Thomas Lewis

Biography

• Born on December 26, 1881 in Cardiff, Wales
• 1902 – BSc University College, Cardiff,
• 1927 – Suffered first heart attack and gave up his ’70 a day’ habit recognizing before others did that ‘smoking injures the blood vessels.’
• 1935 – Suffered a second heart attack and remarked ‘..another arrow from the same quiver my friend, and one of them will get me in the end’
• Died 17 March 1945 of myocardial infarction. Buried in Llangasty churchyard, Breconshire, Wales, overlooking Llangorse Lake, where he fished and studied nature as a young boy.

Medical Eponyms

Lewis lead (S5-lead) (1913)

The Lewis lead configuration can help to detect atrial activity and its relationship to ventricular activity. Useful in observing flutter waves in atrial flutter; and detecting P waves in wide complex tacharrhythmia to identify atrioventricular dissociation

Lewis lead placement

• Right Arm (RA) electrode on manubrium
• Left Arm (LA) electrode over 5th ICS, right sternal border.
• Left Leg (LL) electrode over right lower costal margin.
• Monitor Lead I

History of the Lewis Lead

Thomas Lewis (1881-1945) developed and described (1913) his lead configuration to magnify atrial oscillations present during atrial fibrillation [Lewis T. Auricular fibrillation. In: Clinical Electrocardiography. 1913: 86-97]

Key Medical Attributions

Einthoven acknowledged Lewis in his 1925 Nobel Prize acceptance speech:

…Thomas Lewis, who has played a great part in the development of electrocardiography deserves a special mention. It is my conviction that the general interest in ECG would certainly not have risen so high, nowadays, if we had had to do without his work, and I doubt whether without his valuable contributions I should have the privilege of standing before you today.

Einthoven 1925

Major Publications

• Lewis T. Auricular fibrillation: A common clinical condition. Br Med J 1909; 2: 1528
• Lewis T. Auricular fibrillation and its relationship to clinical irregularity of the Heart. Heart 1910; 1(4): 306–372.
• Lewis T. The mechanism of the heart beat with especial reference to its clinical pathology. London, Shaw. 1911
• Lewis T. Clinical disorders of the heartbeat. London, Shaw. 1912
• Lewis T. Clinical electrocardiography. London, Shaw. 1913
• Lewis T. Lectures on the heart. New York P.B. Hoeber 1915
• Lewis T. The spread of the excitatory process in the vertebrate heart. Parts I-V. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 1916; 207
• Lewis T. The soldier’s heart and the effort syndrome. London, Shaw. 1918
• Lewis T. The mechanism and graphic registration of the heart beat. London, Shaw. 1920
• Lewis T. Clinical science : illustrated by personal experiences. London, Shaw. 1934
• Lewis T. Reflections upon reform in medical education. Lancet 1944; 243(6298): 619–621

References

• Sir Thomas Lewis (1881-1945) experimental cardiologist. JAMA. 1966; 195(12): 1055-6.
• Hollman A. Thomas Lewis: physiologist, cardiologist and clinical scientist. Clin Cardiol. 1985; 8(10): 555-9.
• Hollman A. Sir Thomas Lewis: Clinical Scientist and Cardiologist, 1881–1945. Journal of Medical Biography, 1994; 2(2), 63–70.
• Xiao HB, Lawrence C. Reappraisal of Thomas Lewis’s place in the history of electrocardiography. J Electrocardiol. 1996; 29(4): 347-50
• Hollmann A. Sir Thomas Lewis: Pioneer Cardiologist and Clinical Scientist. Springer. 1997
• Krikler DM. Thomas Lewis, a father of modern cardiology. Heart. 1997; 77(2): 102–103.
• Nahm F, Freeman R. Vasovagal syncope: the contributions of Sir William R. Gowers and Sir Thomas Lewis. Arch Neurol. 2001; 58(3): 509-511.
• Pearce JM. Sir Thomas Lewis MD, FRS. (1881-1945). J Neurol. 2006; 253(9): 1246-7
• Munk’s Roll : Thomas (Sir) Lewis Volume IV: 531
• ECG Library – Lewis Lead. LITFL
• Cadogan M. History of the Electrocardiogram. LITFL