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. 2022 Aug;30(3):193-201.
doi: 10.1177/0967772020980224. Epub 2021 Feb 27.

Illustrations of the heart by Arthur Keith: His work with James Mackenzie on the pathophysiology of the heart 1903-08

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Illustrations of the heart by Arthur Keith: His work with James Mackenzie on the pathophysiology of the heart 1903-08

Peter D Mohr. J Med Biogr. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

The University of Manchester Museum of Medicine and Health holds a collection of drawings of human hearts by anatomist Sir Arthur Keith (1866-1955). The specimens were provided by the cardiologist, Sir James Mackenzie (1853-1925) who was using a polygraph to investigate patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Keith's dissections helped to establish the anatomy and pathology of the atrioventricular conduction system and assisted Mackenzie to interpret his polygraph recordings and understand the origin of cardiac arrythmias.

Keywords: His bundle; Keith; Mackenzie; atrioventricular node; heart; medical illustration; polygraph; sino-atrial node.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author declares no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Three of the series of ink drawings of the muscle layers of the heart.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
(a) Base of the ventricles to show the change in diastole and systole. (b) Coronal section ‘in situ’ of a heart with mitral stenosis.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
(a) Composite pencil drawing on grid card to show the features of the AV system. (b) Ink drawing to show the AV (His) bundle.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Keith’s two A4 pages of rough sketches of the SAN (note added in 1948, first observations of the SAN in 1906).
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Typical pencil drawing on grid paper of the heart of one of Mackenzie’s patients, a ‘case of ventricular rhythm’.

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References

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