The morning times., 1896-04-19
Marvellous Mechanical Device Which Tested the
Mental Condition of Murderer Holmes.
TIMES MAN UNDERGOES THE SAME PROCESS
Results of Experiments the riulti-murderer Are
Now in Washington Some Strange Expert
ences With the Wonderful Kymograph-
ion-Pictures of rlentaI Visions.

The confession of Holmes, the multi
murderer, has been read with painful
interest by The greater part of humanity.
He has made other Confe SSionS, in one
teRse voluntary, in another involuntary,
which only two persons have seen and
which are now The property OF tie United
States government.
These confessions were obtained through
lbe most ingenious instruments OF nven-
live science The two persons who have
been The record are Holmes and Prof.
Arthur Macdonald OF the National Bureau
bf Education. Prof. Macdonald is a spe-
cialst III criminOlogy, and has high local
Dnd foreign reputation, having represented
bur government officially at International
congresses dealing with CrimIHology and
kindred subjects.
Some weeks ago he visited Holmes in Lis
cell in L hi ldGepnia, and made thorough
examination or the monster with tie IN
strumcmts, the principal OF which are
exhibited m Tie illustrations of this article.
A minute record or this INQUIRY has been
made automatically 10y tLcse marvel lous
mechanical Cevices, and VIII pTobabiy in
due time be given TO the world.
in order TO give the readers OF The Times
an idea of the wonderful working II these
instruments application was made TO
Prof. Macdonald for that purpose The
necessary that The Times should undergo
the same processes as those TO which
Holmes submitted, TO present the subject
in its phase Of greatest aud keeneSt interest
to the public.
To this the representative of The Times
consented, and hence the results have a
twO-foll value and interest, their relation
to the examination OF the world s most celc-
brated murderer, and the personal test OF
the functions OF these most delicG&e pie ceS Of
scientific mecha niSm.
1t will asSuredly be of further interest
to be told that these instruments are
identical with those used al the Cniver-
sity OF Leipsic by the famous physicist,
ludwig in his experimentation in vivisec-
tiun. Ludwig is dead, aud so are thousands
of the innocent animals whose last breath
pulsed against the plates aud planes and
drumSand through hth tubes ofthe machines
leaving its record for what IL is worth to
that kind of scientific inquiry
CAN READ A SIGH.
II will readily be inferred from this state
rnent Of the use OF these instruments in
yivisectional studies that the breath, the
respiration. the sigh. the gasp, are the
motor, the power which makes the record.
The breath of the human subject is lteF-
6lly the only power which moves the pen
which makes the handwriting on the wall.
AS a PRACTICAL study in physiology II Will
be seen TO be unrivaled. j has its charm
as science. 1t has weird suggestion
of the occult without charlatanry. Neither
Ludwig nor Macdonald could be classified
as a CagliOstro or a akir in the Oriental
aCcepta ton of the term.
The instrument which sounded the mental
condition OF Holmes is called kymOgraph-
ion. Its simplicity does not detracu from
fits ingenuity This is rather a set or series
OF instruments.
The Times man was seated in a chair.
-,
three appa I'll fuses. One of these, the
nearest tnhim. was a stand which supported
q queer looking little box. alright, with
n cover which expands OF contracts, as 1t
IS filled with or depleted OF air. From this
apparatus two India rubber tubes extend
10 a similar air-tight little box which was
placed gainst the stomach and which was
held in place by straps extending TO the
back and there buCkled.
As tie apparatus against the stomach
has a cover, which responds TO the breath
ing. 1t is evident that the motion of breath
ing is communicated through the tubes to
The apparatus fixed TO the stand on the
transmUtcr.
70 tie lranSmtter is attached n piece of
reed about a quarter of an inch in width
md about eight inches long. Next to the
franSmittcr. with its pen in hand is
cylinder, which is technically known as q
trum or tambour. This cylinder Is COW
tred with paper, which with ordinary
gas is treated with fine coating Of SCOT.
The cylinder is made to revolVe on a per-
pendicular axis, the motion being commu-
nicaled by a clock very much like the side
real clock seen in astronomical observa-
ories.
WRITES THE EMOTIONS.
On one side Of the drum is the clock, re-
yolving il with slow Int the most mathe-
matical precision. On the other, remote
Bide is the subject whose mental coDdi-
tions are to be recorded. The clock is
Started, the pen, or stylus, is placed against
the carbonized paper, the subject breathes,
and continues to breath. Every Inhalation
or exhalation moves the pen, AID the pen
makes a record on the paper by removing
the carbon and laying bare the immacu-
late white of the sheet of paper.
If the SUBJ Iect in the chair were in a deep
sleep undsturbcd by dreams, the regular
fly OF the heaving of the breast would
be noted on the drum by a wavy line,
the Gepi esSions and crestS or which would
be uniform. and in this case the hierogIyphs
Of the instrument would be a palpable and
tndisputable index OF the perfect men
tai repose. Conversely, it follows that alb
normal, strange. excited, suppressed, true
false or exaggerated emotions or intel
lectual activities or efforts VIII b. record
cd IN cOrrespondingly varied characterize
tions.
To differentiate these. il is assumed, i.
the ultimate problem OF the kymograph
The very statement of the scope aui prov
ince OF the instrument has its facinatioY
Tor all who would know the. as vet, uu
movable about the soul or the mind and
its operations. To make a diagram of il.
Operations has actually been achieved.
half dozen or more such diagrams dre pre-
Eented in this article.
Prof. Macdonald handed the representa-
tive OF The Times, after he was inclosed ..
this psychological circuit, the confession
Of Holmes. This was probably TO indu :,
mental condition in some respects aki
to that OF the murderer when he sat dow
10 indte that confession.
~ - u ~ q al