A mechanical essay upon the heart, in three anatomical lectures. Wherein I. The heart is demonstrated to be a compleat epitome of myology ... II. The origin and nature of the blood ... III. The praeternatural state of that fluid / By William Wood.

  • Wood, William, 1688-
Date:
1729
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A mechanical essay upon the heart, in three anatomical lectures. Wherein I. The heart is demonstrated to be a compleat epitome of myology ... II. The origin and nature of the blood ... III. The praeternatural state of that fluid / By William Wood. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    A MechwkahM£fy:r in proportion, and the right Auricle was dilated near twelve Inches in length, and five in breadth, and when open'd, it contain'd at lead two Pounds of Blood very much coagulated, and fome of it concreted into folid Cakes, refembling a true Toly pis. In the right Ventricle was like wife a great deal of coagulated Blood, and a large white flefhy Tolypus, which was five Inches long, and above an Inch broad, and half an Inch thick. The left Ventricle was much the fame with the right, the Toly pus excepted ; and the left Auricle was much lefs than ordinary, and the Liver vaftly large. There are a great many more Particulars 5 but this being enough to the prefent purpole, I fhall omit the reft. , , N O W to account for thefe Phenomena, and all others like them, it is, to be underftood, that a Tolypus, or Sarcoma, being a preternatural flefhy Excrefcence, and receiving Nou~ rifhment from its proper Veffels, muftneceffarily grow ftill bigger and bigger. Now, when fuch an Accident happens, as in the Cafe above, it muft in proportion to its Bulk, not only retard the Exit of the Blood, but likewife hinder a great deal of the Blood from being driven out by interfering and preventing the Sides from coming clofe together in the Syftole of the Ventricle, where it grows. NOW the Auricles always contracting and dilating alter¬ nately with the Ventricles, it muft neceffarily follow, that the Quantity of Blood received by the Auricle in its cDiaftole> cannot be all thrown out in its Syjlole into the Ventricle, for the realon aforefaid; but the refluent Blood ftill endeavouring to force itfelf into the Auricle, when in its ^DiaftolCy both the Auricle and the Vena Cava muft be prodigioufly extended, all Fibres gradually yielding to a fuperiour Force. Again, the Blood being fb long retarded, muft naturally coagulate, for a reafon aforefaid * and the left Auricle muft certainly grow lels than ordinary, becaufe in fuch a cafe as this is, neither the Quan-