correct in observing, that 'the words of barbarous languages are long and full of vowels, not short and full of consonants, as has been imagined.' He then quotes from Dr. Percival of Dublin the following remark: "The Otaheitans call Cooke, Toote. Their language is beautifully soft and vocal. A sentence reported in Cooke's second voyage, is distinguished by the harmonious collocation of its words:"Tootaha, taio Toote, -mutte Tootaha." "Tootaha, the friend of Cooke,-dead is Tootaha." Man in savage life is fond of ease, and would not move a muscle, if he could help it; in the voluptuousness of polished life he loves it equally; and is, if possible, still less disposed to exertion; and hence this extraordinary resemblance in the character of their articulations."

In accordance with these theories, is another set of facts respecting stammering persons, who cannot enunciate certain consonant sounds, especially in difficult combinations. This convulsive action of the vocal organs, the writer above mentioned, evidently regards as chiefly a mental affection, because he accounts for the ability of the stammerer to sing, by the strong interest with which the mind is engrossed, by the tune. In respect to reading too he says; "One of the worst stutterers I have ever known, was one of the best readers of Milton's Paradise Lost. He was a scholar of considerable attainments, and had taken some pains with himself for his natural defect, without success; yet the moment an interesting poem was opened, his defect completely vanished, from his being led captive by the force of the subject, and the great interest he took in this branch of polite letters." Now I have no doubt that intense mental interest in what he utters, must greatly alleviate the hesitation of the stammerer; and that for a reason similar in its influence, the practice of Demosthenes to cure stammering, was founded on sound philosophy, when he declaimed on the sea shore, where his mind would be occupied with the majestic roar of the ocean, and his voice carried to its utmost pitch of energy. But there is a more simple explanation of these phenomena. The singer does not stammer because he utters only

vocal sounds, consisting in the stream of breath issuing through the aperture of the glottis. There is nothing to hinder him or to occasion hesitation, if he keeps his mouth open, and lets his voice flow. In reading poetry, the same principle holds; the harmonic structure being such as greatly to relieve the stammerer, by rythmical regularity of accent, and the open vowels recurring so constantly, that a large proportion of the sounds are those formed by the glottis alone.

If the foregoing premises are correct, the chief remedy for stuttering is simply and only this, to select, as a matter of calculation, and practice with steady perseverance, those sounds which keep the glottis open. By a similar process the public speaker, who would cultivate in his own voice, the power of uttering single words or sentences, with the greatest fullness, rotundity, and strength, should accustom himself to read passages which call him to swell, and expand, and prolong the vowel sounds, that admit of the greatest loudness of tone. A few experiments may convince any man, that the voice, by proper management for such a purpose, is capable of almost indefinite improvement in strength.

I proceed now to mention very briefly, the Organs of Articulation.

The chief of these is the tongue. By its intimate connexion with the larynx, its muscular texture, its shape, and its activity, its aid is important in modifying vocal tones. In an instant it can be made long and short, tense or relaxed, concave or convex. It is applied with equal ease to the teeth, lips, or palate. According to its positions, the breath passes out, by a full or narrow stream, through the mouth, or is directed through the nostrils, or is entirely obstructed.

The importance of this organ in language, is obvious from one unquestionable fact, that in all common cases, the man who is without a tongue, whether by congenital defect, or by disease, is a dumb man. It is doubtless for this reason, that tongue and language are often used as synonymous words. It cannot indeed be questioned, that there have been cases in which the

power of articulation remained, when the tongue was destroyed or rendered useless; but these facts, and the stranger exploits of ventriloquism, however they may be explained, do not at all invalidate the general statement, that the tongue is the chief organ of speech.

Next in order is the palate, the concave arch of the mouth, according to the elevation of which is the depth of tone to the voice.

The nostrils, the lips, and the teeth, all have a distinct but important office to discharge, in the exercise of speaking. An obstruction of the nasal avenues, by a cold in the head, a polypus, or any organic defect, produces what is called the nasal voice, or in common phrase, speaking through the nose ;— a very incorrect description, by the way, of a defect arising wholly from interruption of the usual passage of sound through the nostrils. This nasal voice is often occasioned or aggravated by the preposterous habit of taking snuff, in such quantities as to stimulate and obstruct the cavities of the nose.

Every one must have observed too, how a contusion on the lip, or the fissure called hare-lip, or the loss of even a single front tooth, produces a vitiated articulation.

I will add the suggestion here, that the best way for a man to become acquainted with his own vocal organs, is to observe them with care, especially when in action. Let him watch these organs, for example, in uttering the vowels and mutes. He will find that (a) in all, draws back the tongue, and makes it concave; while (e) in mete, makes it convex, and thrusts it forward. Let him try to protract the sound of a mute, and ascertain the difference in the action of his organs, that produces the sound of (th) in think and in thou. By a little perseverance in such an elementary examination, he will easily understand the operation of these delicate and wonderful organs, to an extent which he could never learn from mere description.

79

NOTE.

The author submitted the preceding and the two following Lectures to the perusal of a distinguished member of the medical profession, whose attention had been particularly turned to this subject, requesting his opinion on the following points :

1. The correctness of the Anatomical and Physiological statements. 2. The expediency of such remarks from him to Theological Students.

The insertion of the reply may gratify the reader, and may also serve the twofold purpose, of confirming the correctness of the views presented in the Lecture, and of throwing some additional light on the subject. It is subjoined.

"1. The Anatomical and Physiological statements seem to be technically correct, but it appears to me that the Mucous Membrane as an important part of the vocal organs, deserves a place in the description, as being the seat of most of the diseases incident to the Larynx, Trachea, and Lungs.

"2. As to the expediency of such remarks to Theological Students, it would seem to depend entirely upon the solution of the question, whether they can fully understand them. This question would be easily decided, if the Directors of Theological Seminaries would provide the means of demonstrating these organs anatomically. This might be done at small expense in about two Lectures, and might be made not only useful, to the students, but particularly interesting to them.

J. W."

LECTURE IX.

STRENGTH OF VOICE

CONTINUED.DIRECTIONS

STRENGTHENING THE VOICE.

FOR

HAVING passed in review that system of organs, on which both sound and speech depend, and the perfection of which is essential to strength of voice; I proceed to show,

2. That strength of voice depends on the proper exercise of these organs.

This we might infer by analogy, from the general influence of exercise on the bodily functions. What is it that gives the day-laborer a larger hand or foot, and a firmer set of joints than the effeminate student?-Exercise. What gives to the sailor's wrist the hardness, and to his fingers the grasp of iron ?—Exercise. In the same way we may account for the powerful voice of certain public criers and itinerant preachers; whose organs of sound are strengthened by use, and yet are not affected by that train of debilitating causes, to which public speakers of the sedentary and studious class are exposed.

Still stronger evidence than that of analogy may be adduced, in this case, the evidence of facts, from which we may estimate the influence of exercise in strengthening the voice.

Of Garrick, (whose attainments in strength and variety of vocal powers, show what proper management of the voice will effect,) it is said, that the habit of speaking gave to his utterance an energy so wonderful, that sentences and parts of sentences even on his under key, were distinctly audible to ten thousand people: In this statement, there can be no mistake, as it is