On the effects of the kneading of muscles upon the circulation : local and general / by T. Lauder Brunton and F.W. Tunnicliffe.

  • Lauder Brunton
Date:
[1894?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the effects of the kneading of muscles upon the circulation : local and general / by T. Lauder Brunton and F.W. Tunnicliffe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/16 page 376
    (50 secs.) of the massage period a fall occurred, the pressure sinking to 80mm., or 6mm. below its initial height. Upon the cessation of massage a further sudden fall of 11 mm. took place. This “post massage ” fall is less than in Exp. I., being in this case 7, of the initial blood pressure. With regard to the duration of this lowering of blood pressure, we see upon looking at the curve that the blood pressure was still 2 mm. below its initial height, 34 minutes after the cessation of the massage. In view of the fact that in massage of a given set of muscles alternate compression and release of the arteries and veins contained in the muscles must take place, we thought it would be interesting to have recorded on the same curve the effect on the blood pressure of the simultaneous compression and release of both external iliac arteries. This was done at the points marked #” and 2” on the electric signal line of the tracing, the effect was a rise and a fall of blood pressure, which is well seen on the actual blood pressure curve below these marks. Upon careful inspection of the figure it will be seen that after release of both external iliacs the blood pressure fell below its initial level; this fall amounted to 6mm. It differed however from the fall occurring during and after massage, in being less in extent and further, in being more transient, the pressure having regained its former level 40 secs. after the vessels were released. In this case the muscles were not stimulated, the arteries were compressed between the thumbs and bone, hence the result was due entirely to their sudden occlusion and release. — We thought it would be of further interest to have recorded on this same curve, the effect on the general blood pressure produced by the firm grasping between the fingers and thumb, of the muscular masses of both thighs, and their subsequent release. This was practised at the marks 2” and #” on the electric signal line, and the rise and fall of blood pressure consequent upon it is seen below. In this instance the fall which occurred upon the release of the thighs is greater in amount and less transient than that which took place upon the release of the two common iliac arteries, but less in amount and of considerably shorter duration than the post massage fall. In the grasping of the muscular mass of both thighs the muscles themselves were of necessity stimulated, and although we should be probably correct in attributing the main part of the resulting changes in the blood pressure tracing to compres- sion and release of the large arterial trunks, yet the manipulation of the muscles themselves seems to have increased the amount and lengthened the duration of the subsequent fall. Upon comparing the last three results, we see that the gentle kneading of the two hind limbs for
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