The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-02-27 00:00:00

ERP3OI, ST,A.r(DARD.

whilst we can do our business by walking. In riding, the
pressure comes upon the loins, hence coact:mon are subject to
-affections of the bowels. These ineo are very early cut off, un-
less they lie by and take'physic at frequentintervals. You may
ride upon horStback as much as you please. A .rider holds (e ti
the h-orse by the muscles of the legs and thighs, the consequence,
of.Whieli is that he sends the blood circulating through them.
He raises his hips in order to rise from the saddle; he uses his
arms to curb and guide the horse ; in short, in tiding a matt
calls all his muscles into play, and, if he does not ride hard, he
produces - a very beneficial ' circulation of the blood over the
whole of the body. This is one of the best remedies for disease,
and there is no doubt th-at the majoiity of cases of consumption
might be cured by riding early in the morning. The mode of
riding which is better than all others is sea voyaging. It is one
of the best medicines on the face of the earth, and if some of
those who are poorly were to take a sea excursion, the effect
would be highly beneficial. In voyaging at sea, you are always
on a level, a circumstance of great importance to such as are
afflicted with diseases of the lungs, because they are subject to
nearly the same pressure of the atmosphere. We have another
benefit—that is in feeling a little sick. To feel sick is one of
the best things, because it produces perspiration,' which per-
spiration is of great use to those troubled with affections of the
chest. Besides this we enjoy at sea delightfully pure airand a
freedom from the cares of business, by which. our system be-
comes at Once excited and invigorated. If persons are dying of
consumption, put theM on ship board and send them to sea.
.Dancing is an excellent engagement, wh'en enjoyed at reason-
_able hours, and does not deserve the ridicule with which many
persons treat it. There is no in-door amusement which calls the
Muscles into active play more than dancing, and on that account
it ought to be encouraged. Fencing is also an excellent exer-
cise, because it expands the chest and brings into action the
muscles of the arm. Gymnastic and calisthenic exercises,
when properly taken, are of great utility in strengthening the
human frame. These exercises have been reduced to a science,
so that they may be safely indulged in by a proper course of
trainiug. .No person should put on a top-coat when he goesout
of doors, but, on the contrary, when he comes in. When a man
walks he puts his blood into circulation, and there is no chance
of his taking cold when lie is walking. A top-coat causes an
accumulation of perspiration, and when he takes it off on enter-
ing the house, evaporation ensues, and he is exposed to drafts,
in consequence, of which he takes cold. It is the same when a
man stops Ina warm bath too long. When we have got a flush
of perspiration in walking, we should put on a coat on reaching
home. It is astonishing that the very means which people have
to enable them to keep out the cold are the very means by
'which they take it. Mackintoshes ore the very worst things we
have, •except to keep out the wet. They 'produce an .uncom-
fortable warmth by keeping in the,perspiration. There is no
more danger in drinking cold water when we are in a high
state of perspiration 'than when we are cold, if we walk after-
wards, In the latter case the lecturer would not answer for the
life of individual four days afterwards.

Our talented townsman, 111 r. Joh❑ Smith, will, to-morrow
evening, (Wednesday,) commence a course of lectures on the
beauties of geographical knowledge, illustrated by, highly-
wrought and picturesque views on glass, which willheexhibited
by means of the magic lantern. These tpc•,tures have been
exceedingly attractive in the neighbouring -towns, and, no
doubt, will prove beneficial to the Mechanics' Institution.

On Saturday evening Dr. Epps brought his delightful lec-
turea to a doge. Not even Dr. Lardner himself with all his ac-
cumulated popularity could draw such numerous audiences as
we have witnessed during the whole course, a circumstance
which must be as pleasing to the worthy Doctor himself as it
has been of importance to the funds of the institution.
' The skin, or the substance which covers the whole of our
bodies, is formed of three coats lying one over the other. The
outer coat is that which is known under the name of scarf skin,
or epidermis. The second coat is called the reta Mucosa or the
mucous net. Underdeath that is what is called the true skin,
because it does more duty than the other coats. The scarf skin
is a dead skin and is perfectly insensible to any injuries which
it may receive. The. immense advantages of this will be readily
perceived when we consider to what a number of injuries our
bodies are liable. This skin peels off many persons, their legs
present scales like those upoo an elephant. The colour of in-
dividuals depends. upon the tint of the second coat, or mucous
net. The true skin is the most important portion of the skin.
It is not dead but on the contrary abundantly supplied with
nerves, and is furnished with a number of glands which are
continually pouring forth from every portion of our bodies a
quantity of the perspirable fluid. This in general wept() not per-
ceive, unless we walk' fast, when it is poured forth in large and
perceptible quantities. It takes place, however, every moment of
our lives, and may be seen at all times with an optical glass.
That ingenious man, Lord Stanhope, constructed au instrument
to indicate the quantity of perspiration which was passed out of
the body in a given tinie, A gentleman of the name of Sequin
made an experiment by which he ascertained that twenty-four
ounces of perspiration are given out by a healthy person from
his body in twenty-four hours, but morerecent experiments have
determined it to be 30 ounces. This perspirable matter is poi-
son, and is as bad to our health as carbonic acid. This skin is
a kind of lung placed all over our body, which is perpetually
purifying our blood by getting rid of 30 ounces of perspirable
fluid in 24 hours. This truth will then at once strike us, that if
our skin cannot perform its duty of getting rid of this amount of
Matter we shall not be able to enjoy health. Such is the case,
for persons who are dry skinned are constantly liable to fever
and head-aches. It is essential to health that we should devise
means by which we could ensure a perfect action in our skin.
Whenever a medical man is called in to a case of fever he en-
deavours to assist nature by promoting perspiration, which al-
ways abates the fever When we consider that we cannot pro.
duce a perspiration unless we keep the pores of the skin open
by removing the oily matter which is-always'poured out upan the
skin, we cannot injure health. A great portion of the diseases
of the poor of this country are to be ascribed to want of cleanli-
ness;th
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guides to health. Every per Son who can afford to have a
bath in his, house ought to have one, and should take it at least
once a week, and by this means his enjoyment of life would be
much increased. Beneath our skin we have little glands which
are for the purpose of secreting oil. This oil is poured out over
the surface of the body. we are so fotilish in this country as to
shave off our beards. The reason why this is so difficult and
unpleasant an operation is because We do not perform it in the
proper way. This fatty fluid constitutes a formidable obstacle
to the edge of the razor, but
gentlemen
would only take the
trouble to wash their faces with soap and water before they lather
their faces, so as to remove this matter, they would find the razor
pass over their faces much easier. This Oily matter is intitnately
connected with the bulbs of the hair. When we pull out these
hairs others will grow out of these bulbs. The hairs depend upon
the condition of the bulbs. As we get old, the bulbs seem to
lose their power to a certain extent, and the hair which was
black becomes white. Many persons, particularly ladies, do
not like to have white hairs, and try to hide this testimony of
approaching age. Now, it is astonishing how earnestly people
strive to appear young, and what miseries they will endure to
attain that object. When a lady wishes to have her hair died,
she sends for the hair-dresser in the evening. He takes a-very
strong alkaline solution, and washes her hair with it to extract
all the grease out of it. Having wiped the hair dry, he takes
the hair between his fingers, and soaks it with a metallic paste,
containing a preparation of lead.. This being done, he rolls up
the hair, covers it with a wet piece of blotting paper, and enclo-
ses it in a waterproof cap. The lady goes to bed, sleeps with
her hair in this state. In the morning the hairdresser comes
and combs out the hair, which is then a beautiful glossy black.
Some ladies undergo this operation three times a year. This
process, however, in a short time injures the bulbs of the hair,
and the hair ceases to grow altogether, a just punishment to
those who would oppose nature. We find, that nature will not
be interfered with. Whenever our hair feels sore upon brush-
ing it, we may be sure there is something wrong in the first
covering of the brain. It is very,easy to put a stop to this disease
at the first, but if neglected, its eradication is difficult. The
person to whom we are most indebted for the knowledge of
water and baths is an individual whose name is'atiated with
the history of this town, and is a name whichf a scientific
point of view, will stand at the highest point of eminence. He
alluded to the late Dr. Currie, who had set forth the medical
advantages of bathing in the clearest and most satisfactory
manner. No person will take cold after a warm bath, if he
take it properly. -A warm bath should he taken in the middle
of the day, if our object is to gain strength; or at night, if we
wish to get rid of a fever. In the former case, an hour before
dinner is the time when the most benefit can be derived from
it. The great misfortune is, that the luxury being so great, per-
sons are induced to indulge in it too long. Ten minutes or a
quarter of a hour is sufficiently long for a person to remain in
a warns bath, after which, on dressing, a-person may take im-
mediate exercise on the streets, without any fear of taking cold.
There is no necessity, as many persons think, for going to bed
afterwards. It is a curious fact, that the skin upon the palms
of the hand anti the soles of the feet is thicker than upon any
other part of the body. Some persons would take this to be the
simple result of work; but it is found to be the same when the
infant is born, and shows how beautifully the Creator has pro-
vided for the continued labour which these organs have to per-
form.
The eye is a body which has relation to our fine senses. It
is constructed upon the principle of optics. We find that the
eye is covered by a tough transparent coat, which is called the ,
cornea. Through it the light enters in conformity with the
laws of optics. One of these laws is, that light always travels
in straight lines so long as it passes through media of uniform
density. .Another is, that whenever a ray of light passes from
one body into another of different density, it is bent out of its
right line or refracted. When it is bent back it is said to. be-
reflected. Thus, when a ray of light passes from the atmosphere
into water, it is bent out of its course, because water is a denser
medium than the atmosphere. In this sort of way when rays
pass into dense bodies, they converge to a central point called
the focus, and the eye is constructed for the purpose of accom-
plishing this. When we cut through the
.cornea a liquid falls
out. Now water being dense, the couseqence'ls, that the rays
of light passing in through the tiansparent.covering are refract-
ed or brought towards a centre on their passage through this
aqueous humour. The crystalline lens occupies the centre of
the eve. It is a beautiful -body, constructed upon the principle
of an increase of thickness or density from its outside towards its
centre. It is.a hard body, quite transparent, and the utmost
skill of opticians could not construct a body of similar power as
an optical instrument on account, of the gradual increase ofl
density, which has been previously noticed. There are three
transparent bodies in the eye—the first is supplied by water, the
second by the crystalline lens, and the third by the crystalline
humour which occupies the whole of the posterior part of the
crystalline lens. At the back of the eye we have a beautiful
black body called the nerve of sight. It is coloured black to
absorb all the rays of light which are not wanted. The impres-
sions of bodies are received by the optical nerve, and in this.
way we are enabled to judge of the appearance of bodies. The
eyes of different persons are of different. colours. This arises
from a membrane called the iris, in which there is a little hole
through which we see the pupil or apple of the eye. This iris
has the power of contracting and dilating, so as to expose more
or less of, the pupil, according to the quantity of light to which
it may be exposed. Thus we find, that when the glare of a
candle is suddenly thrown upon the eye, the pupil immediately
contracts, and on the contrary when we leave a light room and
enter a dark one it becomes larger. The object of the iris is,
to shut out all extraneous light, and it contracts or dilates with-
out any knowledge on our part by self-acting nerves. The reason
why doctors examine the eyes is to -ascertain whether the pupil
has the power of contracting and dilating ; if it has not, the
brain is not ina proper state, and the cause should be- immedi-
ately looked to.
'The question is, how are we enabled to realize all the benefits
of this organ, for if the eye is so delicate-a body, it is liable to
injury. In order to afford theni proper protection, the eyes are
placed in deep sockets. The bone which encloses the eye next
the nose is very thin and easily injured, but the outside bone is
much stronger, because it is always exposed to blows. But the
eye has to move about in the socket, and in order to enable it.
to do so with eas', -the socket is: filled up with fat to act as
padding. When persons pet ill this fat is absorbed, and the eye
milks in. When a man's. eye sticks out it is a sign that he en-
joys too much of the good- things of this world. There is
another contrivance by which we are enabled to realizelatuefit.
Supposing our eyes were fixed in our bodies, so that we mist
turn our bodies whenever we ,wished to look at a person, we
should be very uncomfortable; but, in order to save us this
trouble, the .eyes,areentlow.erl withfour muscles,, one of which,
is Olaced above; anotlier- below, and the otheil. at each Side.