78 THE ACTION OF THE LIVING CELL 



vessels results in a lowered blood pressure, weak pulse 

 and lowered surface temperature, the magnitude of 

 such changes being conditioned by the extent of the 

 splanchnic dilation. 



The author's (Turck, 1900) observations that 

 splanchnic congestion might be brought about by 

 changes in temperature or irritation of the gastric 

 mucosa are not surprising when viewed from our pres- 

 ent knowledge of the physiology of the splanchnic 

 circulation. Very striking, however, was the observa- 

 tion that upon subcutaneous injection, into rabbits, the 

 gastric contents from a patient with a dilated stomach 

 caused dilation of the splanchnic vessels, and collapse. 

 A more rapid response was obtained by injecting such 

 material into the mesenteric vein of a rabbit. When a 

 similar quantity of water was injected in like manner, 

 the animal exhibited no change other than a slight 

 hyperemia, which always follows exposure of the 

 viscera. At the time these experiments were pub- 

 lished (1900), attention was called to the essential 

 similarity between these results and the effects pro- 

 duced by the entry of peptones, primary and second- 

 ary albumoses, into the circulation. Further, the 

 analogy was drawn between splanchnic congestion 

 and severe hemorrhage, which produces much the 

 same outward signs. This was summed up in the state- 

 ment "that splanchnic congestion simulates hemor- 

 rhage ; it might be expressed as a bleeding within one- 

 self." (Turck, 1900.) 



We are thus in a position to explain in part the 

 occurrence of so-called postural shock, which was 

 mentioned in the first chapter. When a rabbit is held 

 by the head in a vertical position, the force of gravity 



