Page:Philosophical Review Volume 8.djvu/556

538 two different subjects. The curves showing circulatory changes are capillary pulse tracings taken with the air plethysmograph of Hallion and Comte; for the breathing curves a modified form of Bert's respiratory was used. The tests were intended to throw light upon three problems: The circulatory and respiratory changes correlated with (a) emotional experiences, (b) sensory stimulation, and (c) 'mental application.' The following conclusions were reached: (a) The most noticeable effects of emotional states upon the bodily processes are the sudden violent changes and irregularities produced. The vaso-motor shifts are the most evident of the changes, although marked irregularities in the rate and amplitude of both breathing and pulse occur. There is no evidence of marked and constant correspondence of agreeable states with one set of physiologic processes, and of disagreeable states with an antithetical set. Almost all the emotional experiences, whether disagreeable or agreeable, produce vaso-motor constrictions. The breathing during emotional experiences shows no greater uniformity in direction than the pulse: all variations of both rate and amplitude are found accompanying both agreeable and disagreeable experiences, (b) The vasomotor shifts for sensory stimuli are not so great as those for emotional experiences, and the amplitude and rate are less spasmodic and irregular. Various sensory stimuli produce experiences of widely different intensities, and a corresponding but not always proportional difference in organic changes. In general, the great majority of sensory stimuli of all kinds cause vaso-constrictions. The rate changes of the heart-beat during sensory stimulation are about equally divided between increases and decreases, (c) The curves of mental application are characterized by the slight amount of the vaso-motor changes involved, and by the even progression in which changes in rate and amplitude take place when they occur at all. The amplitude of the pulse curve shows a greater tendency to decrease than to increase.

The authors maintain that the processes with which they dealt were cases of readjustment of an organism to its environment. This readjustment involves a maintenance of the equilibrium of the bodily processes which runs parallel with the maintenance of the attentive equilibrium and plays an essential part in the readjustment of the psychophysical organism.

This article, treating in great detail of the peculiarities of right- and left-sided persons, is divided into three parts. The first part gives results from personal investigations, from other scientists' investigations, and statistics from tailors, hatters, glovers, and shoemakers concerning the size of the bones and muscles of the right and left sides of the body. The second part treats of the asymmetry of the nervous system; the third of the asymmetry of functions in the two types of individuals. The general