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cleansed venal blood, which everywhere go to the skin. Here, again, as in the lungs, kidneys and colon, the three same functional processes take place: the assimilaiion of living chyle and excretion of dead fecal matter, at the capillary ends of the arteries, and the throwing off of excretion in form of sweat and other morbific matter; while at the same time interstitial absorption of effete fecal matter takes place at the capillary ends of the veins, which fecal matter passes on with the current of blood in the veins back to the heart. Once more let us follow the mass of blood from the aorta into those arteries, which go up and down from the heart to supply every other portion of the system, excepting the four organic excreting structures above named. In this case instead of two functional processes as in the four above named excreting organs taking place, at the extremities or capillary ends of the arteries everywhere, there is but one functional process, and that is the assimilation of living chyle interstitially deposited for growth and repair. The whole mass of blood passes on otherwise unaltered into the accompanying veins, at the capillary ends of which, the function of interstitial absorption is exercised by the absorbents in taking up effete fecal matter, passing it into the veins, back to the heart.

Hence, we see that there is constantly going on an assimilating process of living chyle at the capillary ends of the arteries everywhere for growth and repair of the system; and at the capillary ends of the veins this once-living chyle having been formed into molecules, has lived a life and died and their corpuscles have been everywhere interstitially absorbed, thrown into the veins, carried on through the heart and arterial system to the four above specially-named excreting organs. This is where the effete fecal matter comes from; which fact as we said above we should find out.

The

We have, heretofore, said but little of the liver. reason is, that it has been demonstrated it is not an organ to excrete effete fecal matter, but on the contrary somewhat like the small intestines. The glands of the liver secrete the substance called bile, which when it passes into the duodenum a little below the pyloric orifice of the stomach becomes

intimately mingled with the living chyle and is secreted with the chyle by the lacteals and passes into the general circulation for further elaboration, being eventually excreted by the colon and thrown off as true fecal matter at the rectum. The bile instead of being excreted, as all true fecal matter is, in every instance, from the capillary ends of special arteries, is secreted from the capillary ends of the portal veins.

In a former treatise on Fever and Inflammation we laid down the proposition and think we clearly demonstrated that animal heat is the result and product of molecular formation and friction. We gave no credit to the old imaginary, undetermined, popular opinion that the act of the lungs called expiration and inspiration, or breathing, was the source of a large part of the animal heat. Now the outcome of this operation not only enables us still to ignore this imaginary idea, but also positively to deny it and declare that the animal system receives no appreciable heat from oxygen in the act of breathing.

We know that as a normal physiological fact, the act of breathing, or inspiration and expiration, is performed within less than four seconds of time by an adult. We also know that the act of inspiration and expiration, the time the oxygen remains in the air-cells of the luugs, and the time beween the expiration and inspiration, each is normally less than one second in the adult. We also know that the carbon in the venal blood, propelled by the systolé of the heart through the pulmonary arteries, passes from their capillary extremities in equal chemical equivalents by exosmose and comes in direct and immediate contact with two chemical equivalents of oxygen in the ultimate air-cells, which was brought there by the act of inspiration from the external air, and that the two gases in less then a second of time form carbonic acid, which chemical union generates a moderate amount of heat. This heat is universally diffused through the newly-formed substance in accordance with the law of all chemical unions. The new substance is at once expelled or excreted from, and not secreted into the lungs; and the heat generated by the chemical union of the two gases, passes out

with and in the newly-formed substance. This is the cause of the heat of our breath.

Some persons have supposed that free oxygen in the nascent state entered the venal blood in the lungs, which changed it from a dark red to a light color; that the blood was thus oxygenized; and that a large amount of heat was given out to the system by this supposed oxygenation. But we now know, that it is not free oxygen entering in the venal blood, which changes its color, but it is the excretion of carbon as fecal matter from the dark venal blood, at the capillary ends of the pulmonary arteries. It has been demonstrated by experiment, that no greater amount of oxygen passes from the lungs to the left ventricle of the heart in a given time; than comes from the right ventricle of the heart into the lungs during the same time. On the contrary, it has been demonstrated that more carbon passes from the right ventricle of the heart in the blood in a given time, than passes from the lungs to the left ventricle of the heart in the same time; and that the difference between the two quantities, is just equal to the quantity of carbon excreted during the same time in the form of carbonic acid from the lungs. We further know, that the mechanical act of breathing, is at the expense of both energy and heat of the organic system. It requires energy to breathe, and the expenditure or loss of energy results in the loss of heat, when energy and heat are changed into their equivalent in mechanical motion. The heat of the system is therefore lessened, instead of increased, by the act of respiration. The lungs are thus shown to be excreting organs of effete fecal matter, and not secreting organs of living matter. Breathing is an act producing decay and waste, not an act of growth and repair.

The assertion has been made, that we have no proof that the oxygen gas, taken at any inspiration into the ultimate aircells of the lungs, is the same as that with which the nascent carbon unites to form the carbonic acid gas or breath which is instantly exhaled at the next expiration. The carbon exhaled is true stercoraceous matter from the dark venous blood at the capillary ends of the pulmonary arteries. It meets

and unites with the nascent oxygen in the ultimate air-cells, and both are expelled at the next expiration, as carbonic acid gas. We have the strongest possible scientific proof, that of experience and observation, both by weight and cubic common measure; for it is a settled fact in science, that when any one body fills any space, no other body can occupy the same place at the same time. As we know that in forming carbonic acid gas that the volume of the acid when formed is in all cases just equal in volume to that of its chemical equivalent of nascent oxygen before their union, so we also know experimentally, that the air, at each inspiration, fills the air-cells of the lungs; the cells being pressed by the gases equally in every direction, by the well-known law of gases. Therefore, carbon in the nascent atomic state only can come in contact with nascent oxygen in the atomic state in the air-cells, and unite to form the carbonic acid, and not increase the volume of the air-cells and lungs, as they would by their separate presence as gases.

Some one may imagine that the carbonic acid is formed at the capillary ends of the pulmonary arteries, by union with free oxygen, previously present in the venous blood. But the inspired oxygen would not increase the quantity of oxygen in, nor change the color of the venous blood, nor create heat; nor would there be any reason why the gases should not have united previous to entering the lungs, both being present in the blood in the nascent state ready for union. Also two equal volumes of different gases would be required to fill the same space at the same time, going in opposite directions, as the blood before the discovery of Dr. Harvey, was supposed to pass in opposite directions, to and from the liver at the same time, through the portal veins, which is impossible. Therefore, the free oxygen, taken into the air-cells at each inspiration, is met by its proper chemical equivalent of carbon exhaled from the venous blood at the capillary ends of the pulmonary arteries, and in three-fourths of one second, both are expelled as carbonic acid gas. If it is said, that the nascent carbon takes the necessary chemical equivalent of oxygen from the blood-disks; we reply that would destroy

the integrity of the blood-disks, and would be instant death, as in the case of poisoning by hydrocyanic acid; for that acid as shown by Liebig, destroys the blood-disks, by uniting with the iron, forming an insoluble substance, and causes instant death; as in this case, it would, by taking the oxygen from the iron; therefore the oxygen inspired at any inhalation, is the same as that expelled at the next expiration, "quod erat demonstrandum.”

SYPHILIS OF THE BRAIN.

By HENRY S. FIRTH, M. D., Brooklyn E. D., N. Y.

Syphilis, both as regards its severity and duration, is a remarkable affection. In very many instances, it fails to present any external evidence of its existence. The patient may have a skin as fair as an infant's, while deep in the system may lurk a disease of the most obstinate character, I have known more than one instance in which to outward appearance individuals had been entirely free from taint for years, and yet Syphilis manifested itself in their children shortly after birth. In pushing an inquiry, the physician is often met with a stubborn denial of ever having had primary symptoms. This is especially the case with women. In fact, they may never have had the disease in its primary stage, for it is well known that hereditary taint may linger in the system for years, without its presence being suspected, and may never manifest itself externally. At the same time it will be at its insiduous work of death. Sometimes after a lapse of years it will set up a visible and destructive action, that is not to be misunderstood.

While every part of the body is subject to its attacks, and in whatever form it most prominently manifests itself, tertiary Syphilis is always a giant foe, and requires the most energetic appliances known to science to combat it successfully and expel it permanently from the system. In many instances, everything known to the best-educated fails to stay the career

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