THE EFFECT OF THE VOICE UPON THE STOMACH.
The stomach is the principal organ of digestion. Out of the nutriment taken into it all the tissues of the body are renewed. It lies under the diaphragm, and is held in place by the abdominal muscles. The stomach is moved during respiration, descending with every inspiration, and rising with every expiration.
In addition to this exercise during the production of tone, the stomach is held firmly between the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. At the close of the tone the muscles which thus hold the stomach relax.
[Illustration: A view of the Organs of Digestion, opened in nearly their whole length; a portion of the œsophagus has been removed on account of want of space in the figure; the arrows indicate the course of substances along the canal: 1, the upper lip, turned off the mouth; 2, its frænum; 3, the lower lip, turned down; 4, its frænum; 5, 5, inside of the cheeks, covered by the lining membrane of the mouth; 6, points to the opening of the duct of Steno; 7, roof of the mouth; 8, lateral half-arches; 9, points to the tonsil; 10, velum pendulum palati; 11, surface of the tongue; 12, papillæ near its point; 13, a portion of the trachea; 14, the œsophagus; 15, its internal surface; 16, inside of the stomach; 17, its greater extremity or great cul-de-sac; 18, its lesser extremity or smaller cul-de-sac; 19, its lesser curvature; 20, its greater curvature; 21, the cardiac orifice; 22, the pyloric orifice; 23, upper portion of duodenum; 24, 25, the remainder of the duodenum; 26, its valvulæ conniventes; 27, the gall-bladder; 28, the cystic duct; 29, division of hepatic ducts in the liver; 30, hepatic duct; 31, ductus communis choledochus; 32, its opening into the duodenum; 33, ductus Wirsungii, or pancreatic duct; 34, its opening into the duodenum; 35, upper part of jejunum; 36, the ileum; 37, some of the valvulæ conniventes; 38, lower extremity of the ileum; 39, ileo-colic valve; 40, 41, cœcum, or caput coli; 42, appendicula vermiformis; 43, 44, ascending colon; 45, transverse colon; 46, 47, descending colon; 48, sigmoid flexure of the colon; 49, upper portion of the rectum; 50, its lower extremity; 51, portion of the levator-ani muscle; 52, the anus.]