MOTION OF THE HEART AND BLOOD 



ing to this many little openings exist in the septum 

 of the heart suited to the passage of blood. But, 

 damn it, no such pores exist, nor can they be demon- 

 strated! 



The septum of the heart is of denser and more 

 compact material than any part of the body except 

 bones and tendons. Even so, supposing the pores 

 are there, how could the left ventricle draw blood 

 from the right when both ventricles contract and 

 dilate at the same time? Why not rather believe 

 that the right ventricle draws spirits through these 

 pores from the left instead of the left ventricle 

 drawing blood from the right? It is surely miracu- 

 lous and incongruous that plenty of blood should 

 be drawn through obscure invisible openings in the 

 same time as air through wide open ones. Why 

 require invisible pores and obscure uncertain chan- 

 nels to get the blood to the left ventricle when there 

 is such a wide open passage through the pulmonary 

 vein? It is certainly remarkable that a way had to 

 be made, or rather invented, through the dense, 

 tough, and compact septum of the heart, instead 

 of through the open pulmonary vein, and the soft 

 spongy mass of the lungs. If the blood can per- 

 meate the material of the septum, or be imbibed 

 from the ventricles, what is the use of the coronary 

 arteries and veins, branches of which go to the sep- 

 tum itself, for its nourishment? Specially noteworthy 

 is this: if in the fetus, where everything is softer 

 and more lax. Nature had to bring the blood to the 



[21] 



