The forces transmitted by the laryngoscope blade onto the base of the tongue are assumed to be a major cardiovascular stimulus. This study investigates the various forces applied onto a Macintosh laryngoscope during laryngoscopy. The forces acting along the axis of the handle are described, as well as the forces exerted by the anaesthetist to prevent the laryngoscope from turning. Based on a relatively simple technique, a modified laryngoscope has been designed to measure these forces. Four different laryngoscopic parameters are determined: (1) the duration of laryngoscopy, (2) the maximally applied force, (3) the mean force and (4) the integral of the force over the time (area under the curve). The force measurements of 49 anatomically normal patients undergoing uncomplicated intubation are included in the study. The duration of laryngoscopy was 16.3s (SD 11.8), the applied peak force was 35N (SD 12) and mean force necessary was 20N (SD 6) while the force-time integral was 324N (SD 194).