Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-01-19
Facts about the Body,

There are about two hundred bones in the
human body, exclusive of the teeth. These
bones are composed of animal and earthly
materials, the former predominating in youth
and the latter in old age, rendering the bones
brittle. The most important of these bones
is the spine which is composed of twenty fonr
small bones. called the vertebra, one on top
of the other, curiously hooked together and
fastened by elastic ligaments forming pillar
by which the human 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 to draw the bones one
way, and another to draw them back again
We cannot better describe the muscles than
comparing them to fine elastic thread bound
up in their cases of skin. Many muscles ter
miuate in rendons, which are stout cords, such
as may be seen traversing the back of the
hand, Just without the skin, and which can be
observed to move when the hand is open or
shut Every motion we make, even the in-
voluntary 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, arteral and venous. The
first is the pure blood as it leaves the heart
to nourish the frame, and is of a bright YER
million color. The last is the blood as it ruus
to the heart loaded with the Impurities Of the
! body, to be there refined, and is Of purple
hue. Every puIsation Of the heart sends out
two ounces of arterial blood, and as there are
! 10 to so beats ip u minute, a hogShead Of
blood passes through the heart every hour
Ia feverS the puIsationS are accelerated and
| consequently death ensues if the fever is not
| checked
! The stomach is a boiler, if we may use such
! a figure, which drives the human engine Two
| sets Of muscles crossing each other, turn the
! food over and over, churniug it up in the gas
tric Juice till it has been reduced to the consis-
tency of thin paste. This process requires
| from two to -four hours.
! Emerging from the stomach the food enters
| the small intestines, where it is mixed with
| the bile, aud pancreatic juice and converted
| into chyIe, These small intestines are twenty
four feet long, closely packed of course, and
surrounded through their whole length with
small tubes which are like sockets, aud draw
ing off the chyle, empty into large tube
named the thOraic duct, which runs up the
| back and discharges the contents into the jug
ular vein, whence it passes to the heart to as
slit in forming the arteriai blood.
The lungs are two bags connected with the
open air by the windpipe, which branches into
innumerabIe small tubes, all over the inside of
the lungs, ach terminating in minute air
! cell The outer surface Of these air cells is
full Of small cupIllares, Infinitely small veins,
a thin membrane only divldingthe air from the
blood.
The impure portion of venous blood is car
boniC acid, which, having a stronger affinity
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 the oxygen
of the air unteS with the blood and becomes
purified then passing into the heart being
mixed with chylc. it is forced through the body
as l:e-giying and artcrial blood
The skin serves an important purpose in
carrying off impurities of the system. 1t is
traverSed with capiIIares of the body 1t is
also perforated with coutIess perspration tubes,
the united length of which amounts to twenty
eight miles, and which drains away from three
to four pounds of waste matter every twenty
foar hours or fve-eghthS of all the body dis
charges
The nerves are another curious feature of
the animal economy They are, however, but
little understood They act as feelerS to tell
the wants of the body and also as conductors
to will the muscles to act They branch out
from the brain and spine over the whole frame
in infinitely fine fbreS, like branches or twigs
to trees.