ON THE MEASURE OF EXCITABILITY

Abstract

Recent time-intensity data by Rushton (1932) on the sciatic nerve of the frog are shown to provide additional support to the writer's suggestion (1932, a) that integrals of the equation See PDF for Equation where V is the applied voltage, p is the local excitatory process and K and k are constants adequately represent the just effective direct current stimuli when the threshold value of p is made a linear function of the voltage of the form h ± α V where h and α are constants. The measurement of excitability is discussed and it is shown that the criteria for "true" measurements are not likely to be found by the agreement of the data with canonical time-intensity functions as suggested by Lapicque (1931) but rather in the establishing of standard experimental conditions. These conditions may permit the use of chronaxie as a measure of excitability, but it seems more likely that the constant k of the above equation will have to be adopted. There is sufficient evidence to cast considerable doubt on the validity of any conclusions drawn from the existing measurements of chronaxie although those derived through a particular technique may be valid. The problem requires a thorough experimental investigation in terms of integrals of the above equation.