STUDIES ON PAIN: DISCRIMINATION OF DIFFERENCES IN INTENSITY OF A PAIN STIMULUS AS A BASIS OF A SCALE OF PAIN INTENSITY

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Abstract
Measurements of just noticeable differences in estimation of painful stimuli were made with the Hardy-Wolff-Goodell pain threshold equipment by inducing pain in the skin with thermal radiation. The effective range of this stimulus is limited by the pain threshold and pain of maximal intensity. Pain induced in the skin by thermal radiation has a ceiling intensity and this ceiling pain was produced on the forearm by a stimulus intensity of 680 mc./sec./cm.2 in a 3-sec. exposure. The Weber Ratio for pain is approx. constant between threshold and about 320 mc ./sec./cm.2. An increase in the ratio at this point suggests than an additional sensory entity with a different quality of pain was stimulated. 21 discriminable intensities of pain were observed between the threshold pain and the ceiling pain. On the basis of this evidence, a scale of pain intensity is proposed, the unit of which is called a "dol," composed of 2 just perceptible steps in discrimination of stimulus intensity.

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