General Anatomy, Applied to Physiology and Medicine, Vol. 3 (of 3)Bichat, Xavier
Science
General Anatomy, Applied to Physiology and Medicine, Vol. 3 (of 3)
Bichat, Xavier
Human anatomy; Human physiology
I say first that there are certain cases in the natural state, in which
the other organs being excited, the glandular is brought into action.
This is especially remarkable in the mucous system. We have seen that
almost all the excretory ducts terminate upon the mucous surfaces.
Now when one of these surfaces is irritated in the neighbourhood of
an excretory duct, the gland of this duct increases its action. 1st.
The presence of aliments in the mouth produces an abundant flow of
saliva. 2d. A sound in the bladder, irritating the ureters or their
neighbourhood, increases the flow of urine. 3d. The irritation of the
glans penis and the extremity of the urethra in coition, produces a
kind of spasm in the testicle from which arises a copious secretion
of the seminal fluid. 4th. Every irritating fluid applied either to
the conjunctiva, or the pituitary membrane occasions a more or less
considerable flow of tears. 5th. By making experiments upon the state
of the gastric viscera during digestion and during hunger, I have
observed that as long as the aliments are only in the stomach, the flow
of bile is inconsiderable, but that this flow increases when they pass
into the duodenum, so that much of it is then found in the intestines.
During hunger, the gall-bladder is much distended; but little bile
flows from it. At the end or even during digestion, it contains but
half as much bile. Yet it might be emptied much more easily during
abstinence, as the fluid which is then found in it is of a deep green,
very bitter, very acrid and consequently very irritating. On the
contrary, during or immediately after digestion, it is much milder,
of a bright yellow and less irritating. There must then be another
stimulus for it during digestion; this stimulus is the food that is
passing by the extremity of the ductus choledochus. I have pointed
out in a long note in my Treatise on the Membranes, the course of the
cystic and hepatic bile.
Let us conclude from these numerous considerations, that one of the
principal means which nature employs to increase the action of the
glands, and to produce that of the excretory ducts is the sympathetic
irritation of the extremity of these ducts or of the neighbourhood of
the point of the mucous surface where they come out. It is to this also
that must be referred the various catarrhs produced by an irritating
body remaining upon one of these surfaces. The infant in sucking and
irritating the nipple, produces a secretion of milk at the same time
that he draws it out. In a morbid state the glands are also very
frequently the seat of passive sympathies. It is almost always then the
organic sensibility and the insensible contractility that are brought
into action in them. It is rare, that the animal sensibility, excited
by sympathies, occasions pains in the glands.
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