Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 92, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1916 — TESTS FOR HEART DISEASE [ARTICLE]

TESTS FOR HEART DISEASE

German Physicians Have . Evolved Novel Method of Detecting Presence of Weakness. There, is a new way of diagnosing heart disease. It was discovered in Germany and is based upon the prin ciple that extremely slight motion in the air will form similar changes in a burning flame. Two small smoking gas flames are used, and around these is turned a wide paper tape. The flames cause bands of soot, to appear upon the surface of the tape. Over the heart of the patient an instrument somewhat similar to a telephone transmitter is placed. This transmitter has a very sensitive digphragm. Its vibrations are duplicated by the diaphragm and transmitted by a tube to a gas chamber through which passes the gas for one of the flames. - Ihe slight, flamings of the gas in response to the various vibrations result in characteristic rings of smoke on the paper tape. From these abnormalities in the heart-beat can be read. Time is recorded by the second flame, influenced similarly by vibrations from a tuning fork. The smoke rings vary in shape and position according to the character of vibration causing them, and so help to simplify the diagnosis.