Aconitine-induced auricular arrhythmias and their relation to circus-movement flutter.

Certain characteristics of aconitine-induced auricular arrhythmias in dogs and the responses of aconitine-induced flutter to various experimental procedures and to drugs are described. In certain experiments there was evidence that a secondary flutter mechanism had developed which, in some instances, resembled flutter of circus-movement origin. When aconitine-induced and circus-movement flutters were induced separately and simultaneously in auricles functionally divided by a crush, they responded to drugs in their characteristic manners. Aconitine-induced flutter slowed progressively and recovered gradually to flutter, whereas circus-movement flutter frequently reverted suddenly and permanently to sinus rhythm.