24 
E. IV. Scripturei 
The next step was to eliminate the effect of strain on the finger. This 
was done by having the subject always react with a key of no tension ; 
the telegraph key was used in order not to introduce any further change. • 
The finger necessarily remained passive, as the key responded to the 
slightest movement. The subject reacted in alternate sets with two de¬ 
grees of voluntary effort. The degrees were defined as “light” and 
“strong; ” the intention was to make the effort correspond somewhat to 
the extremes of o and the heaviest weight in the previous set, but no 
measurements were made on the actual energy of effort. 
The results are given in Table V. 
Table V. 
Subject. 
1 ,ight effort. 
Strong effort. 
R 
d n 
R 
d n 
D 
Holden 
l5S 
IO 26 
143 
8 27 
15 
Scripture 
179 
16 17 
154 
19 18 
25 
Seashore 
168 
15 9 
137 
21 6 
31 
Fisher 
626 
25 S 
375 
4t 6 
241 
Unit, thousandth of a second. «, number of measurements. 
R, reaction-time. D, decrease in R for strong as compared 
d, mean variation. j with light effort. 
The figures for the colored janitor, Fisher, are interesting. Having 
been accustomed for several years to serve as subject in exercises and in¬ 
vestigations, he is perfectly at home in the work and yet has no interest 
or concern in the experiment beyond carrying out the instructions ; these 
facts make his record very reliable. His unusually long reaction-time 
has been observed for several years. 
The problem has thus found a definite solution : the intensity of the 
effort affects the reaction-time, making it shorter for the greater intensity. 
Simple and cortical reaction-time. 
(Howard F. Smith, M.D.) 
The determination of the time of a motor response to a direct stimu¬ 
lation of the cerebal cortex and a comparison of this time with the sim¬ 
ple reaction-time of the subject would apparently lead to certain con¬ 
clusions concerning the relation between mental and cerebral processes. 
The attempt has been made in the following manner. . 
A cat was held quietly in the hands of an assistant. A double pointed 
platinum electrode was rested against the skin at a suitable point. A