The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-11-03
The Human Pnlse.

Since the assassination of President
Garfield, many persOus have had their
attention called to the human pulse
Probably it has been much the subject
OF conversation to a greater extent
than any other for years. Sill, not
many persons are fully acquainted with
its nature and peculiarities. Pulse is q
word derived from the Latin, ptisns, a
beating or humping. 1t is caused by
the pulsation of the arteries. and this
depends on the impulse given to the
blood by the action of the heart This
pulse is usually felt by pressing what
surgeons call the ''radical artery at
the wrist. The rapitlity, regularity,
and force of the circulation are thus
judged of. The radical arter IS So
called from its shooting out Tike5,he
spokes of n wheel. Thrs, atii import
ant criterion OF the phenomena and
progress of disease is furnished.
The range of the pulse, rs tn frequen-
cy. is a healthy adult, is usually six
ty and eighty beats; but there are per-
sons whose pulses rarely beat sixty
times i'll a minute; while there are 9TH
ers not out Of health in whom the fre-
quency exceeds eighty. Napoleon LIS
pulse, we have heard it stated by sur
geons who were presumed to speak
from knowledge. is said not to have
exceeded forty-two beats TO the minute.
But his must have been II phenomenal
case; the beats must have made up in
force what was lacking in number, or
the brain could not have been properly
nourished with blood. The pulse, it
will thus be secn.i is extremely capricious.
Before any correct inferences can be
drawn from it the peculiarities of eaSh
individual must be carefully considered.
Thus, slight mental affections, indiges-
ton, irritability, and many other caus-
es producing modification of the pulse,
do not admit of any general descrip-
ton. The terms hard, full, soft, and
wiry pulse are used to Indicate other
obvious notifications independent of
the number of pulsations. The aver
age pulse of a healthy infant is, for the
first year. from about 120 to los; for
the second, from 10S to ninety; for the
third from 100 to eighty; from tho sew
enth to the twelfth year, the pulsations
are about seventy. In the foetus the
pulse ranges from 14O to $50. When
the pulse exceeds 40 beats in a minute
it is not easy to count it precisely. But
TO this it attains in some febrile diseas-
es. When it is above ninety il is called
febrile. An intermitting pulse is by
no means uncommon. Indeed, it is
natural to some healthy persons. With
some persons in perfect health the
pulse is subject to extraordinary irreg-
ularities. There are instances in which |
the pulse has always internitted in |
state of health and become regular in |
disease. The condition of the diges- |
tive organs has often marked influ-
ence on the pulse. Galen, who was
born A. D. 131, first drew attention to |
the pulse as diagnostic sign. He
more than thirty different
conditions of it. The pulse of the
adult female usually exceeds that of tho |
adult male of the same age by ten to
fourteen beats a minute. The pulse is
less frequent as the stature is greater.
about four beats for half foot in
height. Muscular exertion increases
its frequency. 1t is slower in sleep
than awake. The difference between
and lying. in the former is
one-iifth of the whole in the latter one
eighth. This accounts for many cases
of sudden deaths in persons with dis
ease of the heart. or in very weak
on quickly assuming an
erect position. In actively breathing
birds the pulse beats 100i in minute.