivion. SW///
Until comparatively recent WIN
years the indisposed vocalist had NEAI
a difficult job of it; depending, H.
as he did, upon the advice of III
ubiquitous friends and that most H
expensive of all teachers, Ex- Mn
perience in his hour of physical iIv
trouble. His therapeutics ran the MIN NN
gamut from roasted onions or a NNV I'M
nice thick piece of fat pork, ap-
piled externally, to kerosene oil fe
or garlic internally. Fortunately
for him, Nature is kind, and the
tendency Of most diseases or all references
ments, ninety-fve times out of
a hundred, is toward recovery. So it may
more voice troubles and vocalists got well in
treatment than because of it.
But now the care of the voice and of the fell
owns it has been made branch of medicine
the ablest physicians in the world are givi
speciality their undivided attention, and many
things they have found out are of extreme int
everybody who has voce-and also to thu
haven't, but hope to have sometime. These
lists have demonstrated that the voice of s.
speaker depends as much upon the person
as upon his vocal organs; that from top to to
fleets more accurately his physical condition Il
other capricious thing he may carry about Ill
skin.
If he gets sudden haircut, he is likely to be p
by hoarseness or by some congestive conditio
@voice box If he develops bunion or pal
feet he evolves lack of residence and vocal Wig
if he contracts anything anywhere between his
the soles of his feet, he must 1pay, pay, pay!'
Many beautiful voices have been utterly ri
nervous exhaustion or chronic stomach trout
an atomic stomach and punches voice al
relations. Scores of great singers, because they
physically weakened and run down, lose the
of their transabdominal muscles. Consequen
indispensable membrane, the diaphragm,
faced, and if they worry much about it, it rem
for worry, in addition to decreasing physiolos
sistance, acts as perpetual source OF autosug
directing, day and night, commissioning attentie
diaphragm. This hypnotizes the recalcitrant me
into 4wabbling,' and wabby diaphragm c
shaky, uncertain tone and a chronic tendency
off pitch. In the case of orators or actors the
robust, orotund tone degenerates into spineles
with hysterical tendency to blow up from
time in shrill squea,l
60 it can readily be understood that the Sc
- medicine is no interloper into the realm o.
drama. and oratory; for, in addition to r
"pinched" or malformed threats and noses by
and symptomatically treating defects due to +
ness, debility, or functional arrangements of
TEN, certain class of men now make the
speciality, diagnosing improper usage of the "
paratus by the quality OF the tone
itself. .
The development of this practice VI