THE ERGOGRAPH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1940, Page 8

THE ERGOGRAPH

STAYING POWERS OF SCHOLARS. Not all the coal in the world comes from Newcastle, and in the same way we must realise that not all the good things of our time come from Great Britain and America. The Dominions are often found leading the way. Barton Junior School at Adelaide. Australia, is believed to be the first school in the world to use an ergograph for testing the staying powers of its scholars. Masters have noticed that some boys, who seem bright and cheer- ] ful and full of energy at the beginning of a lesson, grow listless when about 15 minutes have passed. If a fresh subject is introduced they regain their interest, but after another brief lime in which they show eagerness to work there again appears indifference. In order that masters may know how best to treat boys of this nature, a machine called an ergograph has been installed. The arm of the person to be tested is strapped in a rest. The second and fourth fingers are inserted in a short length of pipe to arrest muscular movement, and the index finger is used to pull a string to which is attached a weight of between 51b. and 71b. It also gives a corresponding move to a carriage which has a recording pencil attached. The pencil thus makes a graph on a cylinder which is rotated by a small motor, all the weight-lifting being done to the time of a metronome. It is firmly believed that the graphs give a true record of a boy's staying power, and that they will prove valuable in assisting teachers in preparing courses for their students, and to parents when choosing a career for their children.