( 275 ) 



resembles in its form wellnigh exactly the electric alterations of the 

 electrocardiogram, which already some days before were brought 

 about by dripping the same material upon ihe heart. Sec fig. 4. 



That the deviation of the string under the influence of the Doisonine 

 with digitonine is not a consequence of mechanical or chemical 

 changes in the contact-places of the electrodes, was taught me by 

 repealedlv dripping- the electrodes, when the heart was quite dead, 

 while the string-deviation did not take place. 



All through that day the regular, periodical electric fluctuations 

 continue though they constantly diminish in size. 



It appears that by radiating heat or by cooling doion, the frequency 

 and the size of these fluctuations can be respectively increased and de- 

 creased, without anything suggesting change of form in tJie heart 

 being observed. <>n June 1 st the heart stands completely still, also 

 in an electric respect. It only appears that in communication with 

 the galvanometer the heart shows for the first * time a strong demar- 

 cation-current, proving that it is now partly dead. 



Also with a frog's heart 1 often had an opportunity to observe 

 that the eletrocardiogram remains observable after' digitalis-intoxica- 

 tion, while the heart shows no change of form. Nor may for this 

 remaining eletrocardiogram "iibrillaire Zuckungen", as muscular action, 

 he held responsible, because also when observed with a strong 

 magnifying glass, these movements did not appear visible, while 

 nevertheless the heart quietly continued pulsating electrically. 



This peculiar state under digitalis-intoxication is reached best and 

 most certainly, if the heart is not poisoned by administering a larger 

 dose at one time, but by repeatedly dripping new small doses during 

 the whole process of poisoning. In this way I once succeeded in 

 calling forth at a stoppage of the changes of form an electric pheno- 

 menon, which for a long lime remained larger than the normal 

 electrocardiogram before the poisoning. 



If in this way, the poisoning fractioned, takes place with small 

 doses; it may occur that the initial diminution of the electrocardio- 

 gram under the influence of the intoxication is at its appearance 

 slackened to a considerable extent. <>u the whole the above mentioned 

 digitalis intoxication-phenomena in the electrocardiogram may be 

 brought about without differences worth mentioning, both by applying 

 digitalcine and digitonine. 



Of one of these poisoning-experiments there follows here a short 

 account. In a liana temporaria, of which cerebrum and spinal 

 marrow have been destroyed by a piqure, atrium and ventricle arc 

 suspended according to the suspension-method, and basis and apes 



