Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-10-03
Facts About tho Human Body.

| bones are composed OF animal and earthly maerl-
ais, the former predominating in youth and the
latter in old age, rendering the bone brittle. The
most important OF the bones is the spine, which
is composed of twenty four small bones called the
vertebrae. one on the top o! the other, curiously
hooked together land fastened by elastic ligaments,
forming pillar, so 70 speak, by which the hu-
man frame is supported.
The bones are moved by the muscles, of which
there are more than five hundred. The red meat
of beef, the fat being excluded, is the muscular
fabric of the OK. There are two sets of muscles,
one to draw the bone one way, and another TO
draw it back again. We cannot better describe
the muscles than by comparing them to fine elias
tic threads, bound up N their cases of skin. Ma
nv muscles terminate in tendons, which are stout
cords, such as may be seen traversing the back of
the hand, Just within the skin and which can be
observed to move when the hand is opened or
shut. Every motion we make, even the invoun-
tary one of breathing is performed through the
agency of the muscles. :
! In adults there are aJaut fifteen quarts of blood,
each quart weighing a6ouc.tSo pounds. This
blood is of two kinds the arterlal and veinous.-
The first is the pure blood as it leaves the heart
to noursh the frame and is of bright vermillion
color The last is the blood, as ii returns to the
heart, loaded with the impurities of the body, TO
be there refined and is of purple hue. Every
pulsaton of the heart sends out about two ounces
of arteral blood, and as there are from seventy to
eighty beats in the minute, a hogshead of blood
passes through the heart every hour. In fevers
the pulsations are accelerated the waste of the
body goes on faster than it can be recuperated !;
and consequently death ensues if the fever is not
checked.
al. LII e,,oh
figure, which drives the human engine. Two
sets of muscles, crossing each other transversely,
turn the food over and over. churnIng 1t up in the
gastic juice till it has been reduced to the conss-
tency Of thin paste. This process requires from
two to four hours. Emerging from the stomach,
the food enters the small inteStines, where it is
mixed with bile and the pancTealc juice, land con-
yerted into chyle These small inestines are
twenty four feet long. closely packed, of course.
and surrounded through their whole length with
small tubes, which aci like suckers, and drawing
off the chye, empty il into larger tube, named
the thoracic duct which runs up the back, and
dschargess contents into the jugular vein, whence
it passes into the heart, to assist in forming arte-
rial blood.
The lungs are two bags, connected with the
open air by the windpipe, which branches into in.
SllIdIl laUSS All ONVi tho VI thC
lungs each tube terminating in minute ar-cell.
The other surface of these air cells, is full of ca
pllaries, or infinitely small veins, thin mem
brane only dividing the air from the blood. The
impure portion of veinons blood is carbonc acid
which having a stronger affinity for air than for
blood, passes through this thin membrane, in
gaseous state. combines with the air in the air
cells. and is expelled with the next expiration.
Msantime the oxygen of the air unites with the
blood and becomes purified, then passing into the
heart, being mixed with chyle it is forced through
the body as life giving and arleria blood.
The skin serves an important purpose in carry
ing off impurities from the human system. 1t is
traversed with capillaries, which contain more
blood in tie aggregate. than all the other capilla-
ries of the body. 1t is also perforated with count
less perSpiration tubes, the united length ofwhici
amount to twenty eight miles, and which drain
away from three 10 fonr pounds of waste matter
every twenty four hours, or fiy eighths of all
that the body discharges.
The nerves are another curious feature of the
animal economy. They, are. however, but little
understood. They act as feelers to tell the wants
of the body and also as conductors to will the
muscles TO act They branch out from the brain
and spine over the whole frame. in infinitely fine
fbres, like the branches and twigs of tree
Ledger.
THE SPEED OF RAILWAY CAas.-Many the
accidents which happen 10 persons attempting 10
cross the railroads are the result of ignorance of
the velocity of the iron horse when fairly under
way. writer in the Hartford Courant gives
some interesting facts which it may be well to
bear in mind:
cit seems almost incredible that as we glide
smoothly along the elegantly furnished car moves
nearly twice its own length in second of time
about seventy four feet. At this velocity we find
that the locomotive driving Wheels six feet in
diameter, make four revolutions per second. 1t is
no idle piston rod that traverses the cylinder thus
eight times per sec0nd.
''lf man with horse and carriage upon an
unimporlant public road in country town should
approach and cross the track at a speed of six
i miles per hour, which would be crossing rapidly.
an express train approaching at the moment would
move towards him Two hundred and fifty seven
! feet while he was in the act of crossing distance
barely sufficient to clear the horse and vehicle
II the horse was moving at a rate no faster than
walk, as the track is usually crossed. the train
would move towards him. while in the act of
crossing, more than five hundred feet. This fact
accounts for the many accidents at such points,
! The person driving thinks he may cross because
the train is few rods distant.
"Hew compares the highest speed of the train
with the velocity of sound When the whistle
is opened at the eighty rod whistle post the
train will advance near one hundred feet before
the sound of the whistle traverses the distance to
and is heard at the crossing. The velocity ex-
ceeds the flight of many of our birds. DR.. j. L..
Comstock the well known author OF several phlo-
sophical works, informed the writer that ne was
recently passing through Western New York
when the train actually ran down and killed a
common hawk The train was stopped, and the
game SO rarely captured was secured"
NATURAL BARoMErERs.-Chc is an
excellent barometer When the flower expands
fully we are not to expect rain for several hours
should it continue in that state, no rain will dis
turb the summers day. When it half conceals
its miniature flower, the day is generally showery
but lift entirely shuts up, or wells the white flow
er with its green mantle, let the traveller put on
his great coat The different species of Trefoil
always contract their leaves at the approach of
storm so certainly does this take place that these
plants acquired the name of the husbandman's
i.-......I rrha Tnlin and several of fba oor,