170 PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL. 



In front of the slit of the photographic recorder of the string galva- 

 nometer which recorded the pulse, a light wooden lever was placed so 

 as to throw a shadow across the slit. The other end of this recording 

 lever was attached to the finger by a light rod held against the upper 

 phalanx of the middle finger by the pressure of an elastic band. The 

 axis of the lever was so placed as to decrease the amplitude of the move- 

 ment in the proportion 5 to 1 . The mass of the entire recording system is 

 about 7 grams. Since the leverage is the most favorable possible, both 

 with respect to the recording-lever and its attachment to the finger, 

 interference with the free movement of the finger is objectively and sub- 

 jectively so slight as to be practically negligible. The finger feels no 

 resistance to starting and no instrumental momentum in stopping. 



POSITION OF THE SUBJECT. 



For measurements of the finger-movements, the subject was seated 

 in the steamer-chair approximately at position I. But the steamer- 

 chair was so moved by the operator that the subject was nearer the 

 recording-camera of the string galvanometer than in other experiments 

 from position I. A stand with an adjustable arm-rest was so placed 

 that the subject's right arm was comfortably supported with the hand 

 near the edge of the recording-camera table, but slightly above the level 

 of its top. The palm of the hand rested against a vertical wedge- 

 shaped support, against which it was held by the flexible but regular 

 pressure of a broad elastic band. The sharp end of this wedge rested 

 against the palm of the subject's hand, leaving the digits entirely free 

 to move in a horizontal plane. In a relaxed position, the upper phalanx 

 of the middle finger should be perpendicular to the face of the recording- 

 camera, so that when it was attached to the recording levers there 

 would be as little lateral movement of the levers as possible. The 

 operator was always careful that there should be no unnatural or forced 

 position of the hand or fingers, and that the arm was comfortable. 

 There was no restriction of the movement of the other fingers, but their 

 movement did not affect the recording lever. 



EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE. 



While the subject sat in a half-reclining position in the steamer-chair, 

 with electrodes in position, and connected for recording his electro- 

 cardiogram as in word-reaction movements, the chair was slid into 

 position by the operator. The subject's arm was placed on the arm- 

 support, so that his fingers were entirely free beyond the edge of the 

 hand-support against which his palm was held by the pressure of the 

 elastic band. A fine rubber band about 1 cm. in diameter was then 

 placed so that it rested on the fold of the skin which separates the first 

 phalanx of the finger from the palm of the hand. This elastic band 

 served to hold an offset from the end of the horizontal member of the 

 recording levers, and thus formed a flexible but close connection between 



