A graceful girl in pink, with floating scarf, and gleaming kris in her spangled sash, exhibits wonderful skill in the supple play of wrist and fingers, through the process known as devitalization, a form of drill which gives to the arm a plastic power of detached movement, fascinating but uncanny.
"Through the Malay Archipelago"
Emily Richings
The constant alternation between devitalization and reconstruction keeps the muscles always fresh for their work and enables the player to rest while playing.
"Memories of a Musical Life"
William Mason