Observations on the Harveian doctrine of the circulation of the blood : in reply to those lately adduced by George Kerr, Esq. / by Alexander Ewing.
- Ewing, Alexander
- Date:
- 1817
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Observations on the Harveian doctrine of the circulation of the blood : in reply to those lately adduced by George Kerr, Esq. / by Alexander Ewing. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.
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![produce equally sudden death as a similar wound of the left ventricle. At same time I can conceive, that an exceedingly ]ong, narrow, and slanting wound might be so critically made into the right ventricle,' that the person would not die instantly. In this case the small flap inwards would act as a kind of valve, and the blood in the ventricle would force it down, and shut the cavity every time it was full. Only a small quantity of blood could, therefore, escape at a time ; and perhaps several hours, more or less, according to circumstances, might elapse before the person died ; either from the pericardium being filled or distended, so as to oppress the heart; or if it escaped into the chest, till a sufficient quantity col- lected to oppress the lungs, and cause suf- focation. But in this case the functions of the heart and brain would be, in some de- gree, supported for the time, and there would be no sudden sinking. It remains, however, to be proved, that upon firing a pistol](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21454425_0252.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
