A practical treatise on the diseases of children / by Alfred Vogel, trans. and ed. by H. Raphael.

  • Vogel, Alfred, 1829-1890.
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A practical treatise on the diseases of children / by Alfred Vogel, trans. and ed. by H. Raphael. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    umbilical vein has become stagnant, and the first inspiration taken place. (2.) The Ductus Arteriosus Botalii (PI. I., Fig. 2) is, in the foetus, a communicating canal between the pulmonary artery and the aorta. It arises at the point where the pulmonary artery divides into the two branches, then runs obliquely upward toward the lower border of the arch of the aorta, and joins the latter at a point opposite to where the left subclavian artery dips into it from above. It serves to arrest the blood in its course toward the lungs, and to conduct it from the right side of the heart directly into the great current again. The nearer the end of gestation arrives the smaller this vessel becomes, while the two branches of the pulmonary artery grow larger; the broader, however, this vessel is, so much the narrower is that portion of the aorta which lies between it and the heart. And now the lungs, dilated by the inspiratory muscles, not only draw in air, but also blood from the vessels; not only the air-vessels, but also the Woo^-conducting system of vessels, become distended. A stronger and faster blood- current passes from the pulmonary artery toward the lungs; the artery sends no more blood through the foetal passage communicating with the aorta {the ductus JBotalii), and the latter is so quickly obliterated, that in a child twenty-four to thirty-six hours old it is scarcely large enough to admit a probe. (3.) The Foramen Ovale.—In the fcetus the auricular septum con- tains an opening (for. ovale), corresponding to the fossa ovalis in the adult. In this opening a semilunar membranous valve (valvula fora- minis ovalis) is found, the upper border of which is free. In the fcetus this valve closes the foramen very imperfecta, so that a por- tion of the blood passes directly from the right into the left auricle, and thence, without permeating the lungs, into the general circulation. The nearer the end of gestation arrives, therefore, the smaller this fora- men becomes, and the stronger and firmer the valve. After birth, the lungs are suddenly converted into a suction-apparatus, they therefore require a larger quantity of blood for their supply; the right ventricle also becomes distended, and thus the blood-stream is diverted from the foramen ovale. Although the border of the valve usually remains free for some months, still it is so well developed that it accurately closes the foramen. In children over eight to ten months of age, this border of the valve is generally found united with the corresponding border of the foramen ovale. (4.) The Umbilical Arteries (art. umbilicales, PI. I., Fig. 4). Hav- ing spoken of the umbilical vein in connection with the closure of the duct. ven. Arantii, there only remains to describe the obliteration of the umbilical arteries. The two arteries originate from the cor-
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