First principles of medicine / By Archibald Billing.

  • Archibald Billing
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: First principles of medicine / By Archibald Billing. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    27/142 (page 19)
    venous ; and aéso whilst it is changing tn the lungs from purple to scarlet. ; There is a perpetual deposition, by the capillary system, of new matter and decomposition of the old all over the frame, influenced by the nerves; in this decomposition there is a continual disengagement of carbon, which mixes with the blood returning to the heart, at the time it changes from scarlet to purple ; this decomposition being effected by the electric agency of the nerves, produces constant extrication of caloric ; again, in the lungs that carbon is thrown off and united with oxigen, during which caloric is again set free ; so that we have in the LUNGS a CHARCOAL FIRE con- stantly burning, and in the orHER PARTS a WOOD FIRE, the one producing carbonic acid gas, the other carbon ; the food supplying through the circulation the ve- getable (or what answers the same end, animal) fued, from which the charcoal is prepared which is burned in the dungs. Thus the animal heat is kept up, the EVAPORATION of PERSPIRATION keeps the suRFACE CooL; but in inflammatory fevers where this is deficient, the body gets too hot; and in low fevers when the nervous in- fluence is too low to keep up the full fire, the surface gets cooler than the natural standard. Whatever NERVOUS INFLUENCE may be, or however generated, we know, that the energy of parts depends upon a something that is communicated to them by the nerves in conjunction with the brain and spinal marrow; that while parts are supplied with this ner- vous influence, they retain their power of action, and not longer; arteries become insusceptible of impression from external agents when the nervous energies ale