CHAPTER III.

PRESERVATION AND STRENGTHENING OF THE VOCAL ORGANS.

WHOEVER desires to preserve his voice (whether the singing or speaking voice) must closely observe the following rules. It is to be regretted that circumstances do not always permit of their observance, yet their neglect through any avoidable cause can never be justified. Such neglect has often to be atoned for with a long indisposition, if not with the loss of the voice.

I. In the first place, the air we inhale must not be too cold and too raw; inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx, and especially of the vocal cords (hoarseness), is the usual consequence.

2. The air must be pure and not vitiated with smoke (especially tobacco smoke), dust, or noxious gases. Frequently recurring catarrhs of the larynx cause a thickening of the mucous membrane of the vocal cords, and an unmetallic, harsh voice is the natural consequence.

3. After prolonged singing, exerting discourse, or

after the inhalation of warm air, the larynx should never be exposed internally or externally to cold air; an inflammation of the mucous membrane, however slight, is generally the result.

It is easy to guard against either of these kinds of exposure; but this is generally not done, through want of precaution and through a false shame. It has been shown that most persons fail, not so much on account of the weakness of their organs, as because they have the insane belief that they are able to stand everything; that they must accustom the larynx to exposure, to cold air and the wind, after severe exertion and the inhalation of warm air.

Those, who are so careless, will have to stand the consequences; but we advise those who are more careful, and we lay it down as a positive rule for them, to protect the neck in such cases, externally, with some covering, and to prevent the entry of cold air into the larynx, by keeping the mouth closed and breathing through the nose, or by keeping a silk handkerchief before the mouth.

There is still something to be said in regard to male dramatic actors, which is of great importance in respect to health. In consequence of the coiffures and wigs of every kind, with which they have

to burden the head, sometimes for hours at a time, they are apt to become extremely heated. Now, in winter, when such a headgear is removed, and the actor goes forth into the open air, with nothing on the head but a modern hat (the most insufficient portion of our attire), it is impossible to avoid catching cold. A very good protection against this consists in an embroidered hood of fine wool or silk, covering the head and neck and leaving only the face exposed. Over this, he can put on his useless hat. This covering should not be put off until he reaches his room, the temperature of which should be uniform with that of the hall which he has quitted.

4. Our food also has great influence on our organs of speaking and singing. All very sharp and exciting condiments and drinks should be avoided (as pepper, mustard, spirits, acids, etc.). But, above all, it is necessary after any severe exertion of the larynx, to abstain from very cold drinks. The chewing of tobacco is also very pernicious.

5. Extreme care should be taken to avoid any too severe or too prolonged exertion of the larynx, in shouting, as well as in speaking or singing, generally.

It will, perhaps, be objected that, in this way, it would be impossible to attempt anything with one's voice, or to undertake a long rôle. This is not the case, however. A long part, even if it be of twenty pages, does not produce as much exertion as all the accumulated talk

and gossip that go on among the actors within the dressing-rooms and behind the scenes. We have known actors to have become more fatigued by loud and excited talk before the beginning of the performance than their entire rôle would have caused them. Such persons are sure to get their vocal cords and muscles into poor condition. We have often heard artists exclaim, in the course of a performance: "I am altogether out of trim to-day; my whole part is going to be spoiled; and I thought I was in such excellent condition. They seemed to be unaware that they had themselves caused the trouble.

6. The neck should be strengthened with cold ablutions (begun in the warm season), and must not be too closely covered.

It is strange how people treat such fine and delicate organs as the vocal apparatus. While a watch (which, in case it is broken, can readily be repaired) is handled with the utmost care, and while everything is avoided that may in anyway possibly injure it, they imagine that their vocal organs can stand almost anything, organs which, when once injured, can never be restored, or, at best, but partially. They indulge, indiscriminately, in almost everything that can act injuriously upon them. They stay up half the night, and sometimes all night, smoking, or shut up in a room where others are smoking, and the next morning they complain of hoarseness, roughness of the throat, in other words, of irritation of the larynx. Instead of feeling guilty, however, about these bad consequences, they wrongly assign for them some insignificant cause, and they point to the performances of artists, who have habitually exposed their organs to these deleterious influences, as an evidence that such habits may be indulged in with impunity. It is true we have seen dramatic celebrities who have abused their finely endowed organs, and have abused them long (in proportion to the extent of their resources); still their achievements, as a whole, have always clearly manifested that their organs had not been spared, that they would have been able to achieve much more, have stood much higher in their vocation, if they had acted otherwise. We have seen most of them compelled to retire prematurely from the field of their activity, because their powers were ruined, or even hurried to an early grave. If there have been now and then artists who could afford to trifle with their vocal organs, this must be no argument that should justify us in attempting the same. If a man happens to make a crazy leap from a tower without breaking his limbs, does that show that we could do it with like impunity, nay, that we ought to attempt it? Let every one answer this question for himself.