On the Electromotive Phenomena of the Mammalian 



Heart ') 



W. M. Bayliss, B. A., (Oxon) B. Sc. (Lond.), and 

 Ernest H. Starling, M. D., (Lond.) M. E. C. P., Joint Lecturer on Physiology at 



Guy's HospitaL 



(From the Physiological Laboratory of University College, London.) 

 Expenses defrayed by a grant from the British Medical Association. 



(Witli pi. XV— XVII and 8 figs.) 



Although, the electromotive phenomena of the heart of cold-blooded 

 animals has been the object of much attention and investigation on 

 the part of physiologists % those of the mammalian heart have, till re- 

 cently, remained uninvestigated. 



Waller and Weymouth Reid^) confined themselves to observations 

 on the hearts of recently killed animals, and arrived at the conclusion 

 that though, under certain conditions, the mammalian heart may show 

 a diphasic variation indicating a wave of negativity starting at the 

 base or apex, yet under normal circumstances it was probable that all 

 parts of the ventricular muscle contracted simultaneously. Tliis con- 

 clusion they drew from the fact that in hearts examined immediately 

 after death the variation was monophasic. The authors believe that 

 their results justify the conclusion that the mammalian ventricle is not 

 only controlled by nerves, but co-ordinated as to the action of its 

 several parts, thi-ough intravascular nervous channels. 



*) This paper was conununicated to the Koyal Society on Oct. 23»^ 1891, and 

 an abstract of it is published in the Proceedings. Vol. 50. 



*) Especially Sanderson and Page (Journal of PJiysioiogy, II and IV.) For 

 earlier literature, see their papers. 



■'j Pliil. Trans. 1887. 



