Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1858-08-04
From the London Quarterly.1
WONDERS OF THE HUMAN SYSTEM.

Paey applauds the contrvance by which every.
thing we eat and drink is made to glide on its road
to the gulet, over the entrance Of the wind pipe
without falling into it. A little movable lid the
epigotts, which is lifted up when we breathe, is
pressed down upon the chnk of the air passage by
the weight of the food and the action OF the muscles
in swallowing it. Neither solids nor liquids. in Short
can pass without shutting down the ap-door as
they proceed But this is only part Of the safe
guard. The slit at the top Of The wind -pide, which
never closes entirely when we breathe, is endowed
with an acute sensiby to the slightest particle of
matter. The least thing which touches the margin
of the aperture causes its sides to firmly to.
gether, and the intruding body is stopped at the
inlet. IL is stopped, but, unless removed must drop
at the next inspiration into the lungs. To effect its
expulsion, the ScnsibIty Of the rim at the top Of
the w'nd-pipe actually puts into vehement action a
whole class of muscles placed ln'" than its bottom
aud which, COMPRISING the G: Ut which they
distributed drives out the .s. wiih force that
sweeps the offending substance before it.
The convulsive coughing which arises WHEN we
are choked is the energetic effort OF nature f,r
r LEI when anything chances to have evaded the
protecting epslortis Yet this property, to which
we are constantly owing our lives, is confined to
single spot in the throat. II does not Sir Charles
Bell atfrmS, belong to the rest of the wind pipe
hut Is limited 20 the orifice where alone il is needed
Admirable, t"" il is to observe that, while thus
Stive to the mos, insignificant atom. il bears with
ont resentment The atmospheric curreI Is which
passing 10 anu ITO over lfrltaUe lips.
IL rejects, says Paley, "the touch of a crumb Of
bread or drop of water, with a spasm that con
vuises the whole frame; and yet, left to itself and
lis proper Office the int rnission Of air alone, moth
ing can be 30 quiet. II does not even make itself
felt; man durs not know that he has trachea."
This capacity of perceiving with such acureness.
this impatence of offence yet perfect rest and
when let alone, are properties, one would have
thought, not likely to reside in the subject.
1t is to the junction. however. of these almost in
consistent qualities in this, well in some other
delicate parts of the body. that owe safety
and our comfort-our safety to their sensibility
comfort to their repose.
Another of the examples adduced by Bell is that
Of the heart. The famous DR.. Harvey examined, at
the request of Charles l., nobleman of the Mont
gomery family, who, in consequence Of an abscess,
had a fstulous opening into the chest, through
which the heart could be seen and handled. The
great physioogist astonshed to find it insensi.
BILE. 81 then brought him." he says " to the king,
that he might behold and touch so extraordinary a
thing and that he might perceive, as did, that un-
less when we touched she outer skin, when he
saw our fingers in the cavity, this young noblcman
knew not that we touched the heart" Yet it is to
| the heart that refer joys, sorrows, and
| our affections; speak of good hearted and a
| bad hearted, true hearted and heartless man.
| Shielded from physical violence by outwork o
bones it is invested with sensations which could
have attributed nothing to its preservation but
| while it can be grasped with the fingers, and give
intimaton Of the fact to its possessor, it unmis
| takabv responds to the varied questions of the
mind. sad bv tie general consent of mankind, il
pronounced The seat of our pleasures, grefs. sympa
| thes ha'r dS and love. Persons have frequently
dropped down lead from the vehemence with which
| it contracts expands upon the sudden announce
| mcnt Of good or bad news-its muscular walls be
ing strained too lar in the upward or downward di
rection to enable them to return-and Of tn
purposes which this property of the heart is proba
Ily de- UnPHf IN sinh iS IN nnf chpck
| the passions through the alarming physical sensa
| ton they excite.
The brnin again, is enclosed in bony case. Al
our bodily sensations dependent upon the nerves
| but even the nerves do not give rise 20 feeling un
less tLey are in connexion with the brain. The ner
chord, which, in familiar language, is callet
| the spinal marrow is the channel by which thi
Communication is kept u2 in the major part of them
and when a section of what may be termed the grea
trunk for tue convey ance of our sensations is de
ceased and by the breach in its continuity, tn
nerves below the diSordered part longer sen,
their accustomed intelligence tn the brain, the por
lion of the body which thus becomes isolated ma
be burned or hacked, and no more pain will resul
tiiaa if it belonged dead carcass instead of to
i,vtrg mrn. The brain. therefore. III subordinatio
t, the m'nh, = the physical centre Of all sensation
Yet, strange To say. 1t is itSef iuSenSibe to tn
w"In,l> wh ch sr" torture tn the ska, aad whic
u."i- the hr;i2 an. enables uS tn Icel ut
a. .rs sbe" s.vS III Charles B H. '' aS the leathe
~ So. a:d I'i.'e NAV he cut off with in
.csrIi ti:. r patient iI fhe sentence he is ut,erins
Because tine BOSE which envelopes It is its proieC
lion against ij''iics from without; it has no pei
cap;ion u; them when directed against its own fab
rc though il * at the same time, the sole sourc
o. the pain which these injuries i,tlict upon tn
other portions of the system But the skull is n
defence against the effects of intemperance, a Vi
tated atmosphere, or too great mental toll I
these, consequently, the same brain which has bee
created insensible the of knife is fully alv,
and giddiness. headache, and apoplectc oppres
sionS give ample notice to to stop the evil, unes
we are prepared to pay the penalty.
The Duty OF THE DEMocRAcY.-Onr neighbors
| the HeraM and indeed all the opposition paper