title: Two early dynamometers. An historical account of the earliest measurements to study human muscular strength.
abstract: An account of two of the earliest dynamometers is presented, together with results of the first experiments attained with them. The Graham--Desaguliers dynamometer was developed in London in 1763 to measure human muscular force, in such a way that synergistic muscles could not impart a false mechanical advantage to the test. The Regnier dynamometer was invented in Paris in 1798 to measure the traction properties of artillery-horses, but was desinged as an all-purpose instrument to measure specific human muscle groups as well. Dynamometers were developed to record human strength along a continuum, to remove the need for a dead-weight or biological standard, and to measure many different groups of muscles, not just those of lifting or pushing. The foundations of modern clinical dynamometry are described.
mesh_terms: D004739:England; D005602:France; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D010827:Physiology / Q000266:history*