Researches on the Dischar<^e of the Electric Organ. J'^ 



Siiieo the (kuioiuinator of tlie fraction of .t'o in (4) is very >snjall, 

 eiTors incurred in ineasui-ing ç, and ç.. influence very much the 

 value of À'o. Evidently the error «luo to ?-— <ri is made smaller, the 

 lower the points 7^ and Q are taken; Init near the foot of the curve 

 on its descending lu'anch, tliei'e exists prohahly secondary dis- 

 charge, and therefore we cannot take F and Q too low. It may 

 he shown tliat in the calculation of //', it is least affected hy the 

 error in //, caused l>y the error on the position of the .I'-axis, when 

 y is equal to Ac \ !^o also, for the determination of :i-j, we prefer 

 the points F and Q whose heights are equal to A(r\ Since it is 

 very difficult to accurately determine the position of the maximum 

 ordinate, and since the error in its determination influences the 

 difference ^.- ^i douhly, we must make full allowance for the exist- 

 ence of an eri'or of not insignificant importance in .To due to this 

 cause. To eliminate this error as far as possible, Ave take another 

 pair of points F' and Q' of equal heights and calculate x^ as above. 

 If the values of .i\, in the two cases do not coincide, let us assume 

 tliat the discre[)ancy is due solely to the error of the position of the 

 maximum ordinate, say o. Correcting for this amount and equa- 

 ting the \alues of Xj in the two cases, Ave haA'e 



■'= WW^M ' ^'^ 



Avhere the terms of the second order are neglected. 



1^'irst the agreement l^etAveen the theoretical and the experi- 

 mental curve Avas examined on Oscillogram No. 54 (Plate XIIL). 

 This Avas a series of experiments for flnding the relation betAveen the 

 magnitude of the stimulation cui'i'ent and the discharge in response. 

 The stinmli Avere direct and their durations Avere taken pretty long 

 in order to avoid the effect of small clianges in them. 



The folloAving are the data of the experiment: — 



Oscillogram No. 54. 



Object of experiment: Eelation between tlie intensity of 



the stimulation current and the 

 magnitude of tlie discharge. 



