Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-04

THE first wabblemeter which DR.. Moss
devised consisted Of metal bar upon which
the balls of the subjects feet rested as he
attempted to balance on his heels after long
motor ride. All movements of the bar were
registered by supplementary electric counter.
The drawbacks of this device were that its
activities were Influenced by foot position and
style of shoe worn.
The George Washington University expert
menter developed q second apparatus, consist
ing of q platform balanced a universal
joint. Metal rods at the front corners of this
platform touch a bar and complete an cleo
txical circuit when the platform, due to the
loss of the balance of the person standing
upon it, hobs too far up or down. This is
recorded by an electrical bell attachment. The
Bureau of Standards made an improved wab-
blemeter of similar type, equipped also with
piston-like pumps placed at the four corners
Of the platform. Very slight losses Of balance
are registered by the displacement of fluid
which is collected in a special graduated glass
gauge after displacement.
Another wabblemeter is so equipped that
it writes the record" of every bodily sway Of
the motorist tested upon it after trip. The
platform in this case is mounted on ball and
socket joint. Automatic pens are linked to this
platform in such way that they record all
its movements on revolving drum at one
side of the wabblemeter, which turns ut
q uniform speed straight line indicates
that the person tested displays no loss Of
equilibrium Fatigue is indicated by the wabioles
of the platform and are set down ON the
record as up and down deviati0ns from the
straight line.
- According to the results thus far obtained.
both motorists and passengers vary widely
in their loss of equilibrium reactions. One
rider for example, made times as many
wabblemeter errors after an al-day auto
mobile trip as before. Another increased IL
times in errors as result of fatigue induced
by motoring. A third increased but IL time&
The average increase in wabblemeter errors
after motoring of all subjects tested was 30
times.
Unquestionably, touring would not be nearly
as popular as it is were it not for the efficient
handicraft of Nature. Nature in her usual eff
ficient manner fortifies man to Withstand the
accumulative effects of motoring fatigue.
Briefly, the human body develops counteractants,
such as adrenalin to counterbalance the in
fluence of fatigue products. Adrenalin, appar-
emily, is produced constantly during your motor
trip to counterfeit the evil effects Of fatigue.
Hence it conceals certain of the physiological
manifestations of motoring fatigue which other
wise would be uncovered by such research
that supervised by DIR. Moss.
To illustrate that adrenalin does affect the
physiological manifestations of fatigue, DIR.
Moss injected this material into the legs OF
test riders after they INDUCED in strenuous ex-
ercise ON the bicycle ergometer. The drug
masked the manifestations of muscular fatigue
which otherwise would have been observable.
Furthermore, road tests have demonstrated that
Notwithstanding to the reports they have
made ON questionnaires after such technical
rides-experience greater discomfort than in
shown by any fatigue tests as yet perfected.
Eight hour test rides have resulted in average
fatigue score of 10 under conditions where the