Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1860-07-26
A MANS nodyn a living stove.

| The hctecnc herten, treating OF the calOrC
or heat in humon body, compares our body
to living stove, walking iireplaces, iurnaces
in the flesh, if these terms eau be applied TO
any apparatus for the express production OF
human caloric ANer stating the fact of the
latent heat Of the human frame, the writer
says
Suppose It 10 be the month Of January,
whom winter is presumed 10 be rcigning IN fall
vigor, and every innninato object appears TO
have been drained of its caloric still the hu-
man structure will exhibit a surplus of sixty
six degrees above The freezing point Why Is
this How does il happen that, while a
bronze statue iluctuates in Us temperature
with every passing breeze the living organism
maintains is standard heat nnimpaircd, and
preserves its tropical climate within, though
the air should be full Of frost and the ground
enyelopod in snow II is manifest that we
must have some power of "brewing caloric
for ourselves Assuming that our bodies are
yoritable stoves, the reviewer proceeds 10 eX-
plain whence We procure our fuel FOrtu.
nntely, our conl and irewood he adds are
stored up ia very interesting form They
are laid before us in the shape of bread and
butter, puddngs and pies rashers Of bacon
for the laborer, and launches of venison and
turtle soup for the epicure. Instead Of being
brought up in scuttlcs they are presented in
turcens, dishes or tumblers, or all ofthem in
pleasant succession.
Speaking seriously, and looking ut the qucs-
ton from mere human point Of view, could
any project appear more hopeless than ono
for burning fuel in soft, delicate fabric like
the human body--a fabric composed, for the
most part of mere lluids---a fabric which
might be easily soorched by excess of heat or
damaged by excess Of cold2 Docs il not seem
like touch of Quixotism in Nature TO design
n stove with flesh for its walls, veins for It's
lues, skin for its covering2 Yet here, we
have seem is an apparatus which, as il by
magic produces n steady stream Of hoat--nOt
trickling penurously from its fountains but
flowing on day aud night winter and summer,
without moments cessation from January to
December Carry this splendid machine to
the coldest regions Of the globe-set il up in
u scene where the frosts are SO crushing that
nature seems to be trampled dead-still il
pours out its mysterious supplies with unaba-
ted proiusion. II is an apparatus too, which
does its work unmatched, and IN great
measure, unaided
The very fuel, which is thrown into il IN
random heaps, is internally sined and sor-
ted, 10 that the true combustible elements
are conveyed TO their place and applied
to their duty with unerring precision.
No hand is needed 10 trim It's fires, TO tenn
per its glow, TO remove its ashes Smoke
there is none spark there is none flame
there is none. The pulmonary chimney is
never clogged with human CRIME All is 80
delicately managed that the iairest skin is nci-
ther shriyeled nor blackenod by the burning
within. Is this apparatus placed in circum.
stances which rob II too fast Of its caloric,
then the appetite becomes clamorous for food,
aud in satisfying its demands the noshy stove
is silently replenished. Or, we are placed in
peril from superabundant warmth, then the
tiny lloodgates Of persplration are flung open,
and the surface is laid under water until the
fires within are reduced TO their wonted level
Assaled on the one hand by heat, the body
resists the attack, if resistance be possible un-
ill the store of moisture is dissipRted nssailed
on the other by cold II keeps the enemy at
bay until the boarded stock Of fuel is expcnf.
cd. Thus protected, thus provisioned, let us
ask whether these human hearths are not en-.
titled to rank among the standing marvels of
creation, for is il not startling TO find that-let
the climate be mild or rigorous, let the wind
blow from the sultry desert, or come loaded
with polar sleet let the fluctuations of tenn.
perature be rs violent ms they may without
ns--therc shall be still calm unchanging
undyng summer with U.S.