On the necessity for contracting cavities between the venous trunks and the ventricles of the heart : on the use of venous sinuses in the head, on the wonderful provision made for the transition from the foetal to the breathing state, on palpitation, on death, and on life, with reflections on the treatment of animals / by John Walker.

  • Walker, John, 1759-1830
Date:
1799
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the necessity for contracting cavities between the venous trunks and the ventricles of the heart : on the use of venous sinuses in the head, on the wonderful provision made for the transition from the foetal to the breathing state, on palpitation, on death, and on life, with reflections on the treatment of animals / by John Walker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    7 [ 4 ] 3* a. a. Till running feveral times up and down flairs, the pulfe rifes to 148 ftrokes in a minute, and I diftiucfly fed, and imagine I alfo fee on the thorax, the effedl of the tumult raifcd within, b. a. Exelufivcly of that of the anhelation under which I labour from the experiment. a. b. The velocity of the pulfe, it may well be conceived, was but of momentary duration ; while ihe exercife which produced it was fuffici- ently violent to give me a head-ach during the whole day. b. b. The caufe of the anhelation is not the bufinefs of this paper ; yet it may be briefly obferved, that the neceffity of quickened refpiration may appear obvious, from the confideration, that whatever changes the blood have to undergo from the infpired air, if by any means it be made to pafs quicker through the lungs, the air mult be afforded proportionally quicker, the blood being it» the fame ftate as when it’s motions were flower; b. c. And as on fuch occafions the motions of the heart and arteries muff become quicker or ftronger, hereby producing diftenfion of veffels and incrcafed adlion in different parts, or acceleration of the natural func¬ tions, b. d. Cauflng fenfible heat, and expanfion of the .circulating fluid at the fame time, b• e. It feems not difficult to conceive, that this mu ft need the reno¬ vating effects from refpiration proportionally fooner, as the actions in the general fyftejn have been accelerated. NeceJJity for an even number of alternating ca¬ vities. It hath been an axiom with Phyficians, that nature ab¬ hors a vacuum. That law in creation which gave rife to the axiom might as well be defined, A difpofition in matter to unite itfelf clofely, leaving the immenfity of furrounding fpace to become void, the vacuum being only guarded againft by motion being inftituted, as far as we can obferve, throughout the whole univerfe. 4. That law renders an alternation of motion in cavities necefiary at the heart, which is the organ that gives the im¬ petus which principally effects the circulation of the blood. 4 a. The motions of the ventricles of the heart being fynchronous, if this vital organ (I mean here the heart as compofed of two ventricles) were without appended contra&ing cavities, on the ven¬ tricles contracting and thus fuddenly diminifhing j