POLYGRAPH

HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLYGRAPH

Cardiospygmograph - record changes of systolic blood pressure amplitutude and
pulse rate of the subject. It composed of the blood pressure cuff assembly, pump bulb
assembly, sphygmomanometer (BP) vent, resonance control, centering control and
recording unit. The blood pressure cuff assembly, a medical blood pressure cuff
containing a rubber bladder is wrapped and attached around the upper right arm of the
subject transmit impulse against brachial artery.

DR. WILLIAM M. MARSTON ( 1915) – used a devise of blood pressure test were
conducted during questioning of individuals and using systolic blood pressure test in
detecting deception or lying.

CESARE LOMBROSO (1885) – credited to be first conceive the idea of

utilizing scientific lie detection through his experiment using Hydrosphymograph method
to measure the physiological changes that occurred to subject’s blood pressure and
pulse rate during the Police interrogation.
ANGELO MOSSO (1895) studied the fear of influence on the heart as strong
influence to deception influenced by person’s breathing pattern changed under certain
stimuli, and that this changed, turn caused variation in their blood pressure.
John A. Larson (1921) – utilized the devise called Breath Lie Detector. A
scientific instrument capable of simultaneously recording changes in blood pressure,
pulse beat and respiration. He developed the breadboard Lie detector which is now
Polygraph apparatus into a portable form. Larson was credited as forerunner of modern
Polygraph.

B. Galvanograph – is to record changes in the skin resistance of the subject to a very

small amount of electricity. It is composed of the finger electrode assembly, amplifier
unit, and the galvanometer-unit. The two metal plates are connected to the last joint of
the subject left index and ring fingers into the instrument in such a manner that the
skin resistance circuit element of the machine. These plates records the filling up of
sweat glands.

a. Sticker – works on the galvanograph component and the study the influence
of the sweat glands to skin resistance.
b. Veragutt – formulated the term Psycho-galvanic skin reflex due to the
activity of the sweat glands, following the study of Sticker.
 c. Richard O. Arthur – The person who developed a polygraph with two
galvanic skin resistance.

C. Pnuemograph – it is to record changes of the thorasic and abdominal breathing of

the subject. It is made up of two units, the pneumograph chest assembly and the
recording unit. The phneumograph assembly is composed of the rubber-convoluted
tube and beaded chain attached over the chest and the abdominal area.

a. Vittorio Benussi – focus on the formulation of the inhalation and exhalation

ratio in verifying the truth to detect deception recorded in the pheunomograph.
b. Harold Burtt – considered respiration as a weak basis in determining
deception and incorporated the systolic blood pressure to
respiration.

Kymograph – is the motor that pulls or drives the chart paper under the recording pen
simultaneously at the rate of 6 to 12 inches per minute. It is also a chart or paper feed
mechanism. The chart must travel at a uniform speed to facilitate valid interpretation.
The parts composed of a paper, well writing table, paper guide rails, paper roller
assembly with sprockets, chart feed switch, AC power in put connector and with 5 volts
cycle synchronous motor.

a. Leonard Keeler – developed the Kymograph machine and the Keeler’s

Polygraph in the year 1926 as one of the great advancement of the polygraph machine
utilizing inked pens for recording the relative changes in subject’s blood pressure, pulse
rate and respiratory patterns. He also devised a metal recording bellows, rolled chart
paper incorporated Galvanograph with measurement of blood pressure and respiration.

EARLY METHODS OF DETECTION OF DECEPTION

1. Red-Hot iron Ordeal
2. Red Water Ordeal
3. Boiling Water Ordeal
4. Rice Chewing Ordeal
5. The Balance Ordeal
6. Donkey’s Tail Ordeal
THE RED – HOT IRON ORDEAL - this form of trial was used among the hill tribes of
Rajhamal in the north of Bengal, where the accused was apt to be told to prove his
innocence by applying his tongue to a red hot iron nine times unless burnt sooner. If
burnt, he was put to death. Perhaps a sense of guilt made the mouth dry. Not only
have accused people been forced to link hoy-iron to their tongue to prove their
innocence, but they have been made to carry it in their hands. It is doubtful that the
ordeal arose upon the basis of observations of physiological changes occurring in
deception; for if this were so, much false observation must have been made.
Nevertheless, the ordeal of the red-hot-iron is acknowledged thousands of years ago
when according to Persian historians.

THE RED WATER ORDEAL – the accused fast for twelve hours, swallow a small
amount of rice, then imbibes of the dark colored water sometimes as much as a gallon.
If this acts as an emetic and the suspect ejects all of the rice, he is considered innocent
of the charge; otherwise he is judged guilty. Their explanation is that a fetish of the
victims enters the mouth with the emetic red water, examines the heart of the drinker,
and if it finds him innocent brings up the rice in evidence. Sometimes, however an
opposing philosophy holds, so that after an accused chews a piece of edum wood and
drinks pitcher of water, and suffers no ill effects, he is judged guilty and put to death; if
he becomes sick, the accuser is put to death instead.

THE BOILING WATER ORDEAL – as a test for deception this ordeal is in use in
modern-Africa. During explorations in British Africa a Barotse native in her retinue stole
calico cloth from her supplies, and to find the thief she allowed the natives to employ a
test which had previously been outlawed along local witchcraft. According to this
explorer:
 
“The whole lot of sixty-odd natives with the wives, girlfriends and children
who were along lined up and our head boy explained the situation. There was a thief
and the boiling water test was to be applied to him. There was not one dissenting
voice. All agreed it was a fair test, so a fire was built and on it settled was a huge pot of
water. Solemnly, we watched it come to a boil. Then boil furiously, a smaller pot of cold
water was turning over in huge rolls the best began.”

“Men, women, little children, and big one’s stepped forward one by one,
each plunged his right arm into the boiling pot to the elbow, and stepped into the line
on the other side of the fire. Everyone took the test without murmur when all was
finished they were told to return at the same time, the next afternoon. The one who, by
that time, had lost the most skin or showed a blister would be proved the thief.”

THE RICE CHEWING ORDEAL – Many of the ordeals in use during the Spanish
Inquisition, and by the Europeans throughout Dark Ages, were borrowed from India
and adapted to suit local purposes. By 1150 A.D., the Roman Catholic clergy had made
full use of the Indian practice of rice chewing. An ordeal very like this is still practice in
India. Concentrated rice is the article chosen, instead of bread and cheese. Instances
are not rare in which, through the force of imagination; guilty persons are not able to
swallow a single grain. Conscious of their crime and fearful of the punishment of
Heaven, they feel a suffocating sensation in their throat when they attempt it, and they
fall on their knees, and confess all that is laid to their charge.

THE BALANCE OF ORDEAL – this is practiced of testing the veracity of the accused
by placing him on one scale balance arose in India where it was practiced as early as
the Institute of Vishnu (600 B.C.). It was merely this: In one scale, the accused was
placed; listened to a judge deliver an exhortation to the balance, and got back in. If he
were found to be lighter than before, he was acquitted. We know today that the
metabolic research of physiologists shows the human body undergoes constant loss of
weight of about 12 grams per hour. A long exhortation therefore, should have freed the
accused.

THE DONKEY’S TAIL ORDEAL – is an excellent illustration of the employment of

psychology in detecting the guilty party. (In India practiced a practiced a donkey was
placed in a dimly lit tent or room. Its tail has been covered with lampblack. All suspects
of an offense were instructed to pass through the enclosure and while going through
they were to grasp the donkey’s tail. They were also told that the donkey bray when
touched by the guilty person. Upon leaving, all persons were inspected by the judge.
The person having the clean hands was judged guilty.