On the necessity for contracting cavities between the venous trunks and the ventricles of the heart : on the use of venous sinuses in the head : on the wonderful provision made for the transition from the foetal to the breathing state, on palpitation, on death and on life, with reflections on the treatment of animals.

  • Walker, John.
Date:
1799
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the necessity for contracting cavities between the venous trunks and the ventricles of the heart : on the use of venous sinuses in the head : on the wonderful provision made for the transition from the foetal to the breathing state, on palpitation, on death and on life, with reflections on the treatment of animals. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    33/60 (page 27)
    , Thu!, on out Me the lung! feem to bn guarJeJ from «c«fs of force in the ventricles, on the other, from excefs of quantity in the veins. - Palpitation from dijlurbcd circulation. A. a If on the right and weaker fide of the heart, which has only to forward the blood through the pulmonary fyftem, we have a ventricle permitting blood to pafs through it during its diaftole ; (*3;) b. And on the left and ftronger fide, which has to propel it through the greater fyftem, a capacious sinus more ftrongly mufculaf than that on the rwht, and cottfequently better able to keep up the balance of power, and oftime alfo, (if after all, there be any fitnefs in the idea of the balance be- ing kept up or loft between the alternating cavities of theheart underdmer- ent circumftances) againft the energetic left ventricle, then may we expert in the healthy heart, lhaken only by excefs of exercife. that the right ven- tricles will contribute as early as the left to produce the fenfation of pal- pitation. _ , . c. The ventricles muft aft fympathetically. In time their motions muft be fynchronous; their increafe of force propor- tionate to their ftrength reipe&ively. B. a. Do,not the fame eft'e&s take place, and in the fame way, as by violent exercife, when the pulfe is quickened to excefs by violent affec- tions of the mind, if, as is thought, thefe aCl upon the arterial fyftem through the nerves ? Or rather by fuch fudden and greater contraction of arteries, and their confequently greater and quicker expanfion, the blood ftiould be drawn, or as it were pumped, from the heart, as by mufcular ex- ertion it is driven to it : and in fuch cafe if it were poffible to interrupt or deftroy the clofe fympathy between the ventricles, (fympathy diffufed perhaps throughout the two arterial fyftems) we might expeCt perhaps the agitation to begin on the left fide of the heart; as whatever effeCt may by fuch mental affe&ions be f* produced in t he whole greater fyftem, it muft immediately affect the left ventricle ; while the pulmonary arteries can only fo affeCl the right ventricle. b. However this might be,or. the firft commencement of the agitation,the apex of the heart, muft rather retire from the ribs than ftrike them on the fyftole of the heart, affection which becomes reverfed, however, immedi- ately on the quickened blood getting reund into the venous trunk*. c. But have we not reafon to think that the commotion produced in the circulation by mental affeCtions, is effeCled through the medium of the organs of the animal functions ? Is there any violent or earnest affec- tion of the mind which does not fenfibly affeCt the organs of voluntary motion; the invigorating paffions, and even the most debilitating one (fear) in its firft effeCt, (fright) producing a conftriCtion in their mufcu- lar fibres fufficient to throw the blood with force on the heart, as in the cafe of violent exercife, and to make, perhaps, if it were poifible, the pal- pitation begin on the right fide of the heart ? C. a. Do not the fame effeCb take place when the pulfe is quickened t» excefs by pain, and by heat, See. as when it is hurried by exercife ? b. And is not the cafe the fame when it is quickened by ttimulants ta* ken inwardly, if, as perhap* always is the cafe, the effeCl be produced (be-