Page 202 - My FlipBook

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occur in inflammation, I will now presume to offer a word
upon the heat of inflamed parts, and of animal heat in gen-
eral, hoping that the candid reader will pardon the digress-
sion. I again repeat that the arterial blood, affords a princi-
ple which supports the action of the moving powers of the
system in every part. This principle is received by the
venous blood in the lungs, which converts the venous to arte-
rial blood ; the principle is oxygen, and with it caloric in a
latent state ; the blood thus made arterial passes to the heart,
and thence to the capillary arteries in all parts of the sys-
tem. From the arterial blood in the capillary arteries, the
oxygen received at the lungs, is taken off by the moving
powers, whose action it supports, whilst the caloric is set free,
which produces animal heat, and this shows why inflamed
parts have their heat so much above the other parts of the
system, because their moving powers act on more blood than
the other parts. When the oxygen is taken off at the ca-
pillaries from the arterial blood, then this last becomes venous
blood, and traverses from the surface to the lungs, to again
receive its wonted supply of oxygen and caloric, and possi-
bly to exhale a quantity of carbonaceous matter. I think
the human system has two sources of support. From the
stomach and alimentary canal it receives that which sup-
ports the integrity of the organs, and from the lungs, a prin-
ciple which supports their action. The first is supplied by
our industry, the second is the widely extended gift of the
Almighty. Wide is the field of facts and observations
which prove and substantiate the foregoing positions ; but
this is not the place for their discussion, and therefore I only
here advance these hints, in hopes that some investigating
mind may take up the subject and prove or disprove it. The
confined situation of the nerve, blood vessels and linino-mem-
brane of the teeth, is such that when any irritation is applied