Page:The Harveian oration, 1873.djvu/44

 38 of the blood from the auricle into the ven- tricle, and takes place so instantaneously after the ventricular contraction, that the one movement appears to run on to continue itself into the other. There is then a pause, which seems comparatively of considerable duration, and which is succeeded by a re- commencement of the heart's action, begin- ning with the ventricular contraction.' Dr. Pavy has very kindly gone to the trouble of repeating the experiment upon which these statements are based ; and from a letter with which he has favoured me, I gather that the auricular contraction detectable by the cardiography tracing, as immediately preceding the ventricular con- traction, is also detectable, of course during the pause just mentioned, by the eye, un- assisted by the cardiograph, and turned simply upon the exposed heart, in which the auricular appendix is seen to become redder or more flesh-coloured at the moment in question. And he further remarks that this auricular contraction, difficult 11 though h I apprehend that Dr. Walshe's account of the auscul- tatory phenomena as occurring under normal conditions