Description

Thoracometer by Georges Demeny, made by Otto Lund, a manufacturer and mechanic famous in the history of photography for having built Marey’s first photographic rifle. The instrument bears the small signature of Otto Lund Paris.

Demeny, Marey’s student and collaborator, commissioned Lund to build new instruments for human physiology from 1883 onwards, in particular a series of instruments for studying the shape of the thorax and measuring respiratory capacity, including this thoracometer.

One rod and a rings are missing, but it is in perfect original condition. The springs work perfectly. 38.5x38cm

The thoracometer by Georges Demený, manufactured by Otto Lund, is a medical and biometric instrument invented at the end of the 19th century to measure the movements of the rib cage, especially during breathing.

Georges Demený (1850–1917): collaborator of Étienne-Jules Marey, pioneer in biomechanics, movement physiology, and chronophotography. Otto Lund: maker of precision scientific instruments, active in Paris around 1890–1910.

Function of the Instrument

The thoracometer was used to measure the expansion of the chest (inhalation / exhalation), assess respiratory capacity, analyze the movement dynamics of the torso during physical exercise and rehabilitation.

It was used in medicine (especially for patients with lung diseases such as tuberculosis), physical education (Demený is one of the founders of rational gymnastics) And physiological research.

The device generally consisted of two articulated arms placed around the thorax, connected to a graduated measurement system that displayed the change in chest circumference and sometimes combined with chronophotographic recording to track movement over time.

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