very interesting; I'm a bit stymied by this statement: "The effect of the poisonous vapors is such that the arteries which feed blood to the brain become paraly

very interesting; I'm a bit stymied by this statement: "The effect of the poisonous vapors is such that the arteries which feed blood to the brain become paralyzed almost immediately." What in the world does it mean to have arteries become paralyzed? I thought paralysis was a skeletal muscle phenomenon. Arteries have a bit of smooth muscle for vasodilation and vasoconstriction. But what does paralysis mean here? I would think dilation, which would be the inactive state since constriction would require active energy exertion to effect.