Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-11-04
TO TIE EDITORS.

GEsrLEmxs: have just finished perusal of DR.. Ely
yeuisw Of my facts arguments, difficulties, and supposi
tions," published in your last weekly ISSUE
First word touching DR.. Elys disposal of the objec
on to his theory, offered by Mr. Schettery that it doe
account for the movement of the blood in wher
there is no propeing heart This disposal b that her
are such cases" Mr.. Schetterly DR.. Cartwright an
whoever else it may win please to take notic
that their uezed question is decided they need not Civ
themselves the least further trouble about it!
OF course am perfectly willing to allow DR.. Ely thu
expression that have committed series of blunders
in quoting portion of of his papers find it givel
by Mr. Schetterly. Let see, though if am the blum
derer in the find, by referring to Mr. Schettery
second communication to your columns, that the quota
ton alluded to by me has these words: The left
trice of the heart lin asphyxia ceases to be supplied
with its appropriate stimulus arteral blood The heart
its action from this alone" Now, take il
for granted that human being under the sum- other
than Dr. Ely would after admitting that the left yentri
Gle does and must its action because it is not sup
Piled with its appropriate stmuius-arteral loxygenzed
bloodobect being quoted authority that the
oxygenized blood is ordinarily, and originally, The
cause of the ventrices contraction. Let Dr. Ely
directly yes to the question whether in his opn-
on the left ventrce Of the heart does ordinarily
tract consequence Of being stimulated by the arteral
bloods coming from the eide Of the heart II
not whether from the lungs or the vena cava Iyes,
then where is my blunder in quoting him as have quot
ed him If no, then it devolves upon him to explain
what i, the cause Of the contraction.
have, according to ORDERS reread the quotation in
Mr. Schetterlys second article in order discover my
misquotation touching the reason of the boods crcula
ing from the lungs to the left venrice Of the heart My
assertion is that Dr. Ely claims such circulation to be
produced by the oxygens stimulating the blood in the
cells Of the lungs What Dr. Ely does really claim is this
BY initiating the lungs oxygen is brought in contact with
the pulmonary capares in which the stagnaton and OBJ
sruction to the circulation exist carbonic acid is dis
placed the blood duly areriazed and the stagraon or
retardaton of the blood in the pulmonary caparies is
thus removed The blood is thus fitted for circulation
and Immediately flows to the left ventrce of the heart
Now, defy him to point out wherein my term stimulate
fails express precisely the meaning which he intended
to express in the above quotation.
Dr. Ely charges me with having tried hard to make
him say that the contracons of the right ventrce Of the
heart caused by the blood circulating from the
veins. Iquote what did say: 80 DR.. Ely has not de-
cared directly that the right ventrice Of the heart was
stimulated to contraction By the boods circulating into
from the veins but this is necessary inference from what
he does DECLARE Well he has declared and he does not
now contradict the declaration that the left ventrice is
under certain circumstances stimulated to contraction by
the boods coming into and he has declared further
in effect and does not contradict his declaration that the
blood in the veins does flow into the right ventre and
that contraction of the same ventrcle does follow
such influx Then my inference was very proper, if
not an indspensaby Unnecessary one. Be that as it
may the claim Of Dr. Ely in the as it now stands is
in substance that the right ventrce Of the heart does
contract by pin him to the claim, and de-
mand of him what are the means? Such demand he is
bound by every usage of fair argument answer before
he attempts to 60 step further in his theory Of the
circulation.
With respect to the quotation from my communication
which DR.. Ely declares to be g as clear mud" have
only this to say Suppose the blood in the veins to be at
rest DR.. Ely allows it to be until it is set in motion by
the force of the arteral blood does he SO allow y
this arerial blood passes into the capillary vessels does
1t not of its particles unite with Of the par
tcles composing the capillary vessels; (do they not y
rotary motion is the necessary result of the union he
contrary result is impossible in the very nature corpus
cuar combination; such rotary motion cannot but draw
into ITSELF and SO acay from the right ventrcle of the
heart the venous bpOd lying at rest in its channels can
tD Let DR.. Ely mark well that the above pre-
mises taken by myself but that they other than
his own presented in their true light.
DR.. Ely seems inclined to commit favoring some
particular theory of the circulation but without any au
thority from me. have not any where offered word
in favor either Of Mrs. Wards and Dr. Carwrights or
Dr. Dodds and Mr.. Schetery's. do not adopt either
do not hold to the opinion, Dr. Ely charges with
doing that the starting point of the circulation is in the
lungs Professor Draper's theory have seen.
Cordially, g. W. EVELETH.
OCTOBER 26, 1854
I'VE could wish this discussion now to be considered
closed in columns, Of which it has occupied SO
many the writer's who have taken part in it desire to
prosecute it further would prefer its transfer to some