Portable electrocardiograph, Cambridge, England, 1946
Tiny electrical signals coordinate the heart’s beats. They can also indicate heart disorders. An electrocardiograph machine detects and records these signals to examine the heart. The signals ripple outwards and are picked up by metal sensors stuck to the skin. Willem Einthoven (1860-1927) developed the electrocardiograph during the early 1900s. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1924 for his research. This portable version is shown with its leather carrying case and it dates from 1946. It was made by the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company, a company founded by Charles Darwin’s nephew, Horace.
Object number:
1979-458
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: electrocardiograph
used to record the electrical activity of the heart
Glossary: cardiology
The study of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels.