The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1858-08-28
5rlcft nlisrcllo,ln.


Blackrhod's Magazine for June contains pa.
per upon the liecurrent of the human system.
cmbodying many Facts, which, however ia
milmr to anthropologists, may be instructive
TO the common mind. We quote some of the
most interesting statements made by the arl-
thor of the contribution in question -
1.-The blood is described as torrent impct-
nously rushing through every part Of the
body, carried by an elaborate net work Olives
sells, which. in the course Of twelve mont his
convey to the various Tissues not less than
three thousand pounds weight of nutritive
material, and convey from the various tissues
not less than three thousand pounds of waste
Atcvcry moment Of our lives there are nearly
ten pounds of this fluid rushing in one con
tinuous, throbblng stream, from the heart
through the great arteries, which branch and
branch, like tree, the vessels becoming
smaller as they subdiyidcd, till they are in
visible TO the Taxed eye. and then they are
called capiaries lhair.like vessels although
they are no more to he compared in calibre
with hairs. than hairs are with cables. These
vessels form network FINER than the finest
face-so fine, indeed, that five pierce the
surface at almost any part with the point Of
needle, we open one of them and let out its
blood. In these vessels the blood yields some
of its nutrient material, and receives in eX-
change some of the wasted products of It's
sues thus modified, the stream continues
it's rapid course backward to the heart
through a systcmn Of veins, which commence
in myriad capilalies that form the termina-
ton of the arteries The veins, instead OF
subsiding like the arteries become gradually
less and less numerous, their twgs entering
branches. and the branches trunks, till
they reach the heart No sooner has the
blood poured into the heart from the veins,
than it ruShcs through the lungs, and from
them back again to the heart and arteries.
and thus completing the circle, or circulation.
This wonderous stream, ceasclcSsly circu-
atng. occupies the very centre of the Wit al
organism, midway between the functions of
nutrition and the functions of nutrition and
the functions Of eXertion, feeding and stimu-
lating the organs into activity, and removing
from them all their useless material. In its
torrent upwards Of forty different substances
are carried along it carries gasses, it carries
salts-it even carries meals and soaps
Millions of organized cells float in it's liquid :
and of the cell, which, by some, are consider
ed to be organic entities, twenty millions are
said to die at every pulse of the heart, to be
replaced by other millions. The iron which
it washes onW ard can be separated. Profcs.
sor Bernard used TO exhibit a lump oft in
his ecturc-room, nay, one ingenious French.
man has suggested that veins should be struck
from the metal extracted from the blood of
great mel. Let no one suggest that we should
wash our hands with tho soap extracted from
similar source
The blood, instead of being red, is Of yell
lowish red color, and has, in solution, many
" floating SOLIDS" known as blood discs and
corpuscles. These were first discovered in
| 1858, but the first accurate knowledge OF
them dates from 1918. and is due to Lcwen.
| burg. The corpusclcs are not numerous in
healthy human blood, and play but Sec
ondary part, unless they are the Stage OF the
red dsca.
The constituents of the blood are stated Ia
he water, 764 parts out Of a thousand ; albu-
lncns70, and iibrine 2 20. The remaining Gle.
mcnts are chiefly fat containing phosphorus
iron, with various other substances. The
blood Of no two men is precisely similar it
disease to what it is in health. or at different
epochs Of life. The iron which circulates ir
the veins Of the embryo is more abunda nj
than the iron in the veins of the mother; and
this quantity declines after birth, to aug,nen,
again at puberty. The fats vary in different
individuals from Ia to 33 in 1000. The
cells vary with the varying health The al
bu,ncn huctuatcs from 60 10 70 parts in, l..
900 the proportion being greater during di
gcstion. The tihrine, usually amounting t'
about ) IN 1000, may arise rs -. or fall as
low AZ !.
There are two descriptions of blood in cir
cuation in every human beng-venous ant
arterial blood the former being dark purple
the latter bright scarlet. If venomous 5loot
! be injected into the arteries going to the brain
it produced syncope and death. Yet arteria
blood thus injected will revive an animal sui
fering from loss of blood. Between the tw'
fluids, therefore, profound difference exists
and yet the venous blood has only to pas
through the lungs in an atmosphere not over
charged with carbonic acid and at once it be
comes transformed into nutrient, sustaining
: fluid.
Artcrial blood is everywhere the same
is one stream pcrpetually flowing of int
smaller streams, but always the same fluid i
its minutcst Ill as IN its largest currents
Not SO vcnous blood. That is con1ucnc
Of many uurItutg each one hrinpinn with