Part 1

THE BRAIN AND THE VOICE IN SPEECH AND SONG

F.W. MOTT, F.R.S., M.D., F.R.C.P.

1910

PREFACE

The contents of this little book formed the subject of three lectures delivered at the Royal Institution "On the Mechanism of the Human Voice" and three London University lectures at King's College on "The Brain in relation to Speech and Song." I have endeavoured to place this subject before my readers in as simple language as scientific accuracy and requirements permit. Where I have been obliged to use technical anatomical and physiological terms I have either explained their meaning in the text, aided by diagrams and figures, or I have given in brackets the English equivalents of the terms used.

I trust my attempt to give a sketch of the mechanism of the human voice, and how it is produced in speech and song, may prove of interest to the general public, and I even hope that teachers of voice production may find some of the pages dealing with the brain mechanism not unworthy of their attention.

F.W. MOTT

LONDON

July, 1910

CONTENTS

THEORIES ON THE ORIGIN OF SPEECH

THE VOCAL INSTRUMENT: THREE QUALITIES OF MUSICAL SOUNDS, LOUDNESS, PITCH AND TIMBRE

THE VOCAL INSTRUMENT AND ITS THREE PARTS

(1) THE BELLOWS AND ITS STRUCTURE: VOLUNTARY CONTROL OF BREATH

(2) THE REED CONTAINED IN THE VOICE-BOX OR LARYNX: ITS STRUCTURE AND ACTION

(3) THE RESONATOR AND ARTICULATOR, ITS STRUCTURE AND ACTION IN SONG AND SPEECH

PATHOLOGICAL DEGENERATIVE CHANGES PRODUCING SPEECH DEFECTS AND WHAT THEY TEACH

THE CEREBRAL MECHANISM OF SPEECH AND SONG

SPEECH AND RIGHT-HANDEDNESS

LOCALISATION OF SPEECH CENTRES IN THE BRAIN

THE PRIMARY SITE OF REVIVAL OF WORDS IN SILENT THOUGHT

CASE OF DEAFNESS ARISING FROM DESTRUCTION OF THE AUDITORY CENTRES IN THE BRAIN CAUSING LOSS OF SPEECH

THE PRIMARY REVIVAL OF SOME SENSATIONS IN THE BRAIN

PSYCHIC MECHANISM OF THE VOICE

ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG.

1. The thoracic cage and its contents

2. The diaphragm and its attachments