140 



ORIGIN AND PROPERTIES OF THE DICROTIC ELEVATION. 



i. The dicrotic elevation appears later in the descending limb 

 of the curve the longer the artery, measured from the heart to the 

 peripheral termination of the artery. (The curves in Figs. 47, 53 and 

 57 may be measured to confirm this point.) 



XIV 



xv 



FIG. 50. I, II, III, Sphygmographic tracings from the carotid artery; IV, from the axillary; V . IX, from the radial; 

 X, bigeminate pulse from the radial; XI, XII, sphygmographic tracings from the femoral; XIII, from 

 the posterior tibial; XIV, XV, from the dorsalis pedis. In all of the tracings P indicates the apex of the 

 curve; R, the dicrotic elevation; e e, the elasticity-elevations; k, the elevation caused by the closure of the 

 aortic semilunar valves. 



The shortest accessible arterial course is that of the carotids, where the dicrotic 

 elevation attains its greatest height about 0.35 or 0.37 second after the 

 beginning of the pulse. The next shortest accessible arterial course is that 

 of the upper extremity, where the apex of the dicrotic elevation is traced about 

 0.36 or [0.38 or 0.40 second after the beginning of the pulse. The longest 



