What is a Pulsilogium?

A Pulsilogium is a tool created by Santorio Santorio in 1602. It was used to measure the heartbeat or pulse of individuals, as doctors back then did not have an accurate way of checking someone's pulse.

How Was It Made?

To create a Pulsilogium, we gathered some string, Blu Tack, cardboard, and a ruler. Firstly, we attached the cardboard and ruler together using Blu Tack. Then, we attached the string to the cardboard in a way that it acted as a pendulum over the edge. This setup allowed us to adjust the string's length based on the speed of the person's pulse.

What We Discovered

Through our experiment, we found that the Pulsilogium was not as accurate as we had initially imagined. However, it would have been considered quite advanced during the 1600s, as there were no technological advancements in pulse measurement during that time. We tested different ways of creating a pulse, such as hopping and jogging, and observed significantly faster pulses.