The Washington times., 1920-09-30
MUSIC |CBRACELETS
FOR DEAF DANCERS
"Physiophone" Enables Them
to Feel Rhythm Through Wire
From Photograph.

Sunshine has been brought into the
lives OF a host OF deaf lads and las
sies who are fond OF dancing by a
simple apparatus invented by IL.
Gernsback, editor OF the Electrical
Experimenter, whereby they are made
con nscious OF the rhythm or music
through electrodes worn In the form
OF bracelets ana are thus enabled to
dance in perfect unison.
At the age OF sixteen Mr.. Germs
back "rigged up" a photograph with
a microphons in such a way that
music was conveyed by wire a dis
tance OF 800 yards. While expert
menting with this apparatus the In
ventor accidentally touched two
wires OF the secondary terminals and
received a smart shock. Seventeen
years later the thought OF that shock
recurred to him, and he understood
Immediately what 1t meant to the
person without hearing.
He set to work and perfected what
he calls u physiophols. by which
person, deaf or not. i-cls with as
tonishing fidelity the rhythm OF
music. What one really feels, accord
ing to the inventor, Is sound vibra-
tion translated into electrical i'm
pulses, which in turn are felt physio-
logically by the human nerves. with
little practice 1T Is possible 10 recog-
nize different tunes merely by the
variation OF the little tingling shocks.
Different tunes, different musical In
struments. AS well as voices. can
readily be differentiated physiologi-
cally without hearing any sound
whatever.
II used a double-throw switch and
q louder talker of the type CONNER
cially sold. and invited visitors to
listen nrst to the phonograph record
by means Of the loud talker," said Mr..
telling OF his experiments
with the physiophone. Then the
switch was thrown, and OF course no
sound was heard. BY grssping the
handles. the visitors could readily
follow the rhythm OF the record. And
right here q curious thing happens.
"Some persons. although musically
inclined, have trouble in following
the music, while others Immediately
recognize the different strains and
have no trouble to sing or whistle
with this physiological music. There
seems to be q difference in the nerv-
Gus system of individuals. and some
persons can more Tcduiy
the rhythm than others, although not
necessarily more musically inclined.
CONVEYS RHYTHM TO DEAF.
"For the deaf a vast and important
field has been opened. Here We have
a means of translating music into
the nervous system OF a deaf person
who has not the slightest conception
Of music. l do not mean to convey
the idea that a deaf person Will ac-
tually hear the music. What he
does get, however. Is the rhythm,
and he certainly gets this very
definitely, as has actually been demon
strated by tests with deaf persons.
1t mas been found that deaf person
can readily understand the different
musical pieces, and can even recog-
nize different musical instruments
with very little practice"
To the ceiling Of the room in which
the deaf dance to the rhythm or the
phonograph an immense wheel Is at
tached. The center 10 attached by
wire leading to a phonograph in
corner OF the room. From the rim
Of the wheel at intervals OF few
feet four wires connected with the
phonograph are suspended. Two OF
these are attached to the wrists OF
the girl, two to the wrists of the man
dancer. The rest is sup to- the dur
ability of the dances-the phono-
graph will supply rhythm until they