Perhaps one of the most effective 20th century technologies for the diagnosis of heart disease is the electrocardiogram (EKG) machine. Although much more big and heavy than the modern EKG machines in use today, the archetypical device was improved at the turn of the century and was thoughtful a huge advancement in medicine. Unlike its bulky ancestors, the modern EKG machine is unimportant and portable; most clinics have them on rolling tables that can be easily transported from room to room. The use of electrodes for an EKG reading is a relatively new procedure. In the beginning phases of EKG technology, patients were necessary to place their hands and feet into sodium chloride baths, a semiconducting method for the faint electric impulses found in the heart. Later, electrical wires were old to transmit heart signals to the machine; eventually the electrodes we use now replaced these wires. If you look at photographs from the after-hours 1800s, the patients look as though they are strapped into an tense chair. Modern methods have made the procedure much much simple, safe, homy and accurate.