The jugular venous pulse.

This film shows how clinical observation and instrumental analysis of the wave forms characteristic of abnormal venous pulsation can assist in the differential diagnosis of cardiac abnormalities. A brief historical survey of Sir James Mackenzie's classic work on the venous pulse is followed by a short demonstration of the instrumental techniques used in the analysis of the wave form of the venous pulsation in the neck. The mechanism and production of each of the component waves are described, and the phenomena shown in a healthy subject before clinical cases are used to demonstrate the characteristic modifications of the venous pulse found in patients with cardiac abnormalities.