ACTION OF THE EXCISED MAMMALIAN HEART. 
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5. Extreme irregularity in the form of irregular rapid fibrillation (delirium cordis) 
occasionally occurred (Tracing 1). 
6. In the first few minutes after excision the sequence of auriculo-ventricular 
Tracing 2. 
Tracing of Cat’s hearts, 5 minutes post mortem, showing bigeminal character of beat, taken by a double 
cardiograph consisting of two levers resting upon the ventricle near the base and near the apex ; 
the bigeminal character is more marked near the base than near the apex. 
Tracing 3. 
Rabbit’s heart; double cardiograph, consisting of two levers resting on auricle and ventricle; the 
bigeminal character is evident in the ventricle, while it is absent in the auricle. (We have never 
seen it in the auricle.) 
Tracing 4. 
Cat’s ventricle; record commences 3 minutes post mortem; shows ventricular contractions in groups 
separated by pauses, each pause being followed by a contraction of unusual strength. 
action was normal. Later several auricular beats occurred to one ventricular beat 
(Table D). Later still the ventricular beat was quite independent of the auricular 
beat. We incidentally observed the ventricular action to outlast the auricular. 
2 f 2 
