Medical advice to the consumptive and asthmatic people of England / [Philip Stern].

  • Stern, Philip.
Date:
1767
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical advice to the consumptive and asthmatic people of England / [Philip Stern]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/56 (page 6)
    The afpera-arteria, or wind-pipe, is that tube which conveys the air paffing thro' the mouth, or nofe, to and from the lungs. It is compofed of alternate cartilaginous and flefhy rings, behind which are an infi- „ nite number of fmall glands, which fup- ply the wind-pipe with a thin pellucid mu¬ cus lining its internal furface, which con-* lifts of a membrane of exquifite fenfibility. Thus much being premifed, we fhall now proceed to the office and utility of the lungs, which are neceffary to be underftood, be¬ fore we fpeak of its difeafes. The organs of refpiration are fo indif- penfably neceffary to our exiftence, it is no wonder that phyfiologifts fhould have taken uncommon pains to difcover the real defign of nature in their formation. Various have been the conjectures of authors on this fub- jedt. Some have fuppofed, that the blood in paffing thro5 the lungs acquires its red colour 5 others have been of opinion, that the intention of refpiration is to receive a certain quantity of air, which they ima¬ gined neceffary to be mixed with the vital Muid ; with many other fuppofitions equal¬ ly without foundation. That nature, by firft circulating the blood thro5 the lungs, after the reception of frefh chyle, intend fome neceffary preparation may be con¬ cluded without farther examination; and that this preparation is effected by throw-