Pathological researches : Essay I : On malformations of the human heart : illustrated by numerous cases, and five plates, containing fourteen figures : and preceded by some observations on the method of improving the diagnostic part of medicine / by J.R. Farre, M.D.

  • Farre, J. R. (John Richard), 1775-1862.
Date:
1814
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Pathological researches : Essay I : On malformations of the human heart : illustrated by numerous cases, and five plates, containing fourteen figures : and preceded by some observations on the method of improving the diagnostic part of medicine / by J.R. Farre, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    A double heart, for the purpose of circulating all the blood through the lungs, before it is distributed to the body, being essential to the perfection of warm-blooded animals, the various parts of which it is composed admit of many species of malformation, if the imperfections of configuration be adopted as the ground of the classification; but as these imperfections of structure lead to only two errors in the function of the organ, each varying in degree according to the extent of the malformation, the following simple division into two species, the respective deviations from the natural struc* ture under each being marked as varieties, may suffice. I. Malformations ofthe Heart, or of its Arteries,mingling Black with Red Blood. II. Malformations of the Heart, or of its Arteries, only IMPEDING THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD. I. 1. Single Heart, This variety may be said to be rare, as far as the observation of anato- mists to the present period warrants that opinion. The unilocular heart in the human subject has been compared to that of amphibious animals; but the histories of the infants, whose hearts were thus formed, teach us, that the vital functions were less perfectly performed, or were soon extinguished. Far from acquiring the properties which belong to amphibious animals, they simply lost the advantages which result from the perfect structure of their kind. I. 1. a. Two Pulmonary Branches from the Aorta. E., a full sized infant, was born at three o'clock in the afternoon, March 30th, 1807. For the space of half an hour there seemed to be a difficulty in establishing the circulation through the lungs. His respiration was uneasy, and accumulated mucus in the larynx distressed him : his face was for some time very pallid, and afterwards slightly livid. Finally, the important functions of circulation and respiration were performed with freedom. During the first forty-eight hours, he seemed to enjoy the most perfect health: his countenance was lively and ruddy, his skin warm, the meconium and urine were properly evacuated; he took the breast eagerly, and slept easily. On the night of April 1st, his nurse consulted me for a difficulty in his breathing.