﻿28 
  

  

  Dr. 
  A. 
  D. 
  Waller. 
  

  

  motor 
  fibres, 
  or 
  musculo-motor 
  fibres. 
  The 
  emotive 
  effects 
  are, 
  in 
  my 
  view, 
  

   essentially 
  trophic 
  ; 
  in 
  its 
  fullest 
  and 
  most 
  intense 
  forms 
  emotive 
  discharge 
  

   from 
  the 
  central 
  nervous 
  system 
  may 
  occupy 
  any 
  centrifugal 
  nerve 
  to 
  any 
  

   organ 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  

  

  ■ 
  Emotion 
  may 
  be 
  manifested 
  by 
  a 
  flow 
  of 
  tears, 
  or 
  an 
  outbreak 
  of 
  sweat, 
  

   by 
  a 
  frown 
  or 
  gesture, 
  or 
  verbal 
  ejaculation 
  ; 
  if 
  at 
  such 
  time 
  we 
  had 
  the 
  palm 
  

   of 
  the 
  excited 
  person 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  galvanometer 
  we 
  should 
  see 
  an 
  

   emotive 
  deflection, 
  but 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  not 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  tears 
  or 
  sweat 
  any 
  more 
  

   than 
  to 
  the 
  muscular 
  movement, 
  and 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  most 
  marked 
  when 
  all 
  these 
  

   ordinary 
  signs 
  of 
  emotion 
  are 
  absent. 
  

  

  While 
  it 
  is, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  true, 
  that 
  the 
  deflection 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  diminished 
  

   resistance, 
  and 
  that 
  perspiration 
  causes 
  diminished 
  resistance, 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  

   follow, 
  logically, 
  that 
  the 
  deflection 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  perspiration, 
  since 
  there 
  are 
  

   many 
  occasions 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  emotive 
  fall 
  of 
  resistance 
  occurs 
  without 
  aug- 
  

   mentation 
  of 
  either 
  sensible 
  or 
  insensible 
  perspiration. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  utilised 
  in 
  justification 
  of 
  this 
  last 
  statement 
  a 
  test 
  that 
  I 
  devised 
  

   some 
  years 
  ago 
  for 
  the 
  measurement 
  of 
  insensible 
  perspiration.* 
  

  

  A 
  capsule 
  containing 
  a 
  deposit 
  of 
  calcium 
  chloride 
  is 
  left 
  inverted 
  against 
  

   the 
  palm 
  of 
  the 
  hand 
  for 
  a 
  period 
  of, 
  say, 
  10 
  minutes, 
  and 
  shows 
  by 
  its 
  

   gain 
  of 
  weight 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  water 
  that 
  has 
  been 
  " 
  insensibly 
  " 
  exhaled 
  

   and 
  evaporated 
  from 
  the 
  area 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  capsule. 
  Thus, 
  e.g., 
  the 
  insensible 
  

   perspiration 
  in 
  a 
  room, 
  with 
  a 
  temperature 
  of 
  20°, 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  for 
  a 
  

   period 
  of 
  10 
  minutes 
  from 
  an 
  area 
  of 
  20 
  cm. 
  2 
  : 
  palm 
  of 
  the 
  hand, 
  24 
  mgrm. 
  

   H 
  2 
  ; 
  flexor 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  forearm, 
  5 
  mgrm. 
  H 
  2 
  0, 
  i.e., 
  the 
  greater 
  perspira- 
  

   tion 
  was 
  from 
  the 
  skin 
  of 
  higher 
  electrical 
  resistance. 
  

  

  [Note 
  added, 
  June 
  30. 
  — 
  The 
  statements 
  made 
  in 
  this 
  communication 
  were 
  

   supported 
  by 
  the 
  following 
  experiments 
  carried 
  out 
  during 
  the 
  meeting 
  

   (June 
  27). 
  

  

  First 
  Experiment. 
  — 
  Dr. 
  Waller 
  showed, 
  with 
  one 
  electrode, 
  A, 
  on 
  the 
  palm 
  

   of 
  his 
  left 
  hand, 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  electrode, 
  B, 
  in 
  his 
  mouth, 
  in 
  series 
  with 
  

   two 
  Leclanche 
  cells 
  and 
  a 
  galvanometer 
  (shunted) 
  — 
  

  

  (a) 
  That 
  the 
  conductivity 
  of 
  the 
  palm 
  was 
  at 
  once 
  of 
  a 
  steady 
  maximal 
  

   value 
  (approximately 
  50 
  y 
  or 
  20,000 
  co). 
  

  

  (b) 
  That 
  alterations 
  of 
  contact 
  at 
  B, 
  caused 
  by 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  tongue 
  in 
  

   speaking, 
  caused 
  no 
  visible 
  alteration 
  of 
  deflection, 
  signifying 
  that 
  the 
  

   resistance 
  at 
  B 
  was 
  of 
  negligible 
  value. 
  

  

  * 
  Waller, 
  'Proceedings 
  of 
  the 
  Physiological 
  Society,' 
  Nov. 
  11, 
  1893; 
  'Journal 
  of 
  

   Physiology,' 
  vol. 
  15. 
  

  

  