Varicose veins : their nature, consequences and treatment, palliative and curative / by Henry T. Chapman.

  • Chapman, Henry T. (Henry Thomas), 1806-1874
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Varicose veins : their nature, consequences and treatment, palliative and curative / by Henry T. Chapman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    the superficial veins impeded, at any moment, by the continuous muscular effort necessary in stand- ing long. Wliile the erect posture is maintained, it has to overcome the natm’al tendency of an ascending ciuTent of blood to gra\dtate dovmwards. And to these obstacles is fi-equently superadded compression of the vena cava and iliac veins, as a consequence of changes, natural or morbid, taking place in the abdominal viscera. But the chlating force, resulting from these vari- ous impediments to the retuni of blood, does not o])erate in an equal degree upon all the veins of the hmb. The same unifonn compression by the surrounding muscles which closes the venae comites to tlie passage of the blood, taken in conjunction with the prompt communication between them and the superficial veins, is sufficient to seciu'e them from ever becoming over-distended. With the exception, therefore, of the femoral vein, varicose dilatation of this class of vessels is rarely met with. As the chief strain is thus tlirovm upon the superficial veins, and this is far greater than any other veins of the body have to encounter habitu- ally, we should feel no siu’prise at their giving way under it, were it not that they are proportionately supplied with the means of resistance. Not only do they anastomose more fr’eely vdth each other, are more liberally supplied with valves, and possess ,
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