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A cat organ or cat piano (''Katzenklavier'' in German) is a conjectural musical instrument which consists of a line of cats fixed in place with their tails stretched out underneath a keyboard so that they cry out in pain when a key is pressed. The cats would be arranged according to the natural tone of their voices. ==Origins== There is no official record of a cat organ actually being built; rather it is described in literature as a bizarre concept. This instrument was described by the French writer Jean-Baptiste Weckerlin in his book ''Musiciana, extraits d’ouvrages rare ou bizarre'' (Musiciana, descriptions of rare or bizarre inventions): The instrument was described by German physician Johann Christian Reil (1759–1813) for the purpose of treating patients who had lost the ability to focus their attention. Reil believed that if they were forced to see and listen to this instrument, it would inevitably capture their attention and they would be cured (Richards, 1998). The instrument was first described by Athanasius Kircher in his work ''Musurgia Universalis'', though the lack of an image may have left doubt in the minds of some writers.. (''The New York Times'', for example, has carried an article claiming he described the instrument, and another stating he did not describe it in ''Musurgia Universalis''.). His description appears in Book 6, Part 4, Chapter 1, under the heading "Corollaria," (emphasis added): The citation is noted by Kircher's student Gaspar Schott in ''Magia Naturalis naturae et artis,'' Part 2, Book 6, Pragmatia 2, titled "Felium Musicam exhibere."〔: (Text ) and (Image ) at Linda Hall Library.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「cat organ」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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