Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-02-09
The Human SYSTEM.


are seventeen elementary substances in
the composition of the human body. More
than nine-tenths of the whole bulk Of the
system is composed OF four gases which
are invisible when in free and uncom-
binea state, viz {: oxygen, hydrogen, carbon
and nitrogen. Besides these substances
there is, in every full man, enough plos-
phorus and sulphur to tip gross OF i1c-
ton matches; enough potash, soda ana llme'
to form I've sufficiently strong to bear up
half a dozen eggs at once enough iron TO
make a good sized penknile blade; enough
of flint to load the cock Of an old fashioned
Queens arms, and enough copper to give
a flea heavier burthen in proportion to its
size, than was ever borne on the back Of
camel.
The entire body, that part of it which
possesses vitality, is but collection OF
cells, each one of which is mere round,
pearl-colored bag. filled with fluid and far
TOO small to be seen with the naked eye
so small are they, in fact, that 10000 of
the smallest of them could be strung upon
single inch in length of the thread OF a
SPIDERS web.
An the bones before birth, are soft, like
ielly; only six OF the two hundred and for
ty-six which we find IN an adult, being full
~ formed, or ossified, at birth; these are
the bones of hearing, three in each ear.
Every bone IN the body is in immediate
connection with some other bone, except
the hyoid bone, which is situated at the
upper part of the windpipe, just under the
lower jaw. Its length is about two inches:
but twenty muscles, seven hgaments and
one membrance are attached to it. More
than one-half of the substance Of the bones
is composed of phosphate Of lime, that sub
stance about which so much has recently
been SAID as remedy for consumption
Some physicians appear to have just dis
covered that phosphorus composes a part
of the human system, although the more
scientific members of the profession have
long used it with great advantage. especial
ly in chemical union with iron.
The muscles Of the human system are
somewhat over 500 in number. Some Of
them, as en- the back of an adult, are n
inches in length and some, as III the ear.
are not over fourth of an inch long
Muscle is termed lean meat. Muscle is di
vided into the fbres; end if we take the
smallest of these fibres which can be seer
by the naked eye, and place it in The felt
of powerful microscope,we shall tiEd thai
il is IN itself bundle of minute fibres, eacl
of which is not more than ten thousantl
part of an inch IN diameter, and some o
them are even less than half that size. a
rope formed by twisting fifty of these f.
bres together, would be too small to be seer
by the unaided vision. Could we unrave
the fibres of single cubic inch of clea
muscle, they would be found to stretch on
over 5000 miles in length Could all the
muscular fibres of an ADULT be placed in ;
continuous line, they would form threat
which would reach more than 400 time;
round our globe, or over 10 900, 600 of miles
Chemically examined, dried blood ant
dried muscle are found 10 be precisely tht
same.
The little glands which produce thu
sweat are situated just beneath the cuts
or true skin. Each gland sends up through
the skin little tube about quarter OF ar
inch in length, through which the sweat Is
poured out These glands number abott
$4,000 in a square inch of the palms of the
hands and soles of the feet, land about 2S0C
in square inch Of the remainder of the
surface of the body. The total number Of
pores, in the human body is about 7000,-
600; and the total length of the tubes thro'
which the sweat is poured out, is nearly rs
miles.
The weight of the brain and spinal cord
Al l. H.,
ces, but that Of the female is often found
as low as IL ounces, and very seldom high
err than AZ ounces. In man, one thirty
sixth of the whole is brain, yet it receives
one-sixth of the blood of the entire system.
Surrounded, and within the convolution Of
every healthy brain there are about two
ounces Of water.
The process by which sound is commu-
nicated to the brain, is very curious. The
ear is divided into three parts--external,
middle, and internal ear-fIst, there is the
external ear,or porch 10 the house in which
sits the god OF listening. Every sound, as
oil very well know spreads out upon the
air in an undulatory manner, Just as when
we cast a stone into stream, certain
waves are produced, which spread out in
constantly widening circles. This wave in
the air enters the car, and raps, as it were,
upon the title door called the membrane
iympani, which is situated at the bottom OF
the external ear
Within the middle chamber, and on the
INNER side Of the door, stand those three
little houses which act as servants in the
hall, to communicate the message to the
brain. No sooner, then, does the sound
rap upon this door, than the malleus, or
hammer, the handle of which is fastened
upon the inner side of the door, strikes a
blow upon the anvil. The anvil throws all
its burden into the bone called the s!lrrup,
to which it is fastened. The stirrup itself
is fastened by ring to the oval window
which opens to the internal ear, to vibrate,
and thus tell the story to the nerves which
surround it, and through them it is commu-
nicated to the brain.
IS BucKwuEAT CAKES.-Thc griddle on
which cakes are baked should never be
b touched with grease. Firstly, because it
imports rancid taste to the cakes. Se-