The electronic reactions of Abrams and the Reflexophone
But the urgent problem of differentiating, between two or more apparently identical reactions remained, until after months of experimental research, it was solved by Abrams who found a suitably calibrated instrument known to generations of electrical engineers as a rheostat, would perfectly meet all his diagnostic requirements, since it would function not only as a rheostat, but, in regard to the feeble waves already referred to, as what is known as a Variable Inductance. Abrams called this instrument the "Reflexophone".
Abrams now divided his six-foot length of flex wire into two, one of the cut ends he screwed into the "input" terminal of his Reflexophone; the other cut end he screwed into the output terminal of that instrument, this latter length of flex terminated in the disc held by the 'subject' in contact with his forehead; the other disc that I have sometimes referred to as the "distal" disc could be held above any specimen being experimented with.
For his first experiment, Abrams chose a cancer specimen. Somebody took charge of the Reflexophone and by Abrams' instructions set the indicator pointing nowhere in particular: the 'subject' held his disc in contact with his forehead, an assistant held the distal disc over the cancer specimen, Abrams steadily percussed the area immediately above the subject's navel. The note elicited by percussion was resonant. Abrams told "the man in charge of the knobs" to keep the indicator on the move until he said "stop". Very shortly after this order had been given, the note elicited by percussion dulled. Abrams asked the position of the indicator, and was told it pointed to a spot on the dial marked "50". By Abrams' order, the cancer specimen was then removed and replaced by a syphilic specimen; the indicator dial was deliberately left pointing at "50". The note elicited by percussion remained, resonant. Again Abrams told "the man in charge of the knobs" to keep the indicator on the move until he said "stop". This time, the percussion note lost its resonance and dulled when the indicator pointed to a spot on the dial marked "55". Once more the specimen was changed, and a specimen of sarcomatous tissue was substituted. Abrams ordered the indicator to be set at the spot on the dial marked "50". The note elicited by percussion remained resonant. Abrams ordered the indicator to be set at the spot marked "55". The note elicited by his percussion remained resonant. Yet again Abrams told "the man in charge of the knobs" to keep the indicator steadily moving until he said 'stop'. This time the percussion note dulled when the indicator pointed to a spot marked "58".
A specimen picked up at random was then tested: on this occasion the percussion note changed from a resonant to a dull sounding note only when the indicator pointed at the spot on the dial marked "55": Abrams diagnosed Syphilis. And he was right. Had the percussion note dulled while the indicator pointed at the spot on the dial marked "50", Abrams would have diagnosed Cancer: and he would have been right again, just as he would have been right in his diagnosis of Sarcoma, had the indicator pointed to a spot on the dial marked "58".
Attested specimen representing every kind of pathological condition that the San Francisco Pathological Department could find, were sent to, and tested by, Abrams first, in order that he might find and chart the exact position on the body of the "subject" on which the reactions they respectively induced would occur; and next, to determine and record the various positions at which the indicator of the Reflexophone must be set in order to "pick up", or "tune into" their respective radiations: thus, "50" carcinoma: "55" syphilis: "58" sarcoma: "42" tuberculosis: "60" streptococcal toxins: "32" malarial toxins: "9" pneumococcal toxins and so on.