The Electrocardiogram in the Diagnosis of Systemic Hypertension

A diagnosis of systemic hypertension depending solely on a reading of the arterial blood pressure has the imprint of archaism upon it, for very high readings are frequently obtained in healthy sub- jects. A persistence in this clinical habit misleads diagnosis and introduces an unwarranted handi- cap into the lives of countless individuals. This imposed handicap includes rejection for life assurance or the burden of an increased premium in the event of acceptance, denial of employment when this is conditional on a satisfactory medical examination, failure to enter a superannuation scheme, and actual invalidism in nervous subjects, or in any who may be subjected to prolonged treatment with the potent hypotensive drugs of the day.