The New York herald., 1921-06-05

the number is, only beginning has been
made to collect them.
The idea of research work to determine
the effects of music on humanity origi-
mated, at least in it's latest form, with Mr..
Edison himself, but the data gained so far
has long since outgrown his ability to keep
track of it without interference with other
projects as interesting and likely to be as
valuable, in his opinion.
Therefore, he has turned over to William
Maxwell. who is at the head of the COM
mercal department of the laboratories, the
incidental work Of gathering the charts
from all tests, arranging them geographi-
cally and, in a word, keeping general
supervision of the matter. The real work
of classifying the data will not be done by
him or his assistants, but by a group of
psychologists, who have been instrumental
in fostering the work of research and Civ
ing it scientific Importance
Mr. Maxwell said that the actual tests
started in the making about two months
ago, but the Edison force had been prepar-
ing for 1t for more than year. 1t is pur-
posed to cover the entire country and
Canada by testing in small groups all
grades Of society and as many different
kinds of people in each group as possible.
He explained:
"Dr. Bingham, director of Applied Psy-
chology of the Carnegie Institute of Tech
nology, devised the mood test card which
we use He was assisted in making it by
Professor Charles II. Farnsworth of Colum-
bia University and several other well
known psychologists.
Thus we did not make the chart, nor
are we responsible for selections of musi-
cal pieces on the programmes by which re-
actions are sought Mr.. Edison is SYM
pathetic with those who hope to find that
music possesses curative qualities in GER
tain kinds of sickness, but this is deriva-
tive of the plan from which he holds
strictly aloof He distinctly refuses to be
classed among the quacks who prescribe
this and that for suffering people, whether
they suffer theoretically or from any cause.
Our interest in the widespread investiga-
tion being made by these charts is truly
scientific.
Curative Phase of Music
Will Be Left to Physicians
I'VE don't deny that the result so many
persons hope for, apparently, which is that
music will be found to be curative, inter
es.s us, but it must be left to physicians as
their province.
To-day we have in stock, so to speak,
IL 900 mood change charts. BY the first
of September or thereabouts we expect to
have on file here at least 100000 such
charts. They are coming in numerously
every day and the tests are constantly
bo;n Ia nd x-iII ha Ja oh ant
the summer II is rather premature,
therefore, to speak of these charts now
while we are waiting for the bulk of them
to be made and sent to us.
"And, in fact, no real analysis has been
made yet on those we have received. They
have been glanced over only cursorily and
the most that will be done with them here
will be to separate them into geographical
divisions. That u.s. the charts made in this
country will be separated into charts from
the Southern States. Northern States mid
die Western States. &c. When this is done
e will be possible to tell whether the reac.
tions to music on Southern folk differ from
the reactions Of Northern people. Inter
esting as this investigation may turn out
to be, it will not amount to much as an
alysis.
"The actual work Of classification will
be done by Or. Bingham. Professor Farms
worth and the group of psychologists ap-
pointed from Columbia and the Carnegie
Tech assisted by DR.. Esther l.. Gatewood.
Enough information has been gained TO
show that music produces certain reactions
on every normal person and that these diff
fer with the individual and according to
h. ;,J oe hn Ao pf
people differ in other things, so do they
i'm music but this much was discounted in
advance. II is the difference in reactions
that perhaps will tell the story.
"We are seeking knowledge. We do not
Continued on THIRD Page.