Bainbridge's findings contradicted "Marey's Law", a law that stated that an increase in blood pressure caused a lowering of the heart rate. Marey's Law was devised in 1861 by French physiologist Étienne-Jules Marey (1830–1904).
Bainbridge's findings contradicted the established concept of "Marey's Hypothesis", which posited that higher blood pressure leads to lower heart rates. This hypothesis was developed by French physiologist Étienne-Jules Marey in 1861.