VEIN. 



adhefious do not occur, and then the inflammation and 

 fiippuration are not confined to the vicinity of the wound. 

 On the contrai-)-, an abfcefs is frequently produced, occu- 

 pying a confiderable length of the vein in both direftions ; 

 and, fays Mr. Hunter, we often have more than one ab- 

 fcefs ; nay, fometimes there is a feries of them, generally in 

 the direction towards the lieart ; but not always in this 

 courfe ; for, occafionally, thefe abfceffes are obferved be- 

 tween the orifice in the vein and the extreme part of the 

 limb. 



In confequence of a wound in the foot, Mr. Hunter faw 

 the vena faphena inflamed all up the leg and thigh, nearly as 

 hi<Th as the t^roin ; and he was obliged to open a chain, of 

 abfcetfes, which reached nearly the whole courfe of the 

 veflel. 



In cafes in which the inflammation had been violent, and in 

 which the opportunity of e:Lamination was afforded, Mr. Hun- 

 ter found the inflammation at fome diftance from this vio- 

 lence m the adhefive Hate ; in fome places, the fides of the vein 

 were adhering ; and, in others, the inner furface of the veins 

 was covered with coagulable lymph. When diff^erent ab- 

 fcefles had formed, he always found, that the fpaces of the 

 vein between them had united by the adheiive inflammation, 

 and it is this union which circumfcribes fuch abfcefles. 



In examining the ann of a man who died at St. George's 

 hofpital, Mr. Hunter found the veins, both above and below 

 the orifice, united in many places by the adhefive inflamma- 

 tion. He alfo found in many parts of the veins the com- 

 mencement of fuppuration, without ulceration having ac- 

 tually begun ; while, in feveral other places, ulceration had 

 occurred, and deftroycd the furface of the veflel next the 

 flcin, a circumfcribed abfcefs being produced. The vein 

 near the axilla was in a ftate of fuppuration, and as no ad- 

 hefions were formed beyond the part aff'efted, Mr. Hunter 

 conceived that the matter had palled freely into the circula- 

 tion, and moll probably been the occafion of the man's 

 deceafe. 



When larger abfceffes had come on than thofe arifing 

 from the ulceration of the wound of tlie lancet, Mr. Hun- 

 ter always found that the vein was afterwards obliterated, 

 having united and healed up as any other cavity does, fo 

 that- the patient could never be bled in the lame vein again. 



Inflammation of a vein is a common effeft after bleeding 

 horfes, which is to be afcribcd to the carelefs and rough 

 manner of clofing the puntture with a pin. Mr. Hunter 

 has feen the jugular veins of horfes inflamed through their 

 whole courfe, the fwelling extending to all tlie fide of the 

 head, and the inflammation reaching even to the "cheil. In 

 thefe cafes there is always an abfcefs formed at the wound, 

 and often feveral along the vein, as in the human fiibjeft ; 

 and whenever the complaint is carried as far as this fiage, the 

 vein is rendered for ever afterwards impervious. Many 

 horfes die of this difeafe ; but what is the particular circum- 

 ftance which occafions their death, Mr. Hunter was not able 

 to determine. It may (fays he) either be that the inflam- 

 mation extends itfelf to the heart, or that the matter fe- 

 creted from the infide of the vein pafles along that t^ibe m 

 confiderable quantity to the heart, and mixes with the 

 blood. 



Although the operation of venefeftion, which is the mofl. 

 frequent caufe of this complaint, is to appearance trifling, 

 yet, as it is often of very ferious confequence, both to the 

 life of the patient and the charafter of the furgeon, the 

 operator (hould ufe the utmofl. care to prevent an evil of 

 fuch magnitude. He fliould be particularly attentive to the 

 mode of clofing the wound and binding up the arm. This 

 is to be done by bringing the two fides of the wound toge- 



ther, in order that they may tinite by the firil intention. To 

 accomplifli this, let the furgeon, with the thumb of that 

 hand which holds the arm, pufh the flvin towards the orifice, 

 while he draws it on the other fide to the fame point with the 

 comprefs, which is then to be immediately apphed. The 

 comprefs fliould be broad, fo as to keep the fkin better to- 

 gether ; and thick, in order that the compreflion may be more 

 certain. Mr. Hunter preferred a comprefs of hnen, or Unt, . 

 to ftickmg-plaflier. He very properly thought, that the 

 blood which dried over the orifice was a more natural and 

 effeftual bond of union than any other application. This 

 conclufion, he obferves, is drawn from praftice ; and he had 

 feen more fore arms, in confequence of bleeding, where the 

 punfture had been drefled with plafters, than under other 

 circumftances. 



When inflammation takes place beyond the orifice, the 

 furgeon fhould endeavour to promote adhcfion of the in- 

 flamed fides of the veflel by means of compreflion. If it be 

 fufpefted that fuppuration has happened, the preflure Ihould 

 be applied jult above the fuppuration, with a view of producing 

 an obliteration of the veflel in that fituation. (See Trani. 

 of a Society for the Improvement of Med. and Chir. Know- 

 ledge, vol. i. p. iS, &c. ) As Mr. Hodgfon obferves, the 

 treatment of the inflammation, when only the punftured 

 vein is affefted, ftiould be the fame as that of local inflam- 

 mation in general ; namely, the application of leeches, the 

 ufe of evaporating wafties, purgatives, and low diet. Al- 

 though the conftitutional irritation, which takes place in ex- 

 teniive inflammation of veins, is attended with more debiUty 

 than ufually accompanies acute inflammation, yet the cafe 

 can hardly be relieved without recourfe to copious bleedings, 

 and the ufual antiphlogiftic remedies. 



For additional information on the foregoing fubjeft, wc 

 refer to Mr. Hodgfon's excellent Treatife on the Dileafej 

 of Arteries and Veins, a publication which refleds the 

 highcft credit on its intelligent author. Some other affec- 

 tions of the veins are noticed in diftinft articles of this Cy- 

 clopaedia. See CiRsocELE, Hemorrhoids, Varicocele, 

 Varicose Veins, Varix, &c. 



Veins, Method of opening, for the purpofe of taking 

 away blood. See Bleeding. 



Vein, in Botany and Vegetable Phyfiology, vena, is a term 

 ufed for all thofe affemblages of tubes, through which the 

 tap of a plant is tranfmitted along the leaves, and by fome 

 of which alfo the fecreted fluids mufl; be returned into the 

 bark and wood, for the increafe of both. Hence Hedwig, 

 for the fake of precifion, has invented the term dudorum fnf- 

 ciculus, a clufter of dufts, for the ribs of the foliage in 

 Moffcs ; but we fee no improvement in this phrafeology. 

 The larger, primaiy, or more direfl, affemblages of veflfels 

 have obtained the name of ribs, cojli:, or nerves, nervi ; but 

 the limits between thefe and veins are not always very cer- 

 tain. Large tranfverfe veins, as well as the great longitu- 

 dinal ones, are often called ribs or nerves, efpecially if they 

 fend oflf finer and more complex ramifications, interbranching 

 with each other like net -work, to which the name of veins 

 is evidently more fuitable. We could wifli to apply the 

 term cofta to the great central rib, and nervi to the lateral 

 ones, whether longitudinal or tranfverfe, but this has not 

 been adopted with any regularity. See Costa and 

 Leaf. 



Veins are alfo found copioufly in the petals of flowers, and 

 are exaftly analogous to the veins, ribs, or nerves of leaves, 

 except being generally more pellucid and homogeneous. 

 When the petals undergo any changes of colour, in their 

 progreflive fl;ages of growth, the veins partake remarkably 

 of fucli changes, and mollly in the firft. inftance. Ribs, 



rather 



