Brevity, frequency of rhythm, and amount of reflex nervous discharge, as indicated by reflex contraction

During an enquiry, for Surgeon-General Sir David Bruce’s Committee on Tetanus, into the neuro-muscular changes produced by tetanus-toxin, it became desirable to re-examine certain commonly accepted data regarding the reactions of normal reflex-centres. I. The first of these that engaged us regarded the reaction of a spinal reflex-centre to a single momentary stimulus applied to a main afferent nerve playing on the centre. Evidence was desired as to whether the reflex nervous discharge in response to the single volley of simultaneous centripetal impulses thus thrown into it consists similarly of a single volley of emitted impulses, or whether it consists of a volley-series, brief but yet repetitive, a series of volleys. The form of the reflex contraction should throw light on this, when compared as to its space and time relations with that of the simple muscle-twitch evoked by a like stimulus applied to the motor nerve of the same muscle as that observed for the reflex.