286 VASCULARITY OF MUSCLES. 



The veins which attend the arteries, are said by Bichat to have 

 few valves. The free distribution of blood to the muscles, 

 appears to be necessary to preserve them in a condition, healthy 

 and capable of contraction. When the supply of blood is cut 

 off by a ligature, the muscle gradually becomes paralyzed, and 

 does not regain its power, till it is again supplied by the anasto- 

 mosing branches. 



The color of the muscle does not seem dependent wholly on 

 the blood, but in part at least on their own peculiar structure, 

 as seen in many animals, where the flesh is white and the blood 

 red ; and in the muscles of organic life in man, many of which 

 are colorless, though more vascular than those of animal life. 

 The absorbent vessels exist no doubt in all the muscles, but 

 they are traced with difficulty. They have been found in the 

 muscles of the tongue, face and diaphragm.* 



The blood-vessels must terminate, not in the cavities of the 

 muscular fibres, but exterior to these fibres ; otherwise the 

 dew-like effusion, would not be apparent ; and it is probable, 

 that the red color, which is so general in muscles, depends 

 upon a portion of blood effused from these vessels, and not 

 contained in them ; for it has been observed by Bichat, that in 

 drowned or strangled animals, black disoxygenated blood 

 occupied all the vessels, while the florid color of the muscles 

 continued unchanged ; which could not have been the case 

 if the color of the muscles was owing to the blood in the 

 vessels. 



That the color of the red muscles is owing to blood, is 

 rendered certain by the fact that this color may be completely 

 washed away while the fibrous structure of the muscle remains 

 unchanged. From this also it may be inferred that the blood 

 is exterior to the muscular fibre, and to the vessels likewise. 



It is said by Sabatier, that the color will likewise be 

 completely removed, by injecting a. large quantity of water 

 through the arteries ; this does not invalidate the inferences 

 drawn from the other facts ; for the water effused from the 



* Vide Breschet, Sur le Systeme Absorbante. Paris. 1836. 



