Unpublished paper, 'Microscopical characters of the rhythmically contractile muscular coat of the veins of the bat's wing, - of the lymphatic hearts of the frog, - and of the caudal heart of the eel. In three parts' by Thomas Wharton Jones

Description

The first part of this paper comprises a reexamination of the microscopical characters of the rhythmically contractile muscular coat of the veins of the bat’s wing. This reexamination is confirmatory of Jones' previous description of the microscopical characters of the muscular coat of the veins of the bat’s wing. Jones also examines, by way of comparison, the tonically contractile muscular coat of the arteries, and points out that, though the fibrils of the muscular coat of the veins do not present transverse markings, they differ in their microscopical characters as much from the fibrils of the muscular coat of the arteries, as the transversely striped muscular fibrils of the bat’s heart do from them. He insists, therefore, in conclusion, that there are no grounds for an implied physiological form of the doctrine of isomerism with regard to similarity of structure, with different endowments. The second part of the paper focuses on the lymphatic hearts of the frog, with Jones observing that the phenomena attending the propulsion of lymph from the anterior lymphatic hearts of the frog into the veins at their posterior border, with which they communicate by a valvular opening, are essentially similar to those attending the propulsion of the lymph from the caudal heart of the eel into the caudal vein. Lastly, Jones writes on the caudal heart of the eel, with the aim of explaining the true nature of the phenomenon of drops of blood propelled in rapid succession, as if from the caudal heart, along the caudal vein; proving thereby that the caudal heart belongs, not to the blood-vascular system, but to the lymphatic system; and inquiring into the influence which the force of the lymph-stream from the caudal heart exerts in accelerating and promoting the flow of blood in the caudal vein.

Marked on front as 'Archives Dec 1868'. Includes five pages of anatomical figures.

Subject: Biology / Physiology

Received 8 April 1868 / 13 April 1868 / 21 April 1868. Read 7 May 1868.

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 16 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'Microscopical characters of the rhythmically contractile muscular coat of the veins of the bat’s wing, of the lymphatic hearts of the frog, and of the caudal heart of the eel. In three parts.—Part I. Microscopical characters of the rhythmically contractile muscular coat of the veins of the web of the bat’s wing'.

The third part of this paper, regarding the caudal heart of the eel, was published in volume 158 of Philosophical Transactions as 'The caudal heart of the eel a lymphatic heart.—Effect of the force with which the lymph-stream is propelled therefrom on the flow of the blood in the vein into which the heart opens.— Explanation of the appearance of blood propelled in successive drops, as if from the heart, along the caudal vein.—Influence which the force of the lymph-stream from the heart exerts in accelerating and promoting the flow of blood in the caudal vein'.

A related paper was published by Jones in The Lancet: Jones, Thomas Wharton. 'REMARKS ON THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD: HISTORICAL NOTICE OF THE DISCOVERY THAT THE VEINS OF THE BAT'S WING, WHICH ARE FURNISHED WITH VALVES, ARE ENDOWED WITH HEART-LIKE RHYTHMICAL CONTRACTILITY, WHEREBY THE BLOOD IS ASSISTED ONWARD IN ITS COURSE TO THE HEART: A PROTEST AGAINST EFFORTS MADE TO IGNORE A CRUCIAL FACT IN NATURE' The Lancet, volume 125, number 3203 (1868), pp. 99-100.

Reference number

AP/50/8

Earliest possible date

1868

Physical description

Ink, coloured pencil and graphite pencil on paper

Page extent

75 pages

Format

Drawing
Manuscript