PULSE 



55 



Its frequency normally in an adult is about 72 times per minute, 

 in children it is higher, and it is more frequent in woman than in 

 man. Its frequency is affected by age, sex, exercise, disease, 

 drugs, and psychical causes, as fear, joy, sorrow, etc. We feel 



FIG. 30. Portion of the wall of ventricle. 



d, d' , and aorta, a, b, c, showing attacHments of one flap of mitral and the aortic 

 valves; h and g, paoillary muscles; e, e' and/, attachment of the tendinous cords. 

 (From Yeo after Allen Thompson.) 



the pulse to learn several things: (i) Its frequency, which tells 

 how many times the heart is beating. 



(2) Its tension, which is the state of the arterial walls and is 



