A study of the electrical field surrounding heart muscle.

Abstract

In a study of the electrical field surrounding excited cardiac muscle, the writer has applied the present conception of electricity as understood by the electron theory.

It has been possible to advance two sources of experimental evidence, based upon the mathematical theory of a specifically defined electrical conception, from which it seems possible to come to but one conclusion, namely that an element of heart muscle when passing through the stages of excitation, contraction and recovery, exhibits first electrical polarity in one direction for a very limited period of time, and subsequently a reversed polarity for a relatively prolonged period of time.

Before being accepted as applicable to the study in question, the mathematical theory was tested experimentally with complete agreement between experimental and theoretical results.

The above conclusion depends on:

(1) The fact that the measured electrical field surrounding both cold and warm blooded hearts, under certain conditions, can apparently be described accurately in terms of an equation derived as suggested above.

(2) The striking and complete agreement between the deflections theoretically predicted, on the basis of the hypothesis advanced, for varying positions of two electrodes on a strip of cardiac muscle, with those obtained by actual experiment.

(3) The relation between the electrical axis of Einthoven and the cardiac muscle fibres excited at any given instant, as demonstrated by many observers.

It has further been possible to demonstrate that the curve recorded from these simple muscle strips can be shown to be entirely at variance with the previously accepted theory of the spread of the so-called wave of negativity.