Physiological Researches on Life and Death

by Xavier Bichat

Contraction is the ordinary medium, by which the motion of the animal organs is effected; some parts, however, move by dilating themselves, as the iris, the corpora cavernosa, the teat and others; so that the two general faculties, from whence spontaneous motion is derived, are contractility and active extensibility; the latter of these should be carefully distinguished from passive extensibility, of which in a short time we shall speak. The first is a property of life, the second a property of texture; but as yet there exist too few data upon the nature and mode of the motion resulting from the former; it is exemplified in too small a number of organs, for us to be enabled to pay much attention to it in these general considerations—Accordingly we shall occupy ourselves only upon the subject of contractility; with respect to that of active extensibility, I refer to the writings of the physicians of Montpellier.

Spontaneous motility, a faculty inherent in living bodies, as well as sensibility, possesses two great modifications, which differ very much from each other, accordingly as it is examined in the phenomena of one or the other life. There is an animal contractility, and there is an organic contractility.

The one being essentially subject to the influence of the will, has its principle in the brain, receives from the brain the irradiations, which put it in action, and ceases to exist when the organs, in which it is observed, communicate no longer with the brain; it participates besides at all times with the state of the brain, has exclusively its seat in the voluntary muscles, and presides over locomotion, the voice, the general movements of the head, the thorax and abdomen. The other, which is not dependent on a common centre, has its principle in the moving organ itself, is a stranger to the influence of volition, and gives rise to the phenomena of digestion, circulation, secretion, absorption, and nutrition.

The two are quite distinct in all cases of violent death; such death annihilates at once the animal contractility, and allows, for a longer or shorter time, the organic contractility to be exercised; they are essentially distinct also in all cases of asphyxia; in these, the first is entirely suspended, the second remains in activity; lastly they are distinct both in artificial palsy and in that which is brought on by disease. In these, the voluntary motions cease; the organic motions are unaltered.

Both the one and the other kind of contractility are connected with their corresponding kinds of sensibility. They are a consequence of them. The sensation of external objects puts in action the animal contractility; before the organic contractility of the heart can be exercised, its organic sensibility must be excited by the influx of blood.

Nevertheless, the concatenation of these two kinds of faculties is not always the same. The animal sensibility may be exercised, and not be necessarily followed by the exercise of its analogous contractility. There is a general relation between sensation and locomotion, but this relation is not direct and actual. On the contrary, the organic contractility can never be separated from the sensibility of the same species; the re-action of the excreting tubes is immediately connected with the action, which the secreted fluids exercise upon them: the contraction of the heart must necessarily succeed the influx of the blood into it. But authors have by no means separated these two things, either in their considerations or their language. Irritability denotes at the same time the sensation excited in the organ from the contact of bodies, and the contraction of the organ in reacting upon its excitants.

The reason of this difference in the relation of the two sensibilities and contractilities to each other is very simple. In the organic life, there is nothing intermediate in the exercise of these two faculties. The same organ is the term, in which the sensation ends, and the principle from whence the contraction begins. In the animal life, on the contrary, there exists between these two acts two intermediate functions, those of the brain namely, and the nerves, and these by not being brought into action may interrupt the relation in question.

To the same cause must we refer the following observation. In the organic life there always exists a rigorous proportion between the sensation, and the contraction. In the animal life the one may be exalted or lowered, and the other not affected by such change.

VI. Subdivision of the Organic contractility into two Varieties.[30]

The animal contractility is always the same in whatever part of the body it is situated. But there exist in the organic contractility two essential modifications, which would seem to indicate a difference in their nature, though there be only diversity in outward appearances. This difference is sometimes visible, at other times though really existing, it cannot be seen by inspection.