General Anatomy, Applied to Physiology and Medicine, Vol. 2 (of 3) — John Shaqi
General Anatomy, Applied to Physiology and Medicine, Vol. 2 (of 3)Bichat, Xavier
Science
General Anatomy, Applied to Physiology and Medicine, Vol. 2 (of 3)
Bichat, Xavier
Human anatomy; Human physiology
The kind of blood varies in inflammation, and in this respect, I
think the following rule is generally uniform; whenever the organic
sensibility is much raised, the life augmented and there is an increase
of forces in the inflamed part, then it is the red blood that remains
in the capillary system; then there is always great heat there. On
the contrary, when the inflammation approaches the putrid character,
the part becomes of a dull and livid colour; the capillaries appear
to be filled with black blood; the heat is less. In general, a bright
colour, in all eruptions analogous to inflammatory tumours, announces
the increase of the organic sensibility. A livid colour, on the other
hand, indicates its prostration; petechiæ are livid; scorbutic blotches
are so; a livid colour in tumours is the forerunner of gangrene. Do you
wish to know when cold acts as a stimulant? It is when it reddens the
end of the nose, the ears, &c. When these parts become livid, other
phenomena announce at the same time, that its action is sedative. This
is supported by my experiments upon life and death, which have proved
that the black blood everywhere interrupts the functions, weakens,
annihilates even the motion of the parts, when it is brought to them by
the arteries.
_Differences of Inflammation, according to the different Systems._
From what has been said upon inflammation, it appears that it has for
its seat the capillary system, for its principle an alteration in
the organic sensibility of this system, for its effect the afflux of
blood into vessels in which it did not before circulate, a consequent
increase of caloric, &c. Now where the capillary system is more
developed, where the organic sensibility is greater, inflammation
ought to be more frequent; and this is the case. It is especially in
the cellular, serous, mucous and dermoid systems that we observe it;
fine injections demonstrate in these systems a capillary net-work
infinitely superior to that of the others. Besides, as if there is not
only nutrition, but also exhalation and oftentimes secretion in these
systems, there must be more organic sensibility, a property from which
all these functions are derived.
On the contrary, inflammation is rare in the muscular, osseous,
cartilaginous, fibrous, arterial, venous systems, &c. where there are
but few capillaries, and where the organic sensibility presiding only
over nutrition, is necessarily found in a less degree.
Besides, as the capillaries make an integral part of the system where
they are found, and as each system has its peculiar kind of organic
sensibility, it is evident that they ought to partake of this kind; now
as it is upon this property that all the inflammatory phenomena depend,
they ought to present an aspect wholly different in each system. This
is what we shall be convinced is the case by an examination of each. I
shall only present here generally, that essential point of view, upon
which authors have not insisted.
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