The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-09-05
MAdNr's tnEonr OF THE rscurcnnoS

per-. though marred in tie above re-
spects-therc is an attempt at scientific
argument in order to ridicule the &C.
cepted value of the milk-mirror; and
the assnsued facts ON which this argu.
ment is based, are presented in such q
positize manner that they will probably
be accepted, without further investiga-
ton, by the majority of readers unless
contested at once. The writer has hes
itated to do this in the hope that ii
would be done by some one else; but
the truth Is of too much consequence to
allow the matter to pass entirely with
out notice.
The first point 10 which call atten-
ton Is the attempt to dispute Magne's
opinion that the hair turns in the direc-
ton, in which the arteries ramify, and
that the reversed hair on the udder and
adjacent parts indicates the termination
Of the arteries which supply the udder
with blood. When these arteries are
large, he holds, they extend through
the udder upward and onward, ramify-
ing on the skin beyond the udder, and
giving the hair the peculiar appearance
which distinguishes it from the rest oil
the surface. If these arteries are very
small, they are not likely to extend
much beyond the udder, and, hence,
form small escutcheon; consequently
a small escutcheon indicates feeble
supply of blood, and little material to
make milk of.
Now, how is this combated? The
| first argument is that "when Mr.. Har.
din showed this paragraph to one of the
most learned medical professors al
Louisville, KY, he at once wanted to
know who this Magne was and de.
clared his name unknown in the annals
of medical science" What are we 10
think of such statement as that
Magnc-momber of the French Acade.
my OF Medicine, formerly director OF
the Abort Veterinary School and pro-
lessor at Lyons-unknown in the an
nails of medicine!
We are then asked if the arteries are
not the same in all cows and are told
that we might as well expect more
bones or muscles as more arteries. II
Mr.. Reeder will return to Chauyeau's
Anatomy -one of the best authorities
In the world-he will find In general
remarks on arteries, the following
statement, which translate, not having
the English edition: "Arteries very OF.
ten present variations in their DISPOSE.
ton which the surgeon should keep in
mind. These variations ordinarily con.
Germ the number, the point of origin
and the volume of the vessels" And
if he will go through the list of arteries
no will find examples given OF each Of
these variations.
Again, he asks, chow is it that the
ramification of the arterial circulation
causes the hair to grow in one direction
on one port of the cows body and In
1.-THE opposite ON other parts?" Not 8
very difficult question if we admit tina,
arteries have such an effect, for they
certainly do not all ramify i'm the same
direction.
In q revised edition of the essay, sub
sequently published, some importan
points were added. Here we are told
that "the arteries supplying the uddei
with blood are called the nonnaa,a
arteries, and their ramification does moi
ertend beyond the outer surface oftht
udder. Farther down the aoyfa, OF
main artery, another pair of arterie.
branches off, called the .femo,ol arter.
les; these supply the muscles of the
thigh, or what we know as the rounds
of beef, with blood, and ramify upon
the portion of the escutcheon living be.
tween them. Still farther down, anotb.
err pair of arteries, called the qlufeo
arteries, leave the ao,1a, and are dis.
tributed through the pelvic region, and
ramify upon the extreme upper portion
)of the escutcheon. Hero we have al
least three distinct systems of arteries
ramifying upon the escutcheon, and two
of them most certainly have no connec.
ton with the milk secretion whatever"
Without attempting to point out al
the errors of this description, we will
once more refer to Chauveau to settle
the more important points. The reader
will find in that work that the femoya,
arteries have branch called the pre.
pubic, which in turn has branch
called the external pubic, from which
the mamnaa,'V artery branches; it will
also be found that the mammary artery
"sends several divisions to the tissue Of
the udder, and is prolonged between
the thighs by perneal branch, which
terminates in the inferior commissure
of the vulva, after having furnished
glandular and cutaneOuS divisions. y
Turning 10 the description of the glu.
teal arteries, we find that they ramify
in the gluteal muscles, which are at d
considerable distance from the perine.
um, and that nothing is said of thcil
going to the last named part
Here, then, Is complete and positive
refutation of these arguments by
mere statements of my own, but by
| tho words of a standard work, of world.
wide reputation, on the anatomy OF
these animals. Magnes facts arc cor.
rect, then, whether his differences are O,
not. The same artery that supplies The
udcler scith blood supplies TIE skin on
,chich the escutcheOn is formed; anil
more than this, the artery ramifes Ia
the direction IN which the hair Oftht
escattcheon gf'o,cs. Is there any con.
nection between the two for ali that
Who knows? A point or two to show
that such connections not beyond the
possible may still DC in place.
Erasmus Wilson, who has made 8
specially Of the skin and its diseases
shows that the direction of the hairs on
the anterior surface of the human bod,
Is, commencing at a point near the arm.
pit, downwards and slightly inwards
towards the umbilicus, and that below
this point the direction is upwards and
inwards; so that the umbilicus sis the
centre of conveyance of four streams ,
as he expresses it.
Now this disposition, complicated
though it is, certainly resembles that O
the arteries-the branches from tn,
arilayy artery passing downwards ant
inwards, while the epigastyic arteries
branch from the .femorals near th,
groin, and have direction upwards
and inwards. On the neck, the direc
ton of the hair is upwards and back
wards; in front of the ear, it is down
wards and forwards; behind the ear, i
Is backwards-in each case following
the arterial ramifcations. In addition
Tisserapt and others in France, VIII,
stand high as authorities, admit that tn,
escutcheon continues to increase in rel
alive surface till the second or fhir.