4 6 



Scientific Proceedings (71). 



Experiments on Normal People with Ergometer. 



Each person performed successively increasing amounts of 

 work during which the systolic blood-pressure and pulse-rate 

 increased in direct proportion to the amount of work done. After 

 work the blood-pressure and pulse-rate generally fell rapidly to 

 the original figures. As soon, however, as the work exceeded a 

 certain amount, which varied for different individuals, we regu- 

 larly found that the systolic blood pressure did not reach its highest 

 point immediately after work, but a minute or so later at a time 

 when the pulse rate had dropped back toward normal. This 

 delayed rise of the systolic blood-pressure after heavy work is of 

 much significance and we direct particular attention to it. 



Experiments on Normal People with Dumb-Bell and Bar 



Work. 



Various movements with heavy dumb-bells and a steel bar 

 weighing 25 pounds were carried out on 20 normal persons in a 

 way which permitted an approximate estimation of the foot- 

 pounds of work performed. Naturally the pulse-rate and blood- 

 pressure could not be taken during the work, but they were taken 

 before and every minute or half-minute after work. The delayed 

 rise in systolic blood-pressure was obtained after large amounts of 

 work which varied according to the subject's physique and 

 condition of muscular training. 



Experiments on Patients with Cardiac Insufficiency Using 



the Ergometer. 



Ten experiments were carried out on two patients who rode 

 the bicycle ergometer for periods of 2^ minutes with successively 

 increasing ioads. Seven experiments were made with the same 

 patients turning the bicycle pedals by hand instead of by the feet. 



These experiments presented several striking features and some 

 marked contrasts to the experiments on normal persons. A 

 delayed rise in systolic blood-pressure was produced by much less 

 work than in the normal subjects. Again the pressure during 

 work, instead of rising decidedly as in normal subjects, rose but 

 slightly or fell below the original level. 



