A Concise History of the ECG: Difference between revisions

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'''1825''' Leopold Nobili, Professor of Physics at Florence, develops an 'astatic galvanometer'. Using two identical magnetic needles of opposite polarity, either fixed together with a figure of eight arrangment of wire loops (in earlier versions), or one moveable needle with a wire loop and one with a scale (in later versions), the effects of the earth's magnetic field could be compensated for. In 1827, using this instrument, he managed to detect the flow of current in the body of a frog from muscles to spinal cord. He detected the electricity running along saline moistened cotton thread joining the dissected frog's legs in one jar to its body in another jar. Nobili was working to support the theory of animal electricity and this conduction, transmitted without wires, he felt demonstrated animal electricity.  
'''1825''' Leopold Nobili, Professor of Physics at Florence, develops an 'astatic galvanometer'. Using two identical magnetic needles of opposite polarity, either fixed together with a figure of eight arrangment of wire loops (in earlier versions), or one moveable needle with a wire loop and one with a scale (in later versions), the effects of the earth's magnetic field could be compensated for. In 1827, using this instrument, he managed to detect the flow of current in the body of a frog from muscles to spinal cord. He detected the electricity running along saline moistened cotton thread joining the dissected frog's legs in one jar to its body in another jar. Nobili was working to support the theory of animal electricity and this conduction, transmitted without wires, he felt demonstrated animal electricity.  


'''1838''' Carlo Matteucci, Professor of Physics at the University of Pisa, and student of Nobili, shows that an electric current accompanies each heart beat. He used a preparation known as a 'rheoscopic frog' in which the cut nerve of a frog's leg was used as the electical sensor and twitching of the muscle was used as the visual sign of electrical activity. He also used Nobili's astatic galvanometer for the study of electricity in muscles typically inserting one galvanometer wire in the open end of the dissected muscle and the other on the surface of the muscle. He went on to try and demonstrate conduction in nerve but was unable to do so (since his galvanometers were not sensitive enough). Matteucci C. Sur un phenomene physiologique produit par les muscles en contraction. Ann Chim Phys 1842;6:339-341
[[Image:Matteucci.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Carlo Matteucci]]'''1838''' Carlo Matteucci, Professor of Physics at the University of Pisa, and student of Nobili, shows that an electric current accompanies each heart beat. He used a preparation known as a 'rheoscopic frog' in which the cut nerve of a frog's leg was used as the electical sensor and twitching of the muscle was used as the visual sign of electrical activity. He also used Nobili's astatic galvanometer for the study of electricity in muscles typically inserting one galvanometer wire in the open end of the dissected muscle and the other on the surface of the muscle. He went on to try and demonstrate conduction in nerve but was unable to do so (since his galvanometers were not sensitive enough). Matteucci C. Sur un phenomene physiologique produit par les muscles en contraction. Ann Chim Phys 1842;6:339-341


'''1840''' Dr Golding Bird, a Physician, accomplished chemist and member of the London Electrical Society, opens an electrical therapy room at Guy's Hospital, London treating a large range of diseases. Although the application of electricity was popular it was not considered a subject worthy of serious investigation. Because of Bird's reputation as a researcher electrical therapy achieved popularity amongst London Physicians including his mentor Dr Thomas Addison. Bird G. Lectures on Electricity and Galvanism, in their physiological and therapeutical relations, delivered at the Royal College of Physicians, in March, 1847 (Wilson & Ogilvy, London, 1847)  
'''1840''' Dr Golding Bird, a Physician, accomplished chemist and member of the London Electrical Society, opens an electrical therapy room at Guy's Hospital, London treating a large range of diseases. Although the application of electricity was popular it was not considered a subject worthy of serious investigation. Because of Bird's reputation as a researcher electrical therapy achieved popularity amongst London Physicians including his mentor Dr Thomas Addison. Bird G. Lectures on Electricity and Galvanism, in their physiological and therapeutical relations, delivered at the Royal College of Physicians, in March, 1847 (Wilson & Ogilvy, London, 1847)  

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