Effect of Stretch and Pressure on Stimulus Formation in the Dog's Auricle.

SummaryStretching of the auricular muscle fibers during a tachycardia induced by aconitine leads to an increase of rate and to transient auricular fibrillation. Transient auricular fibrillation (or flutter) can be elicited by stretching during a period of 15-20 minutes after the aconitine arrhythmia has subsided and sinus rhythm prevails.Because there is much evidence that stretching changes impulse formation and not impulse conduction these results are believed to bring further evidence against the circus movement hypothesis.The experiments offer an explanation for the appearance of paroxysmal fibrillation induced by physical exertion.