Rhythmologic Studies of Cardiodoron Given to Healthy Subjects

By: Hans Christoph Kümmell, Henrik Bettermann
Original title: Ergebnisse rhythmologischer Untersuchungen von Cardiodoron an Gesunden. Der Merkurstab 1996; 49:361-71.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14271/DMS-16935-DE
English by A. R. Meuss, FIL, MTA.
This translation is published with the kind permission of the journal Der Merkurstab.

JAM Vol. 14(2), Summer 1997

Introduction

The indication for Cardiodoron, a medicament designed by Rudolf Steiner, is "cardiac dysregulation." The pharmacology and special galenics of the medicament will not be considered in this paper. The composition, in brief, is: Onopordon, Flos dig.; Primula officinalis, Flos and Hyoscyamus, Herba.

The drug picture has been discussed in a number of papers,(1,6,11-14,21,23,34,35) Weckenmann and others have presented studies on orthostatically unstable patients, (18,19,27-33) using pulse, respiratory rate and their quotient (QPR) as parameters.

Routine analysis of 24-hour electrocardiograms makes it possible to establish interaction of respiration and heartbeat on the basis of respiratory arrhythmia, e.g. as QPR, as well as other parameters that influence heart period variability++ (We do not determine changes in cardiac frequency from the ECG but in heart period, i.e. the time interval between heart beats (R wave to R wave). This is inversely proportional to the heart frequency. Instead of the widely-used term "variable heart rate," we therefore use the synonymous term "heart period variability.") during that 24-hour period. The duration of a heart beat is also influenced by 1) the blood pressure, which causes changes in heart period c. 6-10 times a minute, 2) the change between muscle and skin circulation that provides the basis for temperature regulation, and 3) the day and night rhythm, the influence of which is evident mainly from waking and sleeping in heart period dynamics.(2-4,24)

In accord with frequency variation, time sequence analysts refer to variability ranges (bands) as follows.

Ultra low-frequency band ULF " day and night rhythm"
High frequency band HF respiratory rhythm, respiratory sinus arrythmia
Low-frequency LF blood pressure rhythm
Very low-frequency band VLF circulatory rhythm, minute rhythm
Total frequency band TF sum of rhythms determined

The above indication and preliminary studies using Cardiodoron made us consider which frequency band might show changes under the influence of Cardiodoron. The time sequence methods of spectroanalysis seemed to suit the purpose.

Citation: Kümmell, H. C., & Bettermann, H. (1997). Rhythmologic Studies of Cardiodoron Given to Healthy Subjects (A. R. Meuss, Trans.). Journal of Anthroposophic Medicine, 14(2), 11–21.