Observations on the nature and treatment of cholera : and on the pathology of mucous membranes / by Alex. Turnbull Christie.

Date:
1828
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the nature and treatment of cholera : and on the pathology of mucous membranes / by Alex. Turnbull Christie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    passage through the lungs; the air being prevented from acting upon it by the diseas- ed secretion thrown out by the pulmonary mucous membrane. It might be objected to this view of the subject, that frequently the dark colour of the blood occurs soon after the commencement of the disease, when we could hardly expect an accumulation of mucous se- cretion to have taken place, sufficient to pre- vent the entrance of the air into the air cells; and farther, that in the latter stages of the disease, there often appears to be no mecha- nical obstruction to respiration. It is extreme- ly probable, however, that the disordered state of the delicate membrane lining the air cells, is of itself sufficient to prevent the chemical action of the air on the blood from taking place; and it is evident that the smallest quantity of a viscid secretion lining the air cells will effectually prevent the decarboniza- tion of the blood, without materially obstruct- ing tlie process of respiration. But, in what- ever way we may account for it, we must ad- mit the fact that the usual chemical changes ]■' 2