Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1855-12-15
Facts about the Human Body.

There are two hundred and eight bones in the
human body, exclusive Of the teeth. These bones
are composed of animal and earthly materials, the
former preponderaing in youth and the latter in
old age, rendering the bone brittle. The most i'm
portant Of the bones is the spine. composed Of "a
small bones called the venebeR, one on the top of
the other. cnronsly hooked together, and fastened
by elastic gan'enls, forming pillar, so to speak,
| By which the human frame is supported.
There are two sets of muscles one TO draw the
bone one way. and the other to draw il back again.
We canno, better describe the muscles than by
comparing them to fine elastic threads, bound up
in their cases Of skin. Many muscles terminate in
tendons which are sion, cords, such as may be
seen naversing the back Of the hand, just within
the skim and which can be obsery cd to move when
the hand is opened or shut Every motion we
make, even the involuntary one Of breathing, is
performed through the agency Of the muscles. 8
In admits there about fifteen quarts of blood.
each quart weighing about two pounds. This
blood is Of two kinds, the arteral and venous.-
The first is the pure blood as it leaves the heart to
nourish the Frame and is of bright vermilion CO.
Io. The last is the blood as il reurus to the heart.
loaded with the impurities of the body, to be there
refined, and is of purple hue. Every pulsation
of The heart sends out about two ounces of arie-
rial blood and as there are from seventy to eighty
beats in the minute, hogshead of blood passes
through the heart every hour. In fcvers The mo-
toni acceIerated the waste goes faster than it
! ho tod. and ou<lu Joo%b
sues if the fever is no. checked.
/ The stomach is boiler, if we may use such an
expression, which drives the human engine. Two
sets Of muscles crossing each other traversely turn
the food over and over. churnng i up in the gas
tric Juice till has been reduced 10 the consistency
Of thin paste. This process requires from two to
four hours. Emerging from 'he stomach, tho food
enters the small intestines where it is mixed with
bile and pancretic juice, and converted into chyle.
These small iu,estines are twenty-four feet long,
closely packed of course, and surrounded through
the whole length with small tubes which act like
suckess, and drawing of the chye, empty ii intos a
large tube, named the tboratc duct, which runs up
the back and discharges its contents in the juguar
vein, whence it passes Unto the heart to assist in
forming arterial blood. "a s us ssagsl ga
The lungs are two bags connected with the open
air by the windpipe. which branches into immune
rable small tubes all over the inside Of dc lungs.
each tube terminating in a minute air-celll The
other surface Of these air cells 10 full Of capilasies.
or infinitely small veins, membrane ouly dividing
the air from the blood. The impure portion of ye.
nous blood is carbonc acid, which, having stron-
ger affinity for air than for blood, passes through
this thin membrane in gaseoassta,e, combines
with the air in the air-cel and isexpelled with the
next respiration. Meantime, the oxygen Of the
air unites with the blood and becomes purified;
then passing into the heart being mixed with chye.
it is forced through the body a kfegiving and ar
| terial blood. --~-------e------