Volume 1

The general practice of physic: extracted chiefly from the writings of the most celebrated practical physicians ... To which is prefixed an introduction, containing inquiries relative to the patient ... / By R. Brookes.

  • Brooks, Richard, active 1740-1743.
Date:
1771
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The general practice of physic: extracted chiefly from the writings of the most celebrated practical physicians ... To which is prefixed an introduction, containing inquiries relative to the patient ... / By R. Brookes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    46/456 (page 30)
    obvious, if we coafider that the Blood is thrown, by the great Force of the Heart, into a conical Veffel that is reci¬ procally dilated and contradted, and incurvated as foon as it corties from the Heart. It is plain, therefore, that no Particle of Blood can keep the fame Direction for two Moments toge¬ ther ; and confequently, that the Particles muft be continually ftriking again!! each other: So that if any angular Point (hould ftick: out in any elementary Particle, that Point muft fuftain the Rotation of all the reft; and, therefore, will foon either be beat off, or fmoothed down. Add to this, that the Ex¬ tremities of the Arteries, if cut tranfverfely, have a circular Sedtion, and fo may give their Figure to fuch Particles as are of a flexible Nature. The ftronger a Perfon is, the greater is the Danger of Con¬ cretion, if his Biood be at reft in the Veflels : And therefore thofe Faintings, which weakly Girls are fo fubjedt to fall into upon every flight Occafion, are feldom fo dangerous, as their Blood is in a too diflblved State, and fcarce ever, or, at leaft, very flowly, concretes, though it remain unmoved. The Serum of Blood will not turn to Ice, till expofed to the twenty-eighth Degree of Fahrenheit’s Thermometer; fo that it requires a greater Degree of Cold than Water; probably becaufe it is impregnated with Salts. If Blood be taken away on the ftrft Day of the Small-pox, it looks well to the Eye; if on the third and fourth, it will be covered with an inflammatory Cruft, becaufe the mo ft liquid Parts being carried off* by the Fever, and the thicker Parts more clofely compadted, the Particles of Blood begin to cohere more firmly together: For whilft there is a large Quantity of thin Liquid interpofed between the thicker Parts, the Preffure of the Veflels will not change their Figures; but when this is carried off, the thicker Parts of the Blood be¬ coming contiguous, will be forcibly comprefled by the Adlion of the Veflels, lofe their fpherical Figure, touch each other in many Points, and run into Concretions: For when the Veflels are very ftrong, fo as to comprefs their Fluids vyith great Force, the fineft Part will be carried off, and the thicker Parts united by this Compreflion. All Acids do not coagulate the Blood : The acidulous Wines, Juices of ripe acid Fruits, Vinegar, Butter-Milk, IFc. rather diflolve it; but thefoffile Acids prepared from Sea-falt, Nitre, &c. coagulate it. Alum, and the various Sorts of Vitriol, produce the ftrongeft Coagulations. Well redtifted Spirit of Wine, applied to the Mouths of the bleeding Wounds of divided Veflels, puts a Stop to the mod . violent