ABSTRACT
In unilateral paralysis voice may be produced by the healthy vocal chords overstepping the middle line, thus closing the glottis. This can be aided by pressure on the thyroid cartilage. The ensuing vibrations act as a sort of massage consolidating the tissues of the paralysed chord. In time the healthy vocal chord may overstep the middle line–compensatory overcrossing–but voice remains very poor. The continual over-exertion causes irritation of the laryngeal mucous membrane which, in its turn, furthers the deterioration of the voice. Patients suffering from bilateral paralysis of the recurrent nerve are completely aphonic; exertion may produce a poor whisper. If a vocal chord is missing as a result of operation, the ventricular band tends to substitute it. A valuable aid in treatment is faradism and vibratory massage executed during phonation. Vocal treatment involving encouragement restored the voice.
