THE STUDIES of Templeton and Kredel1 and my own studies2 have proved that the two portions of the inferior constrictor muscle of the pharynx respond in different manners when the pressure in the hypopharynx is increased during Valsalva's experiment. The oblique portion of the muscle yields to the pressure from within and becomes more or less distended, while the circular portion, viz., the cricopharyngeal sphincter, responds with a spastic contraction. This observation is in agreement with the finding of Killian3 who has proved that even the strongest pull exerted on the larynx cannot achieve an opening of the cricopharyngeal sphincter. It is possible to pull the closed sphincter together with the larynx forward, but it is not possible to open the sphincter. This finding is likewise noticed in Figure 1, which shows an extreme displacement of the larynx due to Valsalva's experiment in a man 65 years