An inaugural dissertation, to disprove the existence of muscular fibres in the vessels : submitted to the public examination of the faculty of physic, under the authority of the trustees of Columbia College in the state of New-York : William Samuel Johnson, LL.D. president ; for the degree of Doctor of Physic ; on the thirtieth day of April, 1793 / by Jotham Post, A.B. citizen of the state of New-York.

  • Post, Jotham, 1771-1817.
Date:
1793
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inaugural dissertation, to disprove the existence of muscular fibres in the vessels : submitted to the public examination of the faculty of physic, under the authority of the trustees of Columbia College in the state of New-York : William Samuel Johnson, LL.D. president ; for the degree of Doctor of Physic ; on the thirtieth day of April, 1793 / by Jotham Post, A.B. citizen of the state of New-York. 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.)

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    the parts adjacent to the divided artery become forrie- what emptied through the given outlet, the blood ru/hes out per faltum, becaufe they become more full and turgid at every fy ftole of the heart. If there was a contraction and dilatation in the veffels, it fhould become evident in the veins, as they are fo far diftant from the influence of the heart-, and, of neceflity, the blood mould pafs out in theCeperfaltum. But the ap- pearance of the blood iflliing from the orifice of a vein in blood-letting, entirely contradicts this opinion.* Indeed, thefe two facts, that the blood iflues from the extreme arteries at firft, and from the veins moft generally, in a continued ftream, might be confider- ed as abfolutely conclufive of the non-exijience of mufcular fibres in the fyftem to aid the circulation ; for did they exift, the blood muft always be forced out with an increafed or diminifhed velocity, accord- ing to their contraction or dilatation. So flrongly does common fenfe confirm us in the belief of elafticity in the arteries, that in common expreflions we are forced to mention it to exprefs or explain our ideas. Thus, the celebrated Doctor Cullen, who has taken fo much pains to maintain the idea of a fpafmodic affection of the extreme ar- teries * There may be inftances in which the blood will pafs out of the veins as if from arteries, as is fometimss the cafe when there is a very ftrong, bri/k circulation. It alfo happens if the vein be fituated in contact with an artery.