Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-06-24
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE MOTIVE POWER OF THE CIRCULATION OF
THE BLOOD.

shvered their lances have concluded with your per-
mission prove by eauthenticated facts that neither
of the theories advocated by the doctors possibly be
true and that therefore, must look for the primary
y7otips poEv Of the circulation 10 the only primary
pOcers q nature, namely attraction and rpulson
iirh the essential characteristics only Of electricity AID
Of that modification Of electrical action termed magnetism
As however, complete investigation and defence of this
theory probably WILL long, appear in book form Of
i've six hundred octave pages more than third
OF which remains to be written this winter must lie
another must decline replying to any superb
cal criticism for want of time Besides in the volume
referred to, effort will be made to prove from vast
number Of universally admitted facts and observations,
expermentay determined by the most eminent yotaries
of science of the present age that all natural motion and
all changes physical chsmica! crystalline, organic, and
ptol primarily Effects Of electrical action. Hence
little reflection win convince the reader that gle link
Of the chain of universal causaton disconnected from oil
the much weaken the conclusion arrived in
this.
In vegetables and particularly in the gigantic forest
trees Of countries, there is much magnii-
cent circulation Of liquids going than in the body of
any person ANIMAL and yet there neither heart
any mechanical engine in them prope the sap the
height of from three hundred feet But there
be effect without cause, SO there must also be
cause tine same as IN animals anu NAM OF the clrcua-
ton in vegetables for
"The universal cause
Acts not by partial but by general laws
It's effects being modified and diversified by the crcu
stances under which il operates.
Popular Theories Of the Cause Of the Circulation.
Dr. HARVEY the of the circulation, atribut
ed the motion of the blood exclusively to the force
ed By the muscular contraction of the heart and Bore
one Of the great defenders Of the Harvan theory taking
into the friction and retardation consequent
the ortuosty, 60 of the blood vessels calculated the
force necessary circulate the blood be ninety
Haes and Poiseue resorted to direct experiments
living animals, and agree as to the force propeing
the blood within two or three ounces there being OBJ
yously small difference between different persons or
animals and in the same person or animal at different
times The latter makes the pressure with which the
blood driven into the aorta the of the hearts
contraction, equivalent the pressure of FIVE and
fourth pounds troy weight and in the radia artery 49,
grains This is the theory advocated by DR.. Ely.
Dr. CARPENTER, Human Physiology )after showing
conclusiyey that the blood crculaes in human beings
after the muscular tissue Of the heart has been almost
entirely destroyed by disease without any such disturb
of the circulation would be expected aud in the
feus entirely destitute of heart &c., invokes the aid
OF the contraction of the voluntary muscles the contrsc
t Of the bloodyesses the pressure of the atmosphere
and above all the chemical action which takes place in
the capiares preparatory to the process Of nutrition
exc the chain Of causation and repair the links he
had just destroyed 1t should here be remembered that
the heart of the mother produce the least direct
muscular mechanical effect upon the circulation Of the
fetus for the blood of the former does not enter the
bloodvessels of the latter, each having its own appro
pirate circulation The blood of the ftus carried by
vessels the foal portion of the pacena and
to it through the umbca veins; while the blood of the
mother only enters the maternal portion Of the pacena
and then returns and these two portions Of the pacena
separated by double layer of cells vescles through
which the vyfyng agent is transferred from the mother
to her offspring. Moreover in the embryo there is cir
culaon before the heart is developed and the blood is
formed in and passes from the vascular every
part of the embryo instead Of from the region Of the
heart.
LIEBIG's theory is expressed concisely lin his AMI
NAL Chemistry that best be stated in his words
page 81:
by expansion Of the heart, organ in which two
systems of tubes meet, which ramifed in mi
network of vessels through all parts Of the body
there is produced vacuum the immediate effect Of which
is that all fluids which can penetrate into these vessels
urged with great force towards side of the heart
by the external pressure of the atmosphere This motion
is powerfully assisted by the contraction of the heart al
ternetDg with its expansion and caused by force indie
is forcing pump, which sends arteral blood into all
parts of the body and also suction pump, by Of
which all fluids of whatever kind they
the absorbent vessels which communicate with the veins
are drawn towards the heart"
This theory is eecually refuted by o single physical
fact ascertaned By direct experiments made by Dr. An
MOTT. But there is such thing q suction pump
either in nature or art as any person may convince him
self by sealing the pipe Of syringe alright into the
mouth Of bottle perfectly full Of water and then trying
TO pump the water perpendiculary upwards and failing
10 do The effect attributed to suction is produced
thus When the air is exhausted from any vessel end
Of which is immersed in liquid, the atmospheric pres
sure is removed from that part Of the surface of the liquid
which IS within the walls of the vessel and if air
enter into the vessel above the liquid the pressure Of the
atmosphere upon the surface Of the liquid outside Of
drives this liquid into the vessel the height Of from
hirywo to hirtyfour feet according to the intensity
OF the atmospheric pressure indicated by the barometer
Now, DR.. Arnott has proved expermentay that when
perfectly flexible tube such piece of bood-vesse
is fastened with one end TO pump the other end dipping
into any liquid no liquid viii rise into the flexible tube
when the piston Of the pump drawn up for the atrno
sphere presses the sides of the tube together as any we'll
informed physicist might have fcreOld without an expe
riment, and thus prevents the liquid entering
Prof. DRArER, Of New FORK, published a new theory
Of the circulation Of blood and sap IN work on the Or
ganization Of Plants few years since. The Professor
locates the motive power which he thinks is produced
by chemical action there, in the capares, and says
this chemical power drives the blood with inexprcs
sibe force the heart" Now there is in DEPART