The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1860-01-19
FACTS ABoUT THE BODY.

| A"e'e ootes are composed OF animal and
earthly materials, the former predom,nating
in youth and the latter in old age, render
ing the homes brittle. The most importan,
OF these bones is the spine, which is com
posed OF twenty four small bones, called the
vertebre, one on top of the other, curiouslv
hooked together and fastened Ivy elastic Iig
amen's, forming pillar hy which the hu
man body is supported.
The bones are moved by the muscles, Of
Which there are more than 500. The red
meat or beef, the fat being excluded, is the
muscular fabric of the OK. There are two
sets Of muscles, one 10 draw the bones one
way, and another to draw them back egain.
| we cannot better describe the muscles than
comparing them to the elastic thread bound
up in their cases of skin. Many muscles
terminate in tendons, which are stout cords,
such as may he seen traversing the back of
tile hand, just without the skin, and whicl,
can be observed 10 move when the hand is
open or shut. Every motion we make, even
The 'nvoIutary one Of breathing. is performed
through the agency of muscles.
In adults there are fifteen quarts Of blood,
each weighing about two pounds. This
blood is of two kinds, arteriaI and venous.
| Inc hrst IS the pure blood, as it leaves the
heart to nourish the frame, and is of a brigh,
vermllion color. The last is the blood AZ it
runs to the heart loaded with the impuri.
ties Of the body, to be there re fined, and is
OF purple hue. Every pu1sation Of the
heart sends out two ounces Of arterial Llood,
and as there are from 70 to 80 beats in a
minute, hogshead Of blood passes through.
the heart every hour. In fevers The rulsa.
t'ons are accelerated and consequently death
ensues if the fever is not checked.
The stomach is boiler, if we may use
such a figure, which drives the human en-.
g'ne. Two sets Of muscles, crossing each
other, turn the food over and over, churninp
1t up in the gastric juice till it has been re-
duced to the consistency of thin PASTE
HIS process requires from two to four hours.
Emerging from the stomach the food en-.
ters the small intestines, where it is mixed
with the bile and pancres,ie juice, and con
veried into chyle. These small intestincs
are twenty four feet long. closely packed Of
course and surrounded through their whole
length with small tubes which are like sock
ets' and drawing off the chyle, empty into
II large tube named the thoraic duct, which,
runs up the back and discharges the con-
tents into the JuguIar vein, whence it passes
to the heart to assist in forming the arterial
blood.
The lungs are two bags connected will,
the open air ny the windpipe. which BRAN
c''es into innumerabIe snail tubes, all over
the inside OF the lungs, eacl, terminating in
a miuata air cell. The outer surface of these
air cells is full of small capillaries, infinitely
small veins, thin membrane only dividing
she air from the blood.
| The impure portion Of venous blood is
rarbonic acid, which having a stronger ae
Unity for air than for blood, passes through
this membrane to a gaseous state, combines
with the air in the air cells, and is expelled
with the next, respiration. Meanwhile tile
oxygen OF the air upites will, tie blood.
and becomes purified; then passing into
tile heart, being mixed with ehyle, It is forced
through the body as fife giving and ar,erial
blood.
! lhe skin serves an important purpose in
carrying off impurities Of tile system. il
is traverssd will, cspillarles Of. tIfe body.--
It's perforated with conutiesa perspiration
ftubes, the united length OF which amounts
to twenty eight miles. and -wllicl, drains
away from three to four pounds ,ocf wss,e
matter every twenty four. hours or Eve
4 e'glti!s Of isll. thsskody discharges. s ::
I The nerves aresspOtber3 curious feature. Of
,Itste animal economy. They are, however,
but li.tls understood. .TiieY 4aet salfsstess
ITO tel lis wants of lEe bod and saiso I'd
conduasors tse#ili lie muscles. toaes a Tiisy,
brsnclr loas from sISesbssih aniii. srins over
Etiie Whole ltagsm III snfgi. ans fbrss aiLe
Ibrsnah sssor % sttsasa s: s. .sss
AtBaa Bss oas q sl,e gsassatlis ss.''
Eno Bdaihes tbis Gsyofsaa arIaa a.nsk it
falis basins bissosD, ssss; sias III
ierdsr7t 4 assspd Saals. .busiassssf ioEiisfs 8
3. sst. g,i..: s: