Litchfield enquirer., 1855-08-30
\ Physiological Argument.

A FnyBl0lOEicdl SuMent.
 It is noticed by students of anatomy
 that many of the muscles which move the joints in the human body act under great mechanical disadvantage. They are attached to the bones so as to operate obliquely .and apply their force at the short end of the lever, near the 1ulcrum. In the case of the elbow.
 for instance, the muscle which moves the joint is fastened at one end to the bone of the arm near the shoulder, and at the other 10 bone just below the elbow on the inside. The elbow-joint operating as a hinge, the contraction of the muscle has the effect 10 raise the whole Of the lower arm, with the hand, and sometimes . superadded weight, though manifestly at great loss of power compared with what the muscle would have if it were attached to the arm farther down, as at lhe wrist, instead oi near tl,e joint 10 De moved Its operation is the same as if we should attempt to shut door by pulling on string fastened at the back part near its hinges. We could do il; but it would take several pounds oI power in this situation to be equal to . single pound applied on the edge mex, 10 the latch So in the case of most of the muscles-some anatomical in- vestigator has calculated that only one sixteenth part of their power is rea- liEed in di,ect action, the remainder being lost in overcoming the disadvan- tages of their mode of operation =. We can imagine if this $ the case what must be the actual strength ol the muscular system in stout man.
 Tine counierbalancmg considerations which led to this sacrifice of power in the arrangement of the muscles have reference, undoubtedly, 10 beauiy of form and eelerity of action. We are much handsomer and swiiter than we should be if the muscles were 50 fixed in our various limbs as 10 have sl,e ad- vantage of the long end oi ihe lever. II the muscle for lifting the arm and carrying weights exended hom the shoulder 10 lire wrist, which would be tlrc most economical arrangement with reference simply to power, il would make an ungamiy looking limb; the delicate inside angle of ille elbow would be filled with a proluberan, mass Of 6esh. On the other hand, the muscle 50 placed would require to contract three times as far as it does now to raise the arm, and consequently ,he ac,ion would be much slower.
 l, is obvious from this inspection of the mechanism of the muscular sys- tenn that we w,re not constructed principally with reference to the exer- ton of slresgih, and hence arises an argumen, against the idea ,ha. man was made for heavy hand labor. lf hard, incessant lifting and labor, like that which mnl,iiudes are now con- demned to, was intended to be the proper destiny of man, he would have been constructed with more suitable provision for 1t in the arrangement of the muscles; the ninety per cent. of power which is now given up for the sake of beauty aud speed would nave been saved for strength. Mans true destiny on the other hand,;s to conquer nature by mind. intelligence, a euod spirit, and social unity. and this will reduce the necessity of physical labor to the proportion which nature has in- dica.ed in the adaptation oI the mus cles.