An essay, or tract, on the vitality of the warm blood and air / by James Morison ; edited and republished by Elisha North.

  • James Morison
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay, or tract, on the vitality of the warm blood and air / by James Morison ; edited and republished by Elisha North. 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.)

    19/36
    My Lord Liverpool might still recover the use of his mental faculties, [in part.] if properly treated. Every part of an animal is derived from the blood, which is the essence or nutritive part of food. We eat only to make blood. This ope- ration of nature is done by digestion in the stomach and in other parts. It is effected by means of the juices of the blood gradually distilled into the stomach; and by other powers. These faculties alone have the power to convert food into blood : and these digestive juices receive, little assistance from any muscular force. The muscles, nerves, •and organs receive their propensities to action and sensibility from the [vital] blood, which pervades all the body ; and the blood furnishes pure juices, when in health, for the support and nourishment of all its members or parts,—as for example, for the eyes, the brain, the hair, the bones, the nails, the mouth, the skin, &c. A healthy new born in- fant digests with ease, by means of juices, food, that is appropriate for it, even better than many muscular men. A new born infant has, however, but little muscular force in its stomach, [or any where else.] From this we learn concerning the erroneous means too often used to remedy the stomach and bowel complaints of children, such as bark, wine, bitters, &c. * # % # # * From the preceding it is an undeniable truth, that every thing in all animal bodies proceeds from the blood, which is the only supporter of life, which is done by feeding and occasioning the growth of all our organs in their proper state or condition; even the brain itself, which is the organ of thought, and which medical men and philoso- phers have very erroneously represented, as pos- sessing innate qualities, independent of the phy- sical state of the body ; whereas it receives all its