A fifth dissertation on fever : containing the history of, and remedies to be employed in irregular continued fevers ... / by George Fordyce ; edited by William Charles Wells.

Date:
1803
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A fifth dissertation on fever : containing the history of, and remedies to be employed in irregular continued fevers ... / by George Fordyce ; edited by William Charles Wells. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    author however means to try to explain on what it depends. It is necessary that the blood-vessels should always contract so as to adapt themselves to the quantity of blood, which is contained in them. That is, they must always be full of blood, and always cy- lindrical, if they are not rendered of some other shape by external pressure: at least they are always so contracted when alive. This property cannot depend upon the elasticity of the blood-vessels, but on a contraction similar to that which is exert- ed by the muscles. If there should be a smaller quantity of blood in the blood- vessels than that which they are at the time disposed to contract to, there must be a greater exertion of the blood-vessels to adapt themselves to the quantity of blood which is in them. In consequence, the living power must be drawn from some other part and be exhausted, as it is by the contraction of the muscles in exercise or labour. It is not necessary that a greater exertion of the muscular power, such as takes place in exercise or labour, should be continued always; indeed, it is 3 impossible.