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The Neuramœbimeter.
A Short Guide to "Hirn und Zeit"


Henning Schmidgen


Neuramöbimeter after Exner and Obersteiner
Neuramœbimeter. Taken from Castagna, Ludwig. n. d. Neuramöbimeter nach Hofrath Prof. Dr. Sigm. Exner und Prof. Dr. H. Obersteiner. Wien.

The Neuramœbimeter is a simple instrument for measuring reaction times in human beings. Invented in the late 19th century, it presents itself as a compromise-formation between chronoscopic and chronographic laboratory devices. More concretely, it combines features of a telegraph key and a tuning fork. Devoid of a contact, the telegraph key here culminates in an elongated spring, carrying a bristle or needle. The spring is arranged in such a manner that, similar to a tuning fork, it oscillates in lateral direction exactly 100 times per second. As long as the Neuramœbimeter remains at rest, the needle lies on a rectangular glass plate.

ISSN 1866-4784: reference - xlink