14 PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL. 



most favorable experimental conditions the individual subject is often 

 measurably different in his reactions at one session from what he was 

 at another. The statistical problem of correlating the various meas- 

 urements would be enormously more difficult if, in addition to the 

 differences of the individual at different times, one must take into 

 account the still larger differences between the several individuals. 



Whatever the faults of the present application of our fundamental 

 principle, and they are admittedly many, we feel confident that the 

 attempt to secure accurate measurements of the most complete possible 

 group of systematically related phenomena is sound procedure. 

 Indeed, on any of the current theories of science it appears to be the only 

 sound basis for this sort of experimentation on man. Only in the 

 simplest of inorganic processes can the measurement of a single function 

 be satisfactory. The more complex the system under investigation 

 the greater will be the number of possible organic variants, and the 

 larger should be the group of coordinated measurements. In a group 

 of tissues as complex as the neuro-muscular tissues in man our best 

 arrangements for simultaneous measurements of coordinated processes 

 must fall far short of the ideal. 



The arrangement of the experimental processes in convenient series 

 was entirely a matter of laboratory economy and expediency. The 

 main principles of arrangement were to distribute the use of our instru- 

 ments so as to prevent waste of time and material, to avoid disturbing 

 readjustments of the subject, and to condense the most possible into 

 the half-hour periods into which the sessions were divided. Recom- 

 binations of the series were consequently not specially avoided where 

 they would increase laboratory efficiency. There were originally five 

 series of experiments which were subsequently reduced to three, partly 

 by the omission of some of the members and partly by consolidation. 

 Experiments which were not carried into latter series are marked "not 

 continued." The various original series are as follows: 



SERIES I. 



(1) Electro-cardiogram, lead I, of Einthoven, taken at the first session 

 only (not continued). (2) Reciprocal innervation of the middle finger of the 

 right hand for 8 seconds repeated after 60 seconds. (3) Pulse-records (tem- 

 poral artery, telephone recorder) at rest and during finger-movements. (4) 

 Patellar reflex; stimulated by pendulum hammers of various weights and 

 recorded from the quadriceps thickening. (5) Sensory threshold to Faradic 

 stimulation, Martin 1 measurement. 



SERIES II. 



(1) Eye-reactions. (2) Eye-movements through an angle of 40. (3) Pro- 

 tective lid-reaction to noise stimulus. (4) Memory. (5) Tapping test, full 

 arm and wrist (not continued). (6) Time estimates, seconds (not continued). 



1 Martin, Measurement of Induction Shocks, New York, N. Y., 1912. 



