196 PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL. 



The first rise in each group of these plateaus corresponds with the 

 systolic wave. The subsequent rises correspond with the dicrotic and 

 (occasionally) the post-dicrotic waves. The highest plateau on the 

 line, about 3 cm. from the left of the record, indicates the duration of 

 the reaction. The left-hand beginning of this plateau indicates the 

 moment at which the experimenter simultaneously pressed a signal-key 

 and spoke the stimulus word. The end of the plateau shows the moment 

 at which he released the signal-key as the subject reacted. Faint dots 

 in rows about 3 cm. long, one row above the other, constitute a time- 

 record from the pendulum of an accurately running clock. They are 

 2" apart, and serve to control the kymograph rather than as a basis of 

 measurement. The kymograph is regarded as running satisfactorily 

 if the variation would not affect any unit of measurement. The broken 

 straight lines which appear between the pulse-curves are respiration 

 records. They were transmitted by the same sort of transmitting device 

 that was used for the pulse. Contact of the marker with the records 

 occurred during inspiration. 



The complete association-pulse data of one experimental period for 

 one subject (Subject VII), together with his association reactions, are 

 given in table 34. It seemed desirable to give the complete data of 

 one period for some subject to show the actual variations in the pulse, 

 and to illustrate the process of elaboration. The data for Subject VII 

 were chosen because his experimental pulse-changes were the largest of 

 the regular group of subjects. The extreme left-hand column in table 

 34 shows the groups in which the words were given. The second 

 column contains the reaction-time of each of the 50 asssociations of one 

 period. The other three columns contain the duration of each pulse- 

 cycle in the corresponding association experiment, arranged according 

 to its place in the pre-stimulation, stimulus to reaction, and post- 

 reaction phase of each experiment. Since the association experiments 

 began at a similar part of each corresponding complete revolution of 

 the kymograph drum, each line of the pulse-record, after it is detached 

 from the drum, is naturally divided into these three periods, of which 

 the most important determinants are the moment of stimulation and 

 the moment of reaction. Pulse-cycles which preceded the movement of 

 stimulation are entered in the " Pre-stimulation " column. Pulse-cycles 

 which lay chiefly between the moment of stimulation and the moment 

 of reaction are entered in the "Stimulus to reaction" column, while 

 those pulse-cycles which occurred immediately after the reaction are 

 entered in the "Post-reaction" column. 



The dividing-line between the post-reaction pulse-cycles of one 

 association and the pre-reaction pulse-cycles of the next association is 

 quite arbitrary. Obviously there is no experimental break between 

 them. An apparent break is produced when the record is cut to be 

 removed from the drum. While this break is really artificial, it occurs 



