Views Upon the Statics of the Human Chest, Animal Heat, and Determinations of Blood to the Head

Views Upon The Statics Of The Human Chest, Animal Heat, And Determinations Of Blood To The Head by Julius Jeffreys is a 1843 physiological treatise that blends theory with practical medicine. Part I examines the chest’s capacity and its four resident air volumes, arguing that the chest’s resident air, not the inhaled breath, sustains oxidation of the blood. Part II discusses animal heat, proposing that heat arises from the union of carbon and hydrogen with oxygen and that nitrogen plays an active role, with climate and diet shaping heat production. Part III deals with the dissipation of heat and its links to local blood determinations to the head, including observations from tropical climates, mountain environments, and clothing. The volume also includes an Appendix that critiques Liebig’s views on respiration and heat, and a dedication to Benjamin Travers. The work emphasizes the practical utility of physiology for therapeutics and anticipates uses for devices like the respirator.