The Naming of Jugular Venous Valves

To the Editor: In Dr Charles F. Babbs’s1 recent review article, he states in the Methods section that “Niemann’s valves between the chest and jugular veins at the level of the thoracic inlet are actual but little-known anatomic structures that function to block headward transmission of large positive pressure pulses in the chest during cough and also during CPR.”The jugular venous valves have been known for centuries. Harvey was among the first to describe them, but they were probably known for at least 100 years before his publication.2 3 4 Anatomists had been burnt at the stake on the Continent for questioning the Roman Catholic Church’s dogma on nature.The …