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Literary notes about capillary (AI summary)

The term "capillary" appears with varied nuance across literary works, serving both a literal and metaphorical function. In some texts, the word denotes specific anatomical details of the circulatory system—used rigorously in scientific descriptions of pulmonary and bodily circulation as seen in examples [1], [2], and [3], and even in discussions of phenomena like sap ascent [4]. Conversely, the term is also embraced in more abstract and metaphorical contexts: for instance, Joyce employs it to evoke natural attraction [5] while Twain playfully characterizes a caterpillar as "CAPILLARY" [6]. Additionally, its association with physiological responses, such as blushing, is explored in both John Dewey’s and Charles Darwin’s work [7], [8]. Even historical compilations like the Journals of Lewis and Clark incorporate it to describe textures and structures in nature [9], and Jefferson references "capillary phenomena" [10]. This diverse use illustrates how "capillary" bridges the gap between precise scientific description and broader metaphorical resonance in literature.
  1. Between the pulmonary arteries and veins is the capillary system of the small or pulmonary circulation.
    — from The Fables of Aesop by Aesop
  2. A capillary from the mesentery.
    — from The Fables of Aesop by Aesop
  3. Between the body-arteries and veins is the capillary system of the large or body-circulation.
    — from The Fables of Aesop by Aesop
  4. The ascent of sap is not explicable on the mechanical grounds ordinarily advanced, such as capillary attraction.
    — from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
  5. Capillary attraction is a natural phenomenon.
    — from Ulysses by James Joyce
  6. CAPILLARY, a little caterpillar.
    — from What Is Man? and Other Essays by Mark Twain
  7. One does not blush to show modesty or embarrassment to others, but because the capillary circulation alters in response to stimuli.
    — from Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education by John Dewey
  8. Theory of Blushing .—We have now to consider, why should the thought that others are thinking about us affect our capillary circulation?
    — from The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin
  9. the styles are short with rispect to the stamen, capillary smooth, obtuse, distributed over the serface of the germ and decid-uous.
    — from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis
  10. Capillary phenomena.
    — from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson

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