Physiological observations on the pulsations of the heart, and on its diurnal revolution and excitability / by Dr. Knox.

  • Knox, Robert, 1791-1862.
Date:
[1837?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Physiological observations on the pulsations of the heart, and on its diurnal revolution and excitability / by Dr. Knox. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    5/20 (page 5)
    he considered mathemalical reasoning as the soundest basis for a physiology of animal bodies, did not despise or neglect the proofs by experiments. I took, says he,* thepulses in a minute, and measured the lengths of a great number of bodies. I took the pulses when the bodies were sitting, that they all might be situated alike with respect to the horizon ; and in the morning before break- fast, that their hearts might be as free as possible from the in- fluences of all disturbing causes; and when I had got a very large stock of observations, I took the means of the pulses.' But unfortunately he has not published the tables of observa- tions,—a great neglect in an original observer, thus rendering it impossible for future experimenters to verify his observations. Instead of this he says that he found those means to be near- ly as the biquadrate roots of the cubes of the lengths of the bodies inversely. Language of this kind has happily disap- peared from most modern physiological works. Dr Robinson does, however, give one table to show the near agreement of the pulses from observation with the pulses by the theory. Table I. Pulse from ohservation before Pttlse by theory in years. Length in males. breakfast, and sitting. 72 65 65 68 67 68 60 72 74 U 55 77 79 12 51 82 84 9 46 90 91 6 42 97 97 35 U3 111 2 32 120 119 1 28 126 132 4 25 137 144 0 18 150 184 But the most important conclusions arrived at by Dr Robin- son, seem to me to have been drawn from the following series of observations. Table II. Aiorning. Mean. Atteriioon un- Hours. a 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 1 6 7 1 6 9 10 11 Pulse of A. fi5 67 70 73 n (ii) 70 70 77 77 77 77 76 76 74. 74 76 76 Pulse of B. 66 71 72'68 69 67 67 684 75 81 84 81 79|77 78 78 79 78 This table contains the number of pulses in a minute of two healthy men, A. and B. when sitting from eight in the morning to eleven at night. These numbers are means drawn • A Treatise of the Animal Kconomy, Dublin, 1732, p. 132. B