( 348 ) 
viz. we must give to the R—C a magnitude making it equal to 
1 5 : ; 
= to obtain a stimulus operating an effect that will amount to °/3 
1 
of the maximal effect. We will call this value = the stimulus con- 
stant. The knowledge of this constant, combined with the know- 
ledge of the thresholdvalue of the stimulus and the maximum-value 
A, supplies us with a complete image, of the magnitude of effect in 
relation to the stimulus, the two former ones giving moreover an 
image of the rapidity with which our curve rises. 
We will now try to test our law to the facts, furnished by the lite- 
rature on this subject. For several reasons I have not deemed it 
necessary to add my own results: the facts, supplied by former 
publications appear to me quite sufficient. _ 
As the older series, published by HERMANN, VOLKMANN i. 4., 
are obtained almost without exception by the ,Ueberlastungsver- 
fahren,” we cannot make use of these for our purpose. Never yet 
has it been proved that the maximum force of a muscle during the 
contraction may be considered as representing the total effect : gene- 
rally this will not even approximately be the case. 
We may however safely assume this to be the case for the 
lifting-height of an isotonic contraction, provided the tension be 
excessively small. 
This last restriction made, we may assume the lifting-height to be 
proportionate to the force-integral, to f K dt. 
In the litterature I found communications by two investigators, 
who by the acknowledged accuracy of their work may be said a 
priori to offer reliable results. Therefore I have restricted myself 
to the results of these two physiologists, R. TrGERSTEDT and 
A. WALLER (I. c.) 
I will now proceed to present a few series, calculated from the 
results of their experiments after the above-mentioned formula. 
E= A{l — s-B(R-0)}, 
Here £ represents the amount of contraction R the magui- 
tude of the stimulus applied. If in this formule the value # is 
