General Anatomy, Applied to Physiology and Medicine, Vol. 1 (of 3)Bichat, Xavier
Science
General Anatomy, Applied to Physiology and Medicine, Vol. 1 (of 3)
Bichat, Xavier
Human anatomy; Human physiology
experiment, that is to say, fit a curved tube to a vein and an artery,
so that the blood of the first may flow into the other; the artery will
lose immediately its pulsatory motion, unless it be kept up in the
collateral branches; this does not happen if we select great trunks,
for example, the crural and corresponding vein. It is evident, that
all these experiments, which I have frequently repeated, would give a
result entirely opposite, if the arteries took an active part in the
circulation by their vital properties.
5th. The force of the heart makes the blood circulate through inert
tubes, fixed to the arteries, to a considerable extent. If we cut an
inch of the carotid artery, and substitute a tube fixed to the two open
ends of this artery, the blood will go through this tube and the artery
pulsate as usual above. I cannot imagine in what way those have been
deceived who have obtained different results.
6th. Take two dogs; fix the end of a tube to the carotid of one, on the
side of the heart, and the other end of the same tube to the crural or
carotid of the other, on the side opposite to this organ; the heart
of the first will uniformly make the arteries of the second pulsate,
by sending blood to them. All my experiments upon death, experiments
already published, have shown me this phenomenon. Besides, in aneurism
the pulsation takes place below the tumour; yet at that part, the two
ends of the broken artery are separated; the cellular membrane alone
serves to unite them, by forming the cyst. The blood passes then
through an intermediate body that is not arterial.
7th. Fix to an artery one end of a tube, which has at the other a sac
made of skin, or gummed taffety, the blood will fill it immediately;
then at each contraction of the heart, it will have a sort of
pulsation. It is thus that the aneurismal tumour pulsates, which is
cellular. Whatever may be the organ that contributes to form the cyst,
it would pulsate, provided it received, with the blood, the impulse of
the heart.
8th. I would ask, if the active dilatation of the arteries could be
sufficient to raise the brain, impart a motion to the leg that is
crossed upon that of the opposite side, to overcome the weight of the
tumours that are situated in their course, and raise them at each
pulsation. It evidently requires a more powerful organ to produce these
phenomena, and this organ is the heart.
9th. How is it, that the pulsation of all the arteries is simultaneous,
if a single centre does not preside over this pulsation? The whole
arterial system, struck suddenly with the same blow, is raised and
pulsates at the same time. Is it not evident, that if the arteries
contracted by themselves, the least derangement in one part, the least
pressure, &c. would produce a discordance in the motions?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account