Chapter 3

In the _Boston Journal_, of April 21st, 1852, is an article from Dr. Cartwright, entitled "Confirmation of the Willardian, or Important American Discovery," in which the author endeavors to remove what doubtless has been one cause of the delay in acknowledging its truth. "Those members of the profession," he says, "whom science has only _perfumed_, are the most apt 'to look down with proud disdain' on any discovery originating 'with individuals not indoctrinated.' They do not make the proper distinction between selfish quacks who seek publicity 'to line the pocket,' and those 'who, prompted by some mysterious power,' come forward against their interest, and at the risk of their reputation. 'Rather than to contemn and ridicule, it were better to study the manifestations of that mysterious power.' They do not consider that the truth thus brought to light, while they fail to acknowledge it, is affording 'to selfish quackery' a capital to trade on."

To the same effect is the advice given to the profession by Dr. B. F. Washington, of Hannibal, Mo. He says, in the Nashville _Journal of Medicine_, July, 1854, "it is time for us to be acting; the honor of the profession is in danger. The theory of respiration is a truth which will cut its way; and if we do not take it up and teach it, in a few years we may see the mortifying spectacle of the community teaching the profession scientific truths. Quacks have already taken it up, and we have inhalers and air cures of various kinds."[9]

The first appearance of Dr. Washington as the advocate of my theory was in the _Nashville Journal_, March, 1854; and his fertile genius had there brought a new illustration of its truth. It had, he said, opened his eyes to the explanation of a fact which had puzzled him from his boyhood. "In slaughtering animals, if the trachea was cut, scarcely any haemorrhage resulted; while, if that was left untouched, full haemorrhage occurred. By the Willardian theory, the fact is readily susceptible of explanation. The blood, filling the trachea, suspended respiration, and of course the impelling power of the blood was suspended, and the haemorrhage ceased. The engine could not work without steam. When the trachea was not cut, respiration went on, and kept up the circulation, until the animal was nearly exsanguineous, and the powers of life gave way." This fact was clearly ascertained by Dr. W. K. Bowling, the well-known editor of the _Nashville Journal_, and able professor of the theory and practice of medicine in the university of that place. He sent me the Journal containing this welcome endorsement of my theory from one who was, as Dr. Bowling assured me, "an observer of superior tact and learning," known by his medical compositions as well in Europe as America. Since that time (March, 1854), that Journal, though not excluding articles which oppose, has been understood to be in favor of the theory. Dr. Washington has written repeatedly, answering all objections;[10] and he has, in the Journal (as I have been assured by one of the Editors), "crushed out all that would take up his glove, and is left in undisputed possession of the field--looking in vain for an opponent."

In the meantime, in 1856, Dr. J. N. Draper, Professor of Chemistry and Physiology in the University of New-York, in an elaborate work on "Human Physiology," has agreed that Harvey's theory of the paramount power of the heart's action in the circulation must be abandoned; and that to respiration must be assigned "the great duty of originating the blood's circulation."[11]

Dr. Washington has not only defended me in every important position which I have taken, and added new illustrations--but he has made the theory available to showing new proofs of the wisdom of God in the creation of man. Thus--steam is formed in the vacuum of the lungs at the low temperature of 67 deg., while, if there were no vacuum, 212 deg. of heat would be required to produce it,--an impossible quantity, since it would coagulate the albumen of the blood. But form the vacuum, and the boiling of the blood with any degree of heat less than 101 deg. could not cause any such disaster, while the steam going off from the lungs through the arterial system to the capillaries, gradually condenses, warming the body by giving off its latent heat; and the latent heat of vapor is the same however it is formed, and is always 1,114 deg.. What divine wisdom and economy are thus displayed!

Homoeopathy has, we believe, never found any difficulty in receiving this theory. We know that, at one of its conventions held in Providence, it was ably supported; and Dr. Marcy, whom I have the honor to address, was, as we have seen, one of its earliest defenders. He has never, whether allopathist or homoeopathist, been known to hesitate when his own mind brought him clear conclusions;--the distinguishing mark, according to Dugald Stewart, of intrepidity of character.

With profound respect, EMMA WILLARD.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] It is here seen what an important work this theory does for the venous circulation, and why the blood moves into the lungs. We have read of a theory which maintains that it goes there because there is a mutual attraction between it and the capillaries of the lungs. But there is none between the water in our tube and that in the tin vessel where water is boiling; but it goes into it with a rush notwithstanding. Because there is a strong suction power produced by expansion, no other attraction is needed. The apparatus, as here described, goes no farther than to represent the circulation in single-hearted animals. But in my work is a drawing which shows the left heart on the opposite of the mimic lungs from the right; and then how the same tube, by being folded in the form of a figure eight (8), shows the two hearts united into one, and both ventricles working by the same contractions to perform their different tasks.

[2] Mrs. B. Ogle Taylor, of Washington, formerly Miss Julia Dickinson, of Troy, was thus found dead; and the late Mrs. Cass thus lost her life. "She was seized," says a newspaper account, "in a hot bath, which she had taken soon after eating." She lived an hour, unconscious, and the physician said she died of congestion of the brain. How easily could these highly intelligent ladies have kept themselves from danger, or saved themselves when they felt it approaching, had they known and understood these principles. For two reasons, in case of the failure of the motive power from keeping the body too long in hot water, the blood would be congested in the head. First, the head would not be immersed, and, second, the last blood which the lungs sent forth would go to it.

[3] What can the Smithsonian Institute do better to carry out the views with which the benevolent Smithson gave his fortune, than thus to teach mankind when life may, by free circulation, be made to confer enjoyment--how it may be inadvertently destroyed--and how it may be restored, when, by drowning or otherwise, it is suspended? Sudden deaths often occur by mal-position. That of the late Secretary Marcy is doubtless an example. After his blood was heated and his circulation quickened, he laid himself down on his back, his head not raised. Attention to the workings of such a piece of apparatus as might be made, would have shown the fatal effects of such a position at such a time.

[4] A young physician, whom I paid for correcting the proofs, was not successful in preventing mistakes, especially in regard to numbers.

[5] I had just been reading Cuvier, to see whether he believed in the Harveian theory of the circulation. I found he did not. "The circulation vortex," says he, "is sometimes simple, sometimes double and even triple (including that of the vena porta); the rapidity of its movements is often _aided_ by the contraction of a certain fleshy apparatus denominated hearts." Thus showing that my theory gave to the heart all the prominence that was given to it by this great philosopher, who had not, however, advanced any opinion as to the cause of the circulation.

[6] One of them, my lamented niece, Jane Porter Lincoln, at my request, immediately wrote an account of the experiment, which is now in my possession.

[7] These physicians gave certificates of their witnessing and assisting at this memorable experiment, which were published in the _Boston Medical Journal_, February 1852.

[8] Dr. Cartwright also reported the case in a letter which was published in the _Boston Medical Journal_, September, 1852. This resuscitation was more wonderful than those detailed in my published work on "Respiration." All cases of life thus restored are proofs _a posteriori_ of the truth of this theory of the arterial circulation.

[9] Good systems of exercise have been made in some respectable institutions for health, openly formed on the principles of this theory. Such is that by Dr. Hamilton, of Saratoga.

[10] When the time shall come that, the truth of my discovery being no longer denied, its originality shall be contested, it will be a significant fact that, in the _Nashville Journal_, of September, 1854, is an article against it from a physician signing himself "Justicia," which he thus heads, "The Willardian Notion." In evil report, it was indisputably mine. This article also shows, that the Harveian theory is still maintained by the opposers of mine.

[11] See Draper's Physiology, p. 142.