A System of Human Anatomy Author:John Gordon Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: BOOK I. OF THE ANATOMY IN GENERAL OF THE COMMON SYSTEMS. CHAPTER I OF THE ANATOMY IN GENERAL OF THE CIRCULATING SYSTEM. This System consists of two p... more »arts; an Organ called the Heart, and a series of Tubes denominated Bloodvessels, communicating with this Organ. I shall treat of each of these separately. Before entering on the consideration of either, however, it may be proper to apprise the reader, that no remarks are introduced into this Chapter, respecting the relative position, either of the Heart or of the Bloodvessels, to other organs. These properly belong to another Part of the Work. At present, we must confine ourselves, in all that relates to situation, merely to the consideration of general aspect. These observations apply equally, to the succeeding Chapters on the Absorbent and Nervous Systems. SECTION I. OF THE HEABT. This is an organ consisting of two cavities, completely, separated from each other by a Septum or partition. Each cavity is formed into two compartments, called Auricle and Ventricle, which communicate freely with each other. Se-. veral Bloodvessels, denominated Veins, are connected with each Auricle, and one large one, called an Artery, arises, from each Ventricle. When moderately distended, the Heart resembles, externally, a three-sided pyramid. The base is turned backwards, to the right, and a little upwards; the apex, forwards, to the left, and a h'ttle downwards. The surface which looks downwards is flat; the anterior and posterior surfaces, are slightly convex. The anterior margin is sharp; the posterior and upper, a good deal rounded. The apex is obtuse, and, sometimes, a little forked. The flat surface is about five inches in length, and its greatest breadth, about four. The greatest height of the other two surfa...« less