XXIII. The Croonian lecture.—On the rhythm of the heart of the frog, and on the nature of the action of the vagus nerve

Abstract

In all investigations upon the causation of the beat of the heart, one question stands forward prominently before all others, viz. : What is the relative share taken by the ganglion cells and the muscular tissue respectively in the production of its spontaneous rhythmical beats? And in any discussion upon the action of the cardiac nerves, the most important question always is, How far do they act on the ganglion cells, how far on the muscular tissue directly?