The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-02-09 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

LIVERPOOL MECII AN ICS' INSTITUTION

LECTURES ON PHYSIOLOGY.

On Saturday evening Dr. Epps delivered his second lecture.
The ribs are attached to the spine, from which they pass ob-
liquely round, and return hack to the breastbone, to which they
are joined. The front portions of the ribs are composed of gristle.
Within the ribs are situated the heart and chest. The chest
contains our lungs and some of the most important blood-vessels.
In breatling we are obliged to raise the chest, in order to fill
the lungs; hence it was necessary so to construct the ribs as to
render them capable of expanding; and by no other than this
' oblique fin illation of the ribs could this have been so effectually
dune. Thus, by raising up our ribs, we at once elevate our
chest. The ribs are constructed round for the same reason as
the skull to shield them as much as possible from the effects of
external injuries. It is astonishing what blows prize-fighters
will endure upon their ribs without any ill consequences. This
teaches us how we may strengthen our limbs by proper exer-
cise, so as to enable them to endure extreme hardships. There
are twelve ribs on each side, or rather twelve pair of ribs. Tbere
is an opinion commonly entertained, that women have one more
rib than men. This compliment to the ladies is not, however,
warranted by anatomy. The notion arose out of the statement
in the Bible, that woman was trade out of the rib of a man A
curious examination of this passage of Scripture occurs in the
Anthropological Magazine, by which it would appear, that there
is a mistake in its translation, the Hebrew word (tsalang) tran-
slated rib, not being so translated in any of the six other instan-
ces in which it is used in the Scriptures. There is a groove in
the inside of the rib to enable the blood-vessels to escape injury
by passing along them. In fact, throughout the body, when-
ever a blood-vessel is exposed to any injury, the Creator has
devised some means for its protection. We find that the back
parts of our body are much better protected than the front ones.
It is essential for the enjoyment Of health, that the ribs should
have a free motion. At least fifteen out of twenty of the upper
classes or females have deformed spines, in consequence of the
fashionable treatment which they undergo to reduce the size of
their waists. A young lady, tightly laced, sits down on her
music-stool, without any support to her back. She is told by
her fond mamma, that unless she beco:nes a good musician she
will never get a good husband. The young lady remains at the
piano four or six hours a day, and in acquiring execution stret-
ches her hands along the keys of the piano on either side, during
which time her spine, being tightly embraced by the stays, will
nut bend in its natural manner, so tbat the spine is put out of
its place. The majority of deformed spines is attributable to
sitting at pianos, or at the drawing-desk, by which the body is,
by such occupations, withdrawn from its natural position. That
portion of the human figure which ladies make the narrowest,
ought to be the broadest. The consequence of tight lacing is
much suffering. The medical practitioner advises change of air,
and a thousand other remedies, but does not strike at the root
of the evil. Tight lacing is a good thing fur the doctors; they
glory in it, for if it were not for the folly of otber.people, they
would have little or nothing to do. No patient should allow a
medical man to prescribe a single article of medicine without
explaining why lie floes so. if a medical man cannot do this,
he is not fit to practise. It may appeal strange, on a first view,
that there is no apparent protection for our stomach and the
parts below the chest. But suppose the Creator had contrived
our ribs to our hips. In that case we could not bend, nor could
we, without serious inconvenience, as the first lamp-post would
testify, tuck into us the numerous good things which a public
dinner affords. The Creator has wonderfully provided for the
necessities of each part of the body. The protector of the sto-
mach is entrusted to our eyes and our hands. The hands are
capable of describing a circle around the front of our body, and
thus are readily enabled to shield it from injuries.
The spine fits like a wedge between the bones of the lip. These
hip bones spread out like wings, and bear the whole of the upper
portion of the body. The thigh bones fit into each side of these
hips. They are of a peculiar structure, and exquisitely beauti-
ful. There is a round ball fitting into a hollow. We call these
portions of the human mechanism, joints, and the parts which
rub against each other, articulating surfaces. The thigh bone
does not fit into the hollow in an erect position, but a por-
tion of the bone juts out sideways into the hollow,
By this
means our legs are placed further asunder, and we are enabled
to stand erect with less difficulty. There are two protuberances
at the knee joint, oue lower than the other. Women's legs ap-
proach nearer than men's, but all persons legs have a tendency
to approximate; and in order to counteract this the inner
proiyberance is lower than the outer, so that by compression
against a corresponding protuberance in the leg. The advan-
tages of the compound ball joint to connect the thigh to the hip
are sufficiently obvious : with arty other description the whole
of our body must turn with the leg. The joint of the knee is
what is termed a hinge joint, not permitting the leg to move
round as the hip joint, but merely backwards and forwards. It
is difficult to separate the knee joints, they are so tightly bound
together by ligaments. Our legs are composed of two bones,
the inner of which forms the inner ancle, and the outer the
muter
ancle. The whole body is fastened down by one bone into the
foot, in such a firm manner that it is impossible fur a person to
dislocate it without an extraordinary degree of violence. There
is an arch formed beneath the foot by means of bones, fur the
purpose of enabling us to walk with ease. This arch is the
most perfect one with which we are acquainted, so much so that
it was considered by Michael Angelo that the first idea of an
arch was derived from the human foot. The greater the pres-
sure upon the foot the greater is its power of resisting it.
The shoulder blade is attached to the body by flesh only, in
order that it may have a perfect power of motion, which it could
not have if jointed as the other limbs. Hence the arm is so
easily discolated. It is curious that drunken persons very seldom
injure themselves; they are sensible persons so far ; they fall
upon the centre of gravity without ever attempting to save
themselves. They sink to the earth with such a fraternal love
that theme is no harm done. There is a common notion that a
drunken man has a certain protection over him, but the real
fact is, the spirit has overcome the sense of motion: Is a sober
person falls be immediately puts nut his arias to save himself,
and, if the fall is from any height, his arms are dislocateil. The
elbow bone has a very peculiar shape. Its motion is merely
upwards and downwards, like a hinge; but there are two bones
in the fore arm, and the second has a rotatory motion. The
bones of the hand are fastened to the latter. There are an
immense number of bones in the hand. By the hand being
concave in the inside we are easily enabled to seize anything,.
There are a great number of advantages in the concavity of
the outside of the hand. Indeed the hand is one of the most
beautiful of the woiks of the creation.
If a workman wishes his machinery to work easily, and with-
out any grating noise, he oils the different parts which come
into contact with each other. The Creator has provided the
different joints of the body with an unction by which their
action is rendered easy. Thus ire always find in the knee pans
a fluid which is for the purpose of lubricating or oiling the knee
joints; and it is singular that we are unable to invent anything
like this lubricating liquor which the Almighty has provided.
Every joint of the human body which moves is supplied with
bags or glands which secrete a kind of oily, fat, mucilaginous
substance, which is like joining oil with mucillage. This is for
the purpose of anointing the joints ; and we find that persons
who live too well get the gout—large knees, &c. form unnatural
and diseased secretions of this substance. When we walk, the
very action of walking presses upon these glands, and the con-
sequence is, that the lucubrating liquor is squeezed nut as we
want it. When persons walk too far there is a deficiency in
the supply, and it is very absurd to walk too far, as it brings on
the rheumatism. If again, we do not take a proper degree of
exercise, we must be punished. Horver benevolent, however
pious a person may be, if he uses his joints too much be will be
punished in his joints; neither his goodness nor his piety will
keep off the punishment. Our happiness is best secured by
following the laws which the Creator has laid down for the
guidance of man, as exemplified by every day's experience
Every joint is covered with a smooth surface, so as to enable
to work freely, like the well polished surface of a machine.

ELECTION COMMITTEES.

In the House of Commons on Tuesday, there were three bal,
lots for election committees, viz., for the county of Roxburgh
and for the boroughs of Ipswich and Salford.

GH .
In this case the lion ROXBU.
F.R Scott is the pettioner, against the
return of Mr. Elliott. The petition states that at on of the
polling places, at the town of flawick, " riots of the most alarm-
ing, tumultuous, and violent description took place," by means
of which "the electors in the interest of the petitioner were
greatly interrupted, insulted, and assaulted," and others who
would have voted for him, were in consequence of the said riots,
deterred and prevented from so doing; and others "were influ-
enced by fear, threats, and violence to vote fur the said John
Edmund Elliot, in violation of the freedom of election, and of
the rights of electors," that these riots were countenanced by
the partisans and friends of Mr. Elliot. and by divers persons
in his interest, for the purpose of intimidating and preventing
the electors from supporting and voting for the petitioner, ; and
on the two days of polling, as well as the day preceding, a mob,
consisting of many persons who had no right to vote, publicly
paraded the streets of Ilavviek, committing assaults and out-
rages; that many electors in the petitioner's interest were vio-
,
leutly assaulted and beaten, stripped of their clothing, and put
in clinger of their lives; that others were carried to the river
Slitrig, which runs through the town, and thrown in; that by
authority of her Majesty's advocate for Scotland, the responsi-
bility or keeping the peace during the election devolved upon
the magistrates,of the town, who greatly misconducted them-
selves in the discharge of their duty, by not affording sufficient
Protection to the voters in the interest of the petitioner; that in
the course of the first day's polling, on account of the riotous
proceedings which had already taken place, the sheriffs substitute
declared at the polling booth the adjournment of the poll for
two hours; nevertheless, that he, after a short interval, allowed
the polling again to is,' on, Whien Act: and that
Mr. Elliott was, "by himself and his agents, guilty of divers
acts of bribery and corruption, in order to corrupt or procure,
and did by himself, and his agents, friends, managers, and others
on his behalf, by gifts, presents, money, rewards, and promises,
agreements and securities for money, gifts, &c., and by threats
and intimidations, undue influence, and other corrupi,
and improper practices, procure divers persons, having votes, to
give their votes to him, and to forbear giving their Voles to the
petitioner." The prayer is, that the election may be declared
null and void.

IPSWICH ELECTION.
This petition is at the instance of certain electors, praying
that Henry Tune'', Esq., may be declared not duly elected,
and Fitzroy Kelly, Esq., may be declared duly elected.'
The chief allegations in the petition are, that many persons,
voting fur Mr. Tuffnell, were not qualified (there being a ma:
jority of two only over Mr. Kelly at the close of the poll, the
numbers being, for Mr. Tuffnell 595, fur Mr. Kelly 5930 that
others were "admitted to vote fur him who had asked, received,
and taken money, or other reward, by way of gift, loan, orother
device ;" that other electors had been prevented from giving
their votes to Mr. Kelly, having been improperly and illegally
excluded from voting by the returning officer ; and that Mr.
Tuffnell was, " by himself, his friends, agents and managers, on
his behalf, guilty of acts of notorious bribery, cut ruption, and
treating at the said election."