Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1850-04-23
The Use and Value of Nigh, Soil.

That man gets his bones from the rocks
and his muscles frum the atmosphere, is be-
yond al doubt. Tho iron in his blood, aud
/ lime in h. teeth, were originally in the soil.
Bot these could no, be- in his body nnless they
had previously formed part ofhis food. And
vet We can neither live on air nor on stones.
We cannot grow ft upon limo, and iron is
positively indigestlble in our stomaehs. II is
by mean. Of the vegetable creation alone that
We are enabled 10 convert the mineral into
flesh aud blood. The only apparent use Of
herbs aud plants Is n change the inorganic
earth, air, and water into organic substances
fitted for thc nutrition of animals. The little
lichen, which, by means Of the oIalic acid
that Il sccrctcs, decomposes the rock 10 which
1t clings, and ft, their line Tor assimilation
with higher organism. J., a. Il were, but tho
primitive bonc-.nakcI II tlIg ~or'l. By what
subtitle trinsuutatIon inorganic nature -
changed lnto organic, and dead, inert matter
qui"kcucd with life, is Car beyond us even 10
cowocur. Suffice tthai an express appsn.
ius Is required for the process--a special me
chaniSm to convert Ihe "crus, of the earth"
5s It is called, into food for man and brast
Now IN nature everything moves IA ciI.
clc--PcrPctually changing, aud yet ever 70
turning Ia the point whence u started. Our
bodied are continually Jeeompo,ing and re-
composing the very process ofbreath.
ing J, bat one Of decomposition. A. animals
live on vegetables, even 81 is lhe refuse of the
animal thc vegetables food. The earbonie
acid which comes from our lungs, aud which
u poison ior us 10 nh.le, j. not only the vital
AIR Of plants, but positively their nutnmcni.
With the sane wondrous economy lhat marks
AL creation. It has been ordained that what j.
unfit ior the superior organism is Of all sub
stance, the bcs, adapted to give s,rcngth and
NIgor To the lnlcuor That which NC cX.
crete a. pollution Ia our system, they secrcts
to ihclrs. planB are not only
natures 'ca,cngers, but natures purifiers --
They remove the Giih from the earth. a. well
- dl.ln'ccts the atmosphere, and n il 10 DO
brralhcd by higher order Of beings With.
oui the vegetable creation the animal could
neither have ben nor be. Plants net only
liitcd the earth originally for the residence Of
man aRh the brute hut they continue 10 Ton.
der 1t hahltablr tous. For this end their Us.
turt h1' been made the very antithcsis ofours.
The prucess by which We live is the process
by which they are destroyed That which
supports respiration iR U, produces putreiac.
ton 10 lhrm. What our lungs throw Oh
their lung, ab,orb-What our bodic, ryoct
their roots imbIbc
Hence, ~ erlcr that the balance VI waste
Inu supp, may ur ms.rls.,.,.- ...,g tnc prn'
clplr uf universal compensation ,hould b,
Kept mp, and that What i, rejected by "a,
should go 10 lhs ,usuncr - planls-nalura
has gwen us sr,cral instructive motives To r..
move our refuse from IA. She has not only
constituted that which wr digest the most
lcllh,omr Of ~ thing, tn our ,cnscs and I'M.
agiulrIon, but She has rendered It, ciIluNIum
Highly pcrnIcious to our hcllth-sulphumited
hydrogen bclng At oncc the mos, dclc,criou.
and the most offensive ofall rasrs Conso-
qucntly, 70, lu other eases where the great
law of s'Ifpw~'r,a,iuu needs To h. enforced
10y 'rccIal sanction, nature has made Il not
unIy advantageous 10 "a, to remove our night.
-.,ll to the fields, but positively dclrimentalto
our health, and disgusting to our ,cnses, 70
keep It IN the nrtghborh"od ofour houses.