Cinematography of skin capillaries in the living human subject.

Abstract

Lombard in 1911 showed that by illuminating the skin, the capillaries could be seen under the microscope. Many observations have since been carried out on the changes which take place in various diseased conditions. The possibility of studying alterations in the capillaries by means of cinematography first suggested itself to Krogh and Rehberg. They developed a method of taking pictures of the circulation in the capillaries in the tissues of Rana temporaria. It is naturally simpler to obtain records from the tissues of frogs than from human tissues since for this purpose a technique resembling that used in histological photomicrography suffices. In the human case transmitted light cannot be used. The method of illumination from above has therefore been universally adopted. This method is difficult because, by it, contrast and intensity of light are much reduced as compared to these qualities obtained by transmitted light. Weiss, in 1916, devised an apparatus for photographing human capillaries, and published photographs obtained by his method in various diseased conditions. He used indirect illumination and required an exposure of one-quarter to three-quarters of a second to obtain pictures. Siedentopf (Zeiss) likewise has devised an apparatus for the instantaneous photography of skin capillaries under normal conditions. In this apparatus also indirect illumination is used. Sheard has reported the fact that he has been able to make photographs in rapid succession, but not cinematographic, of skin capillaries in the living human body.