The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-30
TIE HUMAN HEART.

1dG aOIu civ aLa3kAs
An Exceedingly Interesting ann In.
struetive Leeture-The Blood In our
Veins-Experimental Proof or Circu-
Iatfon OF tho Blood-Singular Facts
Relating to the Pulsations OF the
Heart.
The following is report of very interest
Ing lecture, entitled IA Peep into the Human
Heart" lately delivered by Dr.. Henry Glib
bons, of San Francisco:
The lecturer said he promised to give an
outline of the course Of the blood through the
body. The fact OF the circulation OF the blood
is so easily demonstrated that 1t Is O wonder
that 1t was not known long before t was dis
covered. The crudest notions prevailed for
merly, and 1t was supposed that the arteries
contained only air, because they were found
after death emptied OF blood; hence the name
''artery," from two Greek words slgolfying
'.to hold or carry air." II was supposed taat
the blood In the veiDs proceeded from the
liver; and the opinion prevailed extensively
that the blood having once left the heart never
. returned. The heart has tour cavities, or
rather two halves; 1t s, in iact, double
heart. To get single heart, you must 60
down TO the lowest ranks of animal life. One
half is designed to circulate the blood through
the lungs, and the other half circulates 1t
through the system In general. Each OF these
halves has Two cavities. One pumns blood
out, and the other receives 1t In. Each half
contains a ventrice and an auricle.
These ventricles aud anricles are separated
by valves, 80 that the blood can only pass in
one direction. The left aurcle Is place of
reception OF the blood from the lungs, which
1s thence carried into the left ventricle.
It passes thence into the aorta, and Is dis
tributed to all parts OF the body. After hav-
Ing performed It's functions In the various
portions Of the body, IL is returned through
the veins to the right aurice, thence to the
right ventricle, which sends 1t to the lungs
through the pulmonary artery. There is a
grest difference between the arteries and the
veins.7 The arteries are much stronger. The
proofs Of circulation are numerous. One Ia
to tie bandage around your arm. II you
fnd that the veins near the skin swell up
below the bandage. while above they disap-
pear, it is plain that the blood is moving TO-
wards the body, and Is arrested by the band
age. If you press your thumb upon where
the artery passes over the bone OF the arm,
You will find the pulse at the wrist will dlsap-
pear, The blood from an artery flows out In
greater force than from vein. The blood In
the arteries Is a bright red color, and In the |
the veins 1t is almost black or very dark, for 1
the reason that 1t has gathered up vast |
amount of refuse matter, and lost the oxygen |
which It derived from the air in the lungs, |
and which causes 1t to become red. The arte-
ries diminish In size until they become exces-
siyely minute and terminate In capillary YES
sells. These are so called because they are /
small and resemble hair. In these capillary
vessels all the functions OF the blood are per-
formed.
It is in these vessels the blood parts with its |
nutritious properties to the body. In some OF
the lower animals the heart Is but long tube |
passing through the body. Rising higher you |
have yentrice and an auricle, and still higher,
more perfect hearts, until you reach man. The |
lower the animal the slower the blood clrcu- |
lates. In birds and mammalia you md the
double heart of the man. he described tie
valves of the blood vessels minu' ely, and also
the valves of the heart. Diseases OF The heart
are generally caused By some Decentralization
of the valves of the heart. The frequency OF
the pulsalions OF the heart is different In dii-
ferent individuals. The heart beats faster In (
woman than in man; iaster In small-stat. |
ured man than In q tall person; faster in a |
uuiek-tempered person than In person OF |
good temper. The pulse of Napoleon Bona |
parte beat forty times In minute. when |
I was younger my pulse was about fifty, |
and 1t has increased since mill now IL 10 be.
tween sixty and seventy. The heart - Caused |
to beat faster by mental emotions. Fear and
grief cause 1t to beat slower, while Joy and |
anger stimulate to Increased efforts. Either /
OF these emotions may operate on the heart |
30 as to cause 1t suddenly to cease Its action.
We do not feel the beating OF the heart be-
cause that organ Is not endowed with nerves
of sensation. II 1t had such nerves we should
not enjoy moment OF rest. 1t is only when
aome disturbance takes place and causes it to
palpitate that we can feel It's motions are per-
ceptible. The quantity OF blood that Is pumped
out of the heartat every pulsation is perhaps
two ounces, or about four tablespoons full.
As this occurs sixty or seventy times
minute, there is about fifty barrels pumped
out every tWenty.four hours by one OF your
hearts. 49,.
To relation to the quantity OF blood 1t may I
be estimated at about one-sixth of the body.
A person who weighs one hundred and twen-
3y bounds has about twenty pounds or sixteen
pints of blood. The blood circulates through |
ths BODY In about six minutes. There are in
stances In which it returns to the heart more |
rapidly than this. II a quantity OF morphine
be Injected into the hand it affects the head In |
about thirty or forty seconSs, and lts effect Is |
produced by its coming into contact With the |
brain. The force of the contraction of the |
heart ls differently calculated. If yon sit with |
one leg thrown across the other the foot will |
be found constantly moving, defining precise
" the pulsatlons OF the heart, and this motion |
is produced by the attempt Of the artery TO
straighten itself at the knee. Some phlloso-
pliers have hung upon the loot weight of
fGty or hundred pounds, and found that,
notwithstanding this Immense weight, the
movement continued, and they have made
calculation as to what force would be required
to move It. Some one has calculated the force
of the heart at one hundred and sixty thous.
an&tpounds. and another person has put 1t at
eight ounces. The lecturer went on to de-
scribe the constituent parts of the blood and |
the effects of it's coagulation at length.
RESUMPTION OF SPECIE PAYMENTs.-The New |
York Bulletin commeDds Senator Sherman's |
bill for the resumption of specie payments on
the lst of January, 1874, which at the same