Artery

“ And then the experiment is easily tried of leaving the vein untouched and only dividing the artery in the neck of a sheep or dog, when it will be seen with what force, in what abundance, and how quickly, the whole blood in the body, of the veins as well as of the arteries, is emptied. But the arteries receive blood from the veins in no other way than by transmission through the heart, as we have already seen; so that if the aorta be tied at the base of the heart, and the carotid or any other artery be opened, no one will now be surprised to find it empty, and the veins only replete with blood. ”

“ Every artery divides and subdivides as it passes outward from the great central artery of the body—the aorta—so that the vascular system may be likened to a tree, with trunk, boughs, branches, and twigs. Each terminal division of an artery supplies with blood a little cone-shaped mass of brain, the base of the cone being the gray surface of the brain, and its apex being the point of entrance of the little artery. ”

“ As it is much more dangerous to cut an artery than a vein, your arteries are better protected than your veins. For instance, there are veins on the back of your hand, which is always bumping into things, but you have an artery on the inside of your arm and wrist where you seldom get hurt. Mr. Crawfish seems to know he must be more careful of his artery than of his vein. Look at the picture and see where he puts his artery. ”

“ All the arteries derive their origin from the ventricles of the heart; namely, the pulmonary artery from the right, and the aorta from the left; of which two the rest are branches. They terminate in veins, exhaling vessels, or anastomose with one another, that is, unite by inosculation. It is asserted by physiologists, that the circulation of the blood, its heat, red colour, fluidity, assimilation of food, &c. ”

“ The arterial circulation does not exhibit this phenomenon. I have observed that if we open the artery of the foot of an animal, and by the irritation of the nerves, make the muscles of the leg and thigh, through which this artery passes before reaching the foot, contract powerfully, the throw of blood is not stronger than during the relaxation. ”

“ And, to tell you the truth, while there is no learned man present to be angry with us, it is a very ill-chosen name, because it is venous blood which flows in this so-called artery. But the doctors have decided that all the vessels which run from the heart should be called arteries, and all those which go back to it veins, whatever may be the nature of the blood which they contain. We cannot help it, because they manage all these matters in their own way; but in that case it was scarcely worth their while to talk about arterial and venous blood. ”

“ Another union is that by the vena arteriosa, or pulmonary artery, and is effected when that vessel divides into two branches after its escape from the right ventricle of the heart. It is as if to the two trunks already mentioned a third were superadded, a kind of arterial canal, carried obliquely from the vena arteriosa, or pulmonary artery, to perforate and terminate in the arteria magna or aorta. In the embryo, consequently, there are, as it were, two aortas, or two roots of the arteria magna, springing from the heart. ”

“ When, as in Plate 9, A, the innominate artery rises to a level with C, the right sterno-clavicular junction, and when at this place it bifurcates, having on its left side, D, the trachea, and on its right side, B, the root of the internal jugular vein, together with a, the vagus nerve, the arterial vessel is said to be of normal character, and holding a normal position relative to adjacent organs. ”

“ The superior and inferior profunda arteries, seen springing above and below the point b, Plate 12, are those vessels of most importance which are given off from the brachial artery, but the situation of their origin is very various. The ulnar nerve, f, lies close to the inner side of the main arterial trunk, as this latter leaves the axilla, but from this place to the inner condyle, Q, behind which the ulnar nerve passes into the forearm, the nerve and artery become gradually more and more separated from each other in their descent. ”

“ What is it makes the great difference between the arteries and the veins, so that folks say, if you cut an artery, you'll bleed to death in no time. But they never speak so about veins; it's always arteries. ”

“ Every artery has its corresponding vein by its side from which it is easily distinguished, as the veins are of a bluish color, while the arteries are of a creamish white. There is usually a nerve in close proximity to the artery, and although nearly of the same color, it may be distinguished by its being rounder and not being hollow like the artery. Taken between the 27thumb and finger the artery has the feeling of a hollow tube, while the nerve feels more solid to the touch being filled with a fibrous substance, something of the consistency of marrow. ”

“ Take the greatest pains not to injure them. Find the aorta and aortic arch (p. 281) ; the left subclavian artery (p. 283) (continuous with the axillary) ; the innominate artery (p. 282) , and the beginnings of its three branches (see Fig. 115) . Find also the superior vena cava, the innominate veins, and the subclavian vein, continuous with the axillary vein.
I. Study the smaller branches of the thoracic aorta (p. 283, and Fig. 118) —the intercostals, the bronchial and œsophageal arteries, and the first pair of lumbar arteries. (The coronary arteries will be examined later.) ”

“ Before the artery which feeds a hard-worked muscle can permanently furnish a large additional quantity of blood, it must increase in diameter; and that its increase of diameter may be of use, the main artery from which it diverges must also be so far modified as to bring this additional quantity of blood to the branch artery. ”

“ From the arch of the aorta are sent off those arteries which are distributed to the head and arms; the principal ones among these are named as follows:
The carotid artery, which ascends in the side of the neck and divides into the temporal artery which is distributed in the temple, and the facial artery which supplies the face, and also sends a branch called the internal carotid to the parts within the skull. The sub-clavian artery, lying beneath the clavicle, or collar bone—that part of the continuation of this artery which passes through the axilla or arm-pit, is called the axillary artery ”

“ When a vertical section of this ligament is made, no arterial vessel can be singled out, passing from the ligament to the bony substance of the head of the femur; but if you inject the perforating artery, of which the nutritive artery of the femur is a branch, you will obtain a very satisfactory microscopical injection of the interior of the bone ”

“ The force of the heart makes the blood circulate through inert tubes, fixed to the arteries, to a considerable extent. If we cut an inch of the carotid artery, and substitute a tube fixed to the two open ends of this artery, the blood will go through this tube and the artery pulsate as usual above. ”

“ In the arterial texture, in which it is especially necessary to examine the little arteries, they wind at first in the cellular texture exterior to the artery, they ramify there in a thousand ways, send some divisions to the neighbouring organs, but furnish a great number that penetrate the peculiar membrane, are interposed between its layers, leave filaments there and terminate before they arrive at the internal membrane. ”

“ Not every artery that can be felt is the subject of arteriosclerosis, and, as has been stated, palpable arteries being more or less a condition of advancing years, judgment as to whether the artery is pathologically or physiologically thickened may be a matter of individual opinion. ”

“ Convenience usually governs the operator as to the artery he is to use. If blood is to be removed it is best to raise one of the larger blood vessels, such as the carotid artery and the internal jugular vein, or the femoral artery and femoral vein, or the axillary artery and axillary vein. ”

“ From the gills the afferent branchials carry the blood to the median dorsal aorta. As pectoral and pelvic fins are now developed, subclavian and iliac arteries are found rising from the dorsal aorta, though the aorta itself is continued directly backward as the caudal artery into the tail. In the Dipnoi or mud fish, in which the swim bladder is converted into a functional lung, the hindmost afferent branchial artery, corresponding to the fifth (strictly speaking the sixth) aortic arch of the human embryo, gives off on each side a pulmonary artery to that structure. ”

“ The arteries dilate, because they are filled like bladders or leathern bottles; they are not filled because they expand like bellows. This I think easy of demonstration, and indeed conceive that I have already proved it. Nevertheless, in that book of Galen headed "Quod Sanguis continetur in Arterus," he quotes an experiment to prove the contrary. An artery having been exposed, is opened longitudinally, and a reed or other pervious tube is inserted into the vessel through the opening, by which the blood is prevented from being lost, and the wound is closed. ”

“ When the main artery of a limb has been obstructed, or tied by the surgeon's ligature, we find the nutrition of the tissues beyond is supported by the blood finding its way through the smaller anastomosing arteries, and in time we observe these smaller arterial branches to become considerably enlarged, thus adapting themselves to the increased amount of blood they have been called upon to transmit. ”

“ If the artery and vein lie side by side and it is desired only to raise the artery, hook down between the two, away from the vein, sliding the hook forward and backward underneath the artery, then raise to the surface. ”

“ The predominance of elastic tissue permits of great distention by the blood forced into the artery at every heartbeat, the caliber of the tube being less markedly under the control of the vasomotor nerves than is the case in the small arteries, where the muscle tissue is relatively more developed. The adventitia of the large arteries is strong and firm, and is made up of interlacing fibroelastic tissue, of which some of the bundles are arranged longitudinally. ”

“ The arterial system of vessels assumes, in all cases, somewhat of the character of the forms upon which they are distributed, or of the organs which they supply. This mode of distribution becomes the more apparent, according as we rise from particulars to take a view of the whole. With the same ease that any piece of the osseous fabric, taken separately, may be known, so may any one artery, taken apart from the rest, be distinguished as to the place which it occupied, and the organs which it supplied in the economy. ”

“ The blood from an artery is a brighter red than that from the veins, and spirts out in jets at each beat of the heart. Take hold of the end of the artery and tie it or hold it tight till a surgeon comes. ”

“ Arteries are also obstructed by the breaking off of particles of a plug or clot, partly obstructing the aorta or other large artery. These small pieces (emboli) are floated to an artery that is too small to permit them to pass and are there securely held, producing obstruction. These obstructions are shown by loss of power in the muscles supplied by the obstructed artery and by excitation of the heart and by respiration after exercise. ”

“ At the base of the heart are given off two large arteries, one on the right side, which conveys the blood to the lungs, called the pulmonary artery, and one on the left side, which conveys the blood to the system in general, called the aorta. ”

“ The artery runs downward, near the inner border of the biceps muscle, which is the large, bulging muscle of the upper arm, and can, with a little care, be felt beating by the fingers. Patients in breaking glass often cut one or both arteries at the wrist-joint where the pulse is felt. ”