The conduction system of the mammalian heart an anatomico-historiological study of the atrioventricular bundle and the Purkinje fibers

Sunao Tawara's work on the excitation conduction system of the mammalian heart paved the way for the advancement of modern cardiology in the 20th century. This is an English translation of his account of the conduction system from the atrioventricular node through the His-Purkinje system to the ordinary ventricular muscle fibres. Preface......Page 10 Translators’ Note......Page 14 Foreword......Page 20 Introduction......Page 25 A. History......Page 27 (a) Dog heart......Page 32 (b) Human heart......Page 59 (c) Cat heart......Page 94 (d) Sheep heart......Page 102 (e) Calf heart......Page 123 (a) Sheep heart......Page 139 (b) Dog heart......Page 159 (c) Human heart......Page 175 (f) Guinea pig heart......Page 183 (g) Pigeon heart......Page 184 I. Development of the Theories on Purkinje Fibers......Page 185 II. Author’s Hypothesis Concerning the Physiological Function of the Atrioventricular Connecting System......Page 206 D. Summary of the Results......Page 213 E. Instructions Regarding the Method of Cutting the Atrioventricular Bundle in Animal Experiments......Page 215 Plates......Page 218 References......Page 235 Name Index......Page 239 Subject Index......Page 241 Sunao Tawara's epoch-making work on the excitation conduction system of the mammalian heart paved the way for the advancement of modern cardiology in the 20th century. Even today, more than 90 years after the publication of the German monograph "Das Reizleitungssystem des Säugetierherzen", his precise account of the conduction system from the atrioventricular node through the His-Purkinje system to the ordinary ventricular muscle fibers retains all of its original actuality. This English edition of Tawara's monograph will serve as an invaluable reference for both basic and clinical cardiological research in the years ahead Section 2 (p.37-43) contains a short biography of Sunao Tawara. Section 3 (p.45-61) contains correspondence from Tawara to his German professor Ludwig Aschoff, dated 1905-1908.