The cartilages would seem,
especially in boys, to grow more rapidly than the muscles, so that the
slowly-growing muscles do not, at first, control the newly-developed
cartilages. This accounts for the unmanageable state of the voice at
this period. The changes which take place in the female voicebox are
very imperceptible, so that they do not materially affect the character
of the voice. In the male voicebox, on the contrary, the alterations are
very marked, and the result is that the high voice of the boy is changed
into the tenor or the bass of the man. While, therefore, before the
period of puberty the voicebox is materially the same in both sexes,
there are, afterwards, considerable differences noticeable, not only
with regard to size, but also with regard to shape. This seems, indeed,
sufficiently obvious, and any one can see it by simply comparing the
outside of the throat of a man with that of a woman.

Nevertheless we are told by Mr. Lunn[L] that "Anatomy teaches us
that there is no difference between the male and female larynx save
in size;" and by Dr. Garrett (on page 13 of the book quoted before)
that "The male larynx does not differ anatomically in the least
from that of the female, except in size."

My readers may judge for themselves whether these statements are
borne out by facts or not.

It must further be observed that the whole upper part of the shield in
the female voicebox is less developed than in the male. The upper horns
are short, so that the voicebox is more closely attached to the
tongue-bone, and its position in the throat is altogether higher in
woman than in man. To show more clearly still the difference in the
proportions of the male and the female voicebox, I give below some
average measurements (taken from Luschka's great work on the Larynx)
which I have, for the convenience of English readers, reduced, as nearly
as possible, from centimetres and millimetres to inches.

MALE. FEMALE.

Height of the voicebox in } 2-4/5in. 1-9/10in.
front, with the lid raised } (7 cent.) (4.8 cent.)

Greatest width between the } 1-3/5in. 1-2/5in.
plates of the shield cartilage} (4 cent.) (3.5 cent.)

Depth between the lower }
border of the shield cartilage, } 1-1/5in. 1 in.
and the opposite point } (3 cent