A treatise on the blood, inflammation, and gun-shot wounds / by John Hunter ; with notes by James F. Palmer.

  • John Hunter
Date:
1840
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the blood, inflammation, and gun-shot wounds / by John Hunter ; with notes by James F. Palmer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    globular particles in certain animals that they formed the red glo- bules in the blood; but when we consider that the chyle in fowls has no globules, and yet that they have red blood, we must con- clude that they do not answer this purpose.* The first motion of the nourishment in most animals consists in the absorption of the chyle from the appendages of the stomach; and in many this alone appears to constitute the whole, as they have no such organ or viscus as a heart, to which it may be carried ; and in such it may be supposed to be, in its mode of distribution, some- what similar to the mesenteric veins and vena portcc : the parts therefore assimilate, and dispose of it themselves; but this structure belongs only to the most simple, or the first class of animals. In those which are more perfect, where parts are formed for each particular purpose, the chyle is brought to one organ, called the heart, having first joined the venous blood, which now requires a similar process, and both are sent to the lungs, where most proba- bly the chyle receives its finishing process; and from thence it comes back to the heart again, to be sent to every part of the body.f In those animals that have hearts we are to take into the account a number of particulars. First, the blood's motion in consequence of that organ ; secondly, the principal intention of that motion, viz., that it may be prepared in the lungs, which introduces breathing; thirdly, the variety in the kinds of lungs ; fourthly, the different kinds of media in which animals are obliged to breathe for the purpose of extracting matter employed in the preparation of this fluid. In this investigation we shall find there is not an exact or regular correspondence in all the parts so employed. This irregularity arises from animals breathing different substances: such as some breathing the common atmosphere, in which is included the respi- rable air; others water, in which air is included, as fish. Some breathe both air and water; while there are others which breathe air in theirperfect state, but water in their first periods or imperfect state of life. J If we were to take a view of all these systems, each should be considered apart, with all its peculiarities or connexions, together with the different systems, as they gradually creep into one another, some being perfectly distinct, while others partake more or less of both. The complete system is always to be con- sidered as the most perfect, although it may belong in other respects to a more imperfect order of animals. It has been supposed by physiologists that as the blood is found to consist of different parts, or rather properties, that certain parts or properties were determined to certain parts of the body, for particular purposes; but from the frequent anastomosis of arteries, * [See note, p. 71.] t The circulation in fish is an exception to this. X In this account I do not include animals in embryo, and some others, which do not breathe at all.