The Heart: Three Perspectives - not a pump, not a ram, but a living organism...

Standard Definition:
The Heart: a hollow muscular organ that receives blood from the veins and pro­pels it through the arteries. In humans the heart is located behind the lower part of the breastbone, slightly to the left of center.

Structure and Function: the heart is a dual pump circulating blood through two separate systems, each consisting of an atrium and a ventricle. The heart contracts and re­laxes the walls of the atria and ventricles to circulate the blood. Blood is carried to the heart's right atrium through two large veins: the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava. The right atrium contracts, transferring the blood to the right ventricle, which sends it to the lungs. After the blood receives oxygen from the lungs, it returns to the heart's left atrium. The left atrium contracts, forcing the blood into the left ventricle and then into the aorta, which passes the blood throughout the body.

Ralph Marinelli, BSME:
In my opinion, references to the heart as hydraulic ram may do more damage than good. In his mention R. Steiner only meant to convey the idea that a Dr. Karl Schmidt woke up one day from the consensus idea that the heart is a pressure pump, and pro­posed the idea of the hydraulic ram. This was not to say that Schmidt understood how the blood is propelled. Steiner said that the kernel of truth grasped by Schmidt was that momentum, not pressure, has a proximate role in the propulsion of the blood. The heart is not a pump, nor is it a hydraulic ram. The momentum in the ram is of ani­mate amorphous fluid. The momentum in the blood is that of a self-propelled organ­ism, with its organic form. being the vortex.

In the hydraulic ram, the water flow is suddenly stopped to increase pressure that causes momentum, Thus, in the ram, pres­sure has a role in propulsion. In the heart, pressure has no propulsive role. In the heart the forward flow of the vortexing blood is dammed (stopped); its energy transferred to increase the velocity in the vortex. In turn, the increased vortex velocity induces a larger etheric force to further speed up (enliven and strengthen) the blood. This is by no means the complete process of blood pro­pulsion, but it is certainly different from the flow of water in a hydraulic ram.

We have an hydraulic ram in our lab but we show it in connection with detailed discussions of momentum, not to illustrate blood flow or heart function.

Ralph Marinelli is a retired US Army Chief of Research and Development of electri­cal, mechanical, and thermal components and systems. Currently he is director of the Rudolf Steiner Research Center, Royal Oaks, MI

Anna Lups, M.D.:
From the very first moment, the em­bryo develops in three layers. The ectoderm, on the outside, is largely a layer of nerve cells. It is the layer of form. The endoderm is the metabolic layer on the inside, develop­ing substance. They are separated by the mesoderm, the layer that develops most rap­idly. It is the only layer with cell movement, active circulating cells in blood vessels, all moving in an organized, purposeful way. This can be seen under the microscope. There is interaction with all the organs from the beginning, pushing and pulling, bring­ing and taking away, a dynamic interaction moving from the periphery. The informa­tion of what to do comes from a higher level.

Then, suddenly, after 2-3 days of activity a bulging or focus takes place at the center (just in front of the brain) and the blood flow begins to strive towards that point. At first this bulge is a simple organ, like the capillaries, lined with endothelium (cells that originate with blood cells). At a decisive moment, approximately at six weeks, it suddenly divides into four chambers. At ten weeks there is a heart beat. However, it is not until the first breath is drawn that the heart becomes as we know it, separated from the placenta, receiving blood in spiral move­ments and releasing it. In fact, the heart is a receiving organ, with suction created by a vacuum, alternating with relaxation.

It is an absurdity to believe that such a little organ as the heart would pump blood all through the body. 90% of the blood is in the venous capillaries at any one time, and the total capillary surface area is approximately 3,000 miles!

Anna Lups has a medical practice, Lib­erty Healing Arts, in Hudson and in Woodstock, NY