268 



The Resonance of the Tissues. 



expanded by each arterial pulse, and drops of urine may be squeezed thereby 

 into the pelvis from the mouths of the tubules." Eecent work by 

 E. A. Gesell (8) has shown that the excretion of the urine, the chlorides, urea 

 and nitrogen is dependent on the arterial pulse. It is to enable the pulse 

 to be driven to the capillary areas in the kidney or other organ that the 

 mechanism of a resonation of the tissues is called for. Without some such 

 mechanism the pulse would be inevitably damped down, especially during 

 the varying abdominal pressures found with deep inspiration, forced expira- 

 tion, defsecation, etc. 



Further, we would advance the view that by abdominal resonance the 

 pulse wave is assisted to the most distant peripheral regions of the body. 

 The aortic pulse finds its way to the tips of the fingers in aortic disease and 

 to the toes. The longer path is compensated for by abdominal resonance. 



Eesonation of the tissues must be held to play an important part in the 

 transmission of the pulse, and thereby to save the work of the heart. The 

 work of the heart we know is largely conserved by the elastic recoil of the 

 arteries." But this elastic recoil of the arteries is aided by the resonance of 

 the tissues. Every artery is in intimate relationship with its immediate 

 neighbour. The pulse of one individual artery is aided by the pulses of the 

 other arteries. The vigour of the circulation depends on the tone of the 

 tissues, on the tautness of skin and muscle, and particularly of the abdominal 

 wall. The hardened body of the trained athlete swings in full resonance 

 with the pulse of his heart ; the soft, flabby, ill-conditioned body of the 

 sedentary worker offers a poor slack drum for his heart to thump. 



EEFEEENCES. 



1. Hill, Flack and Holtzman, ' Heart, 1 1909, vol. 1, No. 1, p. 76. 



2. Wells, S. Russell, and Hill, Leonard, ' Eoy. Soc. Proc., ! 1913, B, vol. 86, pp. 180-186. 



3. Hill and Flack, 'Eoy. Soc. Proc.,' 1913, B, vol. 86, p. 365. 



4. Bayliss, ' Journ. Physiol.,' 1902, vol. 28, p. 220. 



5. Hiirthle, ' Arch. f. d. ges. Physiol.,' vol. 47, p. 32. 



6. Dawson, ' Amer. Journ. Physiol.,' 1905-6, vol. 15, p. 256. 



7. Hill, ' Further Advances in Physiology,' London, 1909, p. 153. 



8. Gesell, Robert A, ' Amer. Journ. Physiol.,' 1913, vol. 32, No. 1, p. 93. 



