Electrical switch for physiological use, London, England, 1920-1940

Made:
1920-1940 in London
maker:
C F Palmer (London) Limited, C F
Group shot. Kymograph, on mahogany table stand, by C.F Group shot. Kymograph, on mahogany table stand, by C.F

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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Group shot. Kymograph, on mahogany table stand, by C.F
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Group shot. Kymograph, on mahogany table stand, by C.F
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Electrical switch, one of four, for physiological use, by C.F. Palmer, London, 1920-1940

Switches are used to control the flow of an electric current around a circuit. Made by C F Palmer, a scientific instrument maker, this switch is shown here in an experimental set up.

An isolated muscle is placed on coils of wire and connected to an electrical stimulus, controlled by a switch. The muscle is also attached to the kymograph to record when the muscle contracts. When the muscle is stimulated, heat is produced and transferred to the thermocouple (cut away to show the two coils of metal which, when heated, produce an electric current). The thermocouple is attached to a galvanometer to record the electric current produced when the thermocouple is heated.

Details

Category:
Laboratory Medicine
Object Number:
1981-607/2
Materials:
brass (copper, zinc alloy) and iron
type:
electric switch