Abstract
THE system of vessels in which the blood is contained must be conceived of as a closed system. But the walls are distensible and elastic; they can therefore stretch and collapse to accommodate varying amounts of liquid. This is possible, however, only to a limited extent. Although the veins have thinner walls than the arteries, and appear to be less supported by surrounding structures than are the capillaries, it is remarkable that they oppose a greater resistance to a bursting pressure than do the arteries. Veins, moreover, have a muscular coat which is in a more or less contracted state during life. Hence the introduction of more fluid into the system must encounter a certain resistance and raise the internal pressure, unless the muscular coat actively relaxes to accommodate the fluid introduced.
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BAYLISS, W. The Circulating Blood in Relation to Wound-Shock. Nature 105, 10–12 (1920). https://doi.org/10.1038/105010a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/105010a0