BLOOD BLOOMFIELD. 



569 



arteries and veins, which have two points 01 

 union or connexion the first in the heart, from which 

 they both originate, and the other in the minute ves- 

 sels or net work, in which they terminate. The ar- 

 teries arise from the heart, and convey the blood to 

 all parts of the body ; the veins return it to the heart, 

 The arteries distribute throughout the body a pure, 

 red blood, for the purposes of nourishment ; while 

 the veins return to the heart a dark-coloured blood 

 more or less loaded with impurities, and deprived ol 

 some of its valuable properties. But this is not re- 

 turned again to the body in the same state. For the 

 heart is wisely divided into two portions or sides, a 

 right and left, one of which receives the impure blood 

 from the veins, and sends it to the lungs to be defe- 

 cated and freshly supplied with oxygen or vital air, 

 while the other receives the pure red blood from the 

 lungs, and circulates it anew through the arteries. 

 The arteries arise from the left ventricle of the heart 

 by one large trunk, nearly an inch in diameter, 

 which is gradually subdivided into smaller ones, 

 as it proceeds towards the limbs, till they terminate, 

 at last, in vessels so small as to be almost invisible, 

 and in a fine net-work of cells, extending through 

 the whole body, in which the blood is poured out, 

 and nutrition, or the increase of the body takes place, 

 and from which the residue is taken up by the small 

 veins, to be returned to the heart. The arteries and 

 veins are widely different in their structure, as well 

 as their uses. The former are composed of very 

 strong, firm, elastic coats or membranes, which are 

 four in number. The external covering and the in- 

 ternal lining of the arteries, although oelonging to 

 different classes of membranes, are both very thin and 

 soft. The second coat is very thick, tough, and elas- 

 tic, being that which chiefly gives their peculiar 

 appearance to the arteries. The third is formed of 

 fibres, apparently muscular, arranged in circular 

 rings around the tube of the vessels. It is well 

 known that the pulse of the heart is felt in the arte- 

 ries alone, although, in the bleeding of a vein, we 

 sometimes see the blood'start as if in unison with the 

 beating of the heart. The pulse is produced by the 

 wave or stream of blood, which is driven by the heart 

 through the arteries, distending and slightly elevating 

 them, after which they instantly contract from their 

 elasticity, and thus force the blood into the smaller 

 vessels. The pulse varies in its character with the 

 general state of the health. (See Pulse). When ar- 

 teries are cut or wounded, the firmness of their coats 

 prevents their closing, and hence arises the fatal na- 

 ture of wounds of large vessels, which will remain 

 open till they are tied up, or till death is produced. 



The veins commence in small capillary tubes in 

 every part of the body, and, by their gradual union, 

 form large trunks till they at last terminate in two 

 (one ascending from the lower parts of the body, the 

 other descending from the head and arms), which 

 pour their contents into the heart. Their structure 

 is much less firm than that of the arteries. They are 

 very thin and soft, consisting of only two thin coats 

 or membranes. The inner, or lining membrane, is 

 frequently doubled into folds, forming valves, which 

 nearly close the passage in the veins, and thus give 

 very material support to the blood as it is moving up 

 in them towards the heart. These valves are not 

 found in the veins of the bowels, the lungs, or the 

 head. The number of the veins is much greater than 

 that of the arteries, an artery being often accom- 

 panied by two veins. They differ also in this, that, 

 while the arteries are deeply seated in the flesh, to 

 guard them from injury, the veins are very frequently 

 superficial, and covered only by the skin. The veins, 

 it is well known, are the vessels commonly open- 

 ed in blood-letting, although in cases which ren- 

 i. 



der it necessary, a small artery is somf times di- 

 vided. 



There are two portions of the venous system which 

 do not correspond exactly with our general descrip- 

 tion ; these are the veins of the bowels and of the 

 lungs. The former circulate their blood through the 

 liver before it returns to the heart, and the latter, the 

 pulmonary veins, convey red blood from the lungs to 

 the heart. (For an account of the circulation of the 

 blood, see Heart). It should also be mentioned, that 

 the large vein, which brings back the blood from the 

 lower part of the body, receives from the lymphatic 

 and lacteal vessels the chyle from the bowels, which 

 supplies the waste of the blood and nourishes the 

 body, and the serous and other watery fluids which are 

 taken up by the absorbents in all parts of the body. 



BLOOD, Thomas (commonly called colonel Blood), 

 was a disbanded officer of Oliver Cromwell. He took 

 part in the revolution in various ways, and made an 

 attempt to steal the crown and regalia from the 

 Tower, in which he almost succeeded. Being, how- 

 ever, taken, he confessed his purpose, without show- 

 ing the least fear of death. Charles II., from idle 

 curiosity, went to see him, and B. persuaded the 

 monarch to pardon him. Charles even bestowed an 

 estate with 500 a-year upon him, whilst poor 

 Edwards, the keeper of the jewel-office, who valiant- 

 ly defended the crown, and was wounded, lived for- 

 gotten. 



BLOODHOUND ; a variety of the common dog, called 

 cants sagax by Linnanis, chien courant by Buffon, 

 remarkable for the perfection of its sense of smell. 

 Owing to this circumstance, these hounds were 

 formerly much employed in pursuing criminals 

 escaped from justice, or in tracing out robbers or 

 enemies, whose course was inevitably discovered, 

 when once the bloodhound was placed upon their 

 trail. In the border country of Scotland, they were 

 formerly much employed for such uses, but at present 

 the race has become almost forgotten. In the coun- 

 tries of South America, the Spaniards employed 

 fierce dogs to aid them in conquering the Indians, but 

 it is" not certain that the dogs, trained by them to 

 this cruel business, belonged to the present variety. 

 All the varieties of hound, however, have much sa- 

 gacity, and most of the larger and stronger breeds 

 have great acuteness of scent, and might, without 

 much difficulty, be trained to act as bloodhounds. 



BLOOMFIELD, Robert, an English poet, born at Ho- 

 nington, in 1766, the son of a tailor, learned to read 

 at the village school, and, in 1781, was sent to learn 

 the trade of a shoemaker with his brother in London. 

 The visiting of several places of worship, of a debat- 

 ing society, of Covent Garden theatre, and the read- 

 ing of sundry books, called forth his faculties, and he 

 Decame, almost unconsciously, a poet. Hearing him 

 one day repeat a song which he had composed, his 

 astonished brother prevailed on him to offer it to the 

 London Magazine, and it was accepted. The piece 

 was called the Milk Maid. A second, the Sailor's 

 Return, likewise found a place in that journal. 

 Thomson's Seasons, the Paradise Lost, and other 

 works of this kind, now became the subjects of his 

 constant study. In the country, where he resided 

 "or a short time, in 1786, he first conceived the idea 

 of his poem, the Farmer's Boy, which is characterized 

 ay a spirit of rural simplicity and innocence. It was 

 written under the most unfavourable circumstances, 

 jy a journeyman shoemaker in a garret It was first 

 shown to Capel Lofft, in 1798, who wns so much 

 pleased with it, that, in conjunction with his friend, 

 Hill, he had it printed in 1800. It derives its prin- 

 cipal value from its strict adherence to truth and na- 

 ture. The writer, in fact, has drawn his own portrait 

 in the Farmer's Boy, and described the scenes and 

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