The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1880-11-26
A Machine That Measures
Thoughts.

A machine has been invented by Doc
tor Mosso, of Turin, which measures
thought. tits called the thysmograph
and its revelations are based on the fact
that thought creates nervous action,
which consume in its performance GER
tain quantity of blood, and that quantity
may be measured. In an address before
the American Association of Science,
Professor g. F. Barker describes the
machine and its working as follows;
The forearm, for example, being the
organ to be experimental on, is placed
in cylinder of water, and tightly in
closed, A rubber tube connects the in
terror of the cylinder with the recording
apparatus. With the electric circuit by
which the stimulus was applied to pro-
duce contraction were two keys, one OF
which was a dummy. 1t was noticed
that after using the active key several
times, producing varying current
strengths, the curve sank as before, on
pressing down the inactive key. Since
no real effect was produced, the result
was caused solely by the imagination,
blood passing from the body to the brain
in the act.
To test further the effect of mental ac-
tion, Doctor Pagliani, whose arm was in
the apparatus, was requested to multiply
two hundred and sixty-seven by eight
mentally, and to make sign when he
had finished. The recorded curve showed
very distinctly how much more blood the
BRAIN took to perform the operation.
Hence the plethysmograph is capable OF
measuring the relative amount of mental
power required by different persons TO
work out the same mental problem. In
deed, Mr.. Gaskell suggests the use of this
instrument in the examination room, 10
find out in addition to the amount OF
knowledge Il man possesses, how much
effort it causes him to produce any par
ticular result of brain-work.
Doctor Mosso relates that, while the
apparatus was set up in his room in Turin,
classical man came in TO see him. He
looked very contemptuously upon II, and
asked of what use it could be, saying that
it couldn't do anybody any good.
Doctor Mosso replied: well, now,
can tell you by that whether you read
Greek as easily as YOU can Latin"
As the classicist would not believe 1t,
his own arm WAS put into the apparatus,
and he was given Latin book to read.
A very slight sinking of the curve was
the result.
The Latin book was then taken away,
and a Greek book was given to him. This
produced Immediately much deeper
curve.
He had asserted before that it was
quite as easy for him TO read Greek as
Latin, and that there was no difficulty ID
doing either. Doctor Mosso, however,
was able to show him that he was labor
ing under delusion-
Again, this apparatus is so sensitive as
to be useful for ascertaining how much
person is dreaming. When DIR. Paglianl
went TO sleep in the apparatus, the effect
upon the resulting curve was very marked
indeed. He said afterward that he had
been in sound sleep, and remem 5ered
nothing of what passed in the room
that he had been absolutely unconscious;
and vet, every little movement in the
room, such as the slamming of a door,
the barking of dog, and even the knock
ing down of a piece Of glass, were all
marked on the curves. Sometimes he
moved his lips, and gave other evidences
thst he was dreaming. They were all
recorded on the curve, the amount OF
blood required for dreaming diminishing
that in the extremities.