A treatise on symptomatic fevers ; including inflammations, hemorrhagies, and mucous discharges / by A. P. Wilson Philip.

  • Alexander Wilson Philip
Date:
1820
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on symptomatic fevers ; including inflammations, hemorrhagies, and mucous discharges / by A. P. Wilson Philip. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    capillary artery and the vein in which it terminates*? He adds besides, “ Valde porro probabile videtur ruborem, “ magna saltern ex parte, deberi vasis lymphaticis sanguine “ jam turgidisf.” The colourless are a principal part of the capillary arteries. They cannot admit the red particles with- out being preternatural'])’ distended; and consequently, with- out being debilitated. But there are surely more direct and simple means of determining the question than those adopted by Dr. Fowler. It is only necessary, in order to ascertain whether inflamma- tion consists in an increased action of the vessels, to induce such an action, and observe whether inflammation is the consequence. Having adapted the web of a frog’s foot to a microscope, I now and then, during some minutes, observed the velocity of the circulation which continued, as far as I could judge, the same. I then wetted the foot with distilled spirits, and in a few seconds observed the blood in all the vessels moved with a greatly increased velocity, which, as I constantly kept the web moist with spirits, continued as long as I observed it, ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. But during no part of the time could I perceive the slightest symptom of inflammation, either with or without the micro- scope. The vessels, instead of appearing redder and more turgid, were evidently paler and smaller than before the ap- plication of the spirits. I farther increased the velocity of the circulation by throwing on the web the concentrated rays of the sun from the reflector of the microscope, and still with the same effect. Is it not a fair inference from what has been said, that the opinions hitherto maintained respecting the nature of in- flammation, namely, those attributing it to obstructing lentor, error loci, spasm, and increased action of all the vessels of the part, are unfounded? Let us now consider how far the opinion which ascribes it to the power of the capillaries bear- ing too small a proportion to the vis a tergo is correct. If * If the reader will take the trouble to view through the micro- scope by transmitted light, the edge of a fish’s fin, he will see the red capillary arteries running into their corresponding veins, and forming with them small arches, arranged with great regularity, in which, from the degree to which it is necessary to magnify the part, the globules of the blood seem to move with astonishing velocity, presenting an appearance striking and beautiful beyond, perhaps, any other which the microscope affords.