Main description:

It is not difficult to explain why it was decided to reproduce some of Einthoven's papers with photographic fidelity. The immense amount of information provided by electrocardiography, which in spite of its natural limitations has become one of the main diagnostic procedures in cardio logy and at the same time a cornerstone of scientific research, is universally acknowledged. On the other hand, we have also come to realize how important it is not only to know the historical perspective of cardiology, or any other field of medicine, but also to study the original sources from which our knowledge stems, without the contamination of later opinions or traditional interpretation, however well founded they may seem. * There is also a reason for the timing of this publication of facsimile reprints: Einthoven died 50 years ago; about 75 years ago the string galvanometer was invented and used for electrocardiography (first publication on the instrument in 1901, first publication of electrocardio grams taken with it in 1903). The papers, which are reproduced here, constitute a selection, necessarily limited and arbitrarily chosen. I should like to add, that the selection was made from several points of view. In the first place, only those articles were selected which had a definite and direct relation with cardiology, in particular electrocardiography. Although it is obvious from Einthoven's bibliography (chapter 2) that several of his papers deal with other subjects, the prominent place which electrocardiography occupies in Einthoven's work, justifies this choice.

Contents:

1.- I. Life and work of Willem Einthoven (1860-1927).- 2.- II. Bibliography.- 3.- III. Selected papers (with comments).- I. Die Registrirung der Herztoene.- Archiv fur die gesammte Physiologie des Menschen und der Thiere. Herausgegeben von Dr. E. F. W. Pfluger, Bd 57, (1894 Bonn, Verlag von Emil Strauss), p. 617-639..- II. UEber das normale menschliche Elektrokardiogramm und uber die capillair-elektrometrische Untersuchung einiger Herzkranken (von W. Einthoven und K. de Lint).- Archiv fur die gesammte Physiologie des Menschen und der Thiere. Herausgegeben von Dr. E.F.W. Pfluger, Bd 80, (1900 Bonn, Verlag von Emil Strauss), p.139-160.- III. Un nouveau galvanometre.- Archives Neerlandaises des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Serie II, Tome VI. Livre jubilaire offert a la Societe hollandaise des sciences a Harlem, par les amis de J. Bosscha, secretaire de la societe. (La Haye, Martinus Nijhoff, 1901), p. 625-633..- IV. The string galvanometer and the human electrocardiogram.- Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen te Amsterdam, Proceedings of the Section of Sciences, Volume VI, (Amsterdam, Johannes Muller, July 1904), p. 107-115..- V. Le telecardiogramme.- Archives Internationales de Physiologie, publiees par Leon Fredericq (Liege) et Paul Heger (Bruxelles), Vol. 4, (Liege, H. Vaillant-Carmanne et Paris, O. Doin, 1906-1907), p. 132-163..- VI. L'enregistrement des bruits du coeur de l'homme a l'aide du galvanometre a corde.- Archives Neerlandaises des Sciences Exactes et Naturelles. Publiees par la Societe Hollandaise des Sciences a Harlem, et redigees par J. Bosscha, secretaire, avec la collaboration des Membres des Societes, Serie II, Tome XII, (La Haye, Martinus Nijhoff, 1907), p. 401-411..- VII. Weiteres uber das Elektrokardiogramm.- Archiv fur die gesammte Physiologie des Menschen und der Thiere. Herausgegeben von Dr. E.F.W. Pfluger, Bd 122, (1908 Bonn, Verlag von Martin Hager), p. 517-583..- VIII. On vagus currents examined with the string galvanometer.- Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology, Vol. 1, (London, Charles Griffin and Company Ltd., 1908), p. 243-245..- IX. The different forms of the human electrocardiogram and their signification.- The Lancet, A journal of British and foreign medicine, surgery, obstetrics, physiology, chemistry, pharmacology, public health, and news. In two volumes annually. Vol. 1 for 1912. Ninetieth Year. Samuel Squire Sprigge, M.A.M.D. Cantab., Editor. (London, 1912), p. 853-861..- X A. Correspondence with Thomas Lewis (1915).- X B. Correspondence with Frank Wilson (1921).- XI. The relation of mechanical and electrical phenomena of muscular contraction, with special reference to the cardiac muscle.- The Harvey Society Lectures, (1924-1925) (J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia-London, 1926), p. 111-129.- XII. The string galvanometer and the measurement of the action currents of the heart, Nobel lecture 1925.- Nobel Lectures including presentation speeches and laureates' biographies. Physiology or Medicine 1922-1941. (Published for the Nobel Foundation in 1965 by Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam-London-New York), p. 94-111..