The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1864-03-04

overshoe, the moisture soon acco omuln,cs.
Now, the thin partition between tho air and
blood.vesseIs. belongs to this class of nom.
branos, and allows the carbonic acid to leave
tho blood, and pass into the afr cells. while
tho oxygen leaves tho inhaled air, and in
tho same manner unitcs with the blood OF
the capillary vessels. which once more as.
sumes florid hue. Having. just before
reaching the heart received from the appro.
pirate source its fresh supply of nrtriment
drawn from the digested food, II IL now, IN
truth. the vital current, prepared to roturn
to the heart, thence to be sent anew on It's
perpetual circuit
Nov. bero Few things may be claimed
as solf. evident First, that the sise and ca
pacty Of the lungs correspond to the bulk
of tho whole body, as we'll as to the amount
Of the circulating fluid. Second, that the
quantity Of air they may contain also cor
responds 10 that of tho samo fluid. Third,
that any Diminishing of the quality or de-
terioratioo of the quality will. in !iko de-.
grec. interfere with the proper discharge of
the function, tho publication of tho blood.
Fourth, that tho blood. circulated through
the entire system, instead of properly nour.
ishing and invigorating each organ and tissue
through which it passes. will debilitate and
derange oil. These evils will be greatly en-
bancod by involving. as they must, the nor
vous system. and it's great conter, the brain,
which, becoming disordered. will, 10 its turn,
derange all. Hence, other organs, Us the
liver, kidneys aud skin, which arc also OF.
tensivoly engaged in throwing off impuri.
ties from the system, denied their accus.
toned supply ofnutrition from deterioration
OF the blood, cease to perform their dutios
properly. and leave tho system the prey to
deleterious or poisonous mato, ;al, Thus
the evil aggravates in rapidly increasing
ratio. II these conclusions arc correct in
marked departures from healthy stand.
ard, they must be no less so in kind, though
not 10 degree. 10 slighter alterations, which,
though slower, may be no less sure. Imight
here, by way of episode, speak of those Of
whom Pollock wrote, .et. ..
"She thought tina, God had made her greatly GU
! OF taste, .. .-
And took much pa ins TO form herself anew"
But wo will leave that to tho graveyard.
A very simple demonsirsrou Of the
change air undergoes in re spiration, may be
shown by breathing into lime water through
o tube Tho water, when properly pre-.
pared. 10 transparent, but a few expirations
render It turbid and milky This will be
soon deposited upon tho bottom Of tho yes.
sol. and carbonate of lime, puro chalk in
powder, is formed. The breath from the
lungs furnishes the csrbonic acid just dis
charged from The blood, and they unite
from affiuity. Breathe the air from q bot
tie. and return Is again without mingling
With pure air, then. drop lighted match
into il, tho match is almost instantly extin
; guished, and wby' The air, on being in
hailed into tho lungs, loses portion OF il
oxygen, takes on carboric acid, a non.sup
porter of combustion, as il will extineuisI
fame immersed in it as soon CO water, ant
these, with the nitrogen of The air. also
non supporter, cannot furnish sufficient oxy
J gen. the great supporter of combustion
and the fame. Of course. expires. Anothe,
proof OF tho presence and property of thu
acid in the expired breath, may be easily
seen by breathing, in like manner, into at
infusion Of vegetable purple. as the purple
y Cnh nhan
! bright red. as 1t is one of the prominen
0 characteristics of the acids to produce thi
!, change of color.
: These illustrations might bo extended iE
J. definitely. but It is not necessary. Nov, q
d.. oxygen is essential to both respiration an,
; combustion, and. as may DO shown. for simi
I lar causes, at least in part, it follows tha
air that will not support combustion freely
D is unsafe to breathe This conclusion 10 acte'
D upon in relation to old wells, cislerns, vaults
&c. A lighted candle or taper is usual,
lowered, and. if it burns freely. there is n,
' hesitation 10 descending, and rice Versa. I,
!, close rooms. where many pairs Of lungs ar
}. at work, the air soon becomes vitiated, de-
c Acont in oxygen. and charged with carboni
! acid aud moisture, coustitu ting what
l called mephitic air, and, as this is breathe
over and over, becoming more foul at ever
r respiration, the whole system must and wi
d suffer from the want Of it's proper stimulus
!. and from iuhaled poison. a few facts wi
show the importance of this subject 10
= strong light. The amount of carbonic aci
!. excreted from the lungs of a person of ol
: binary size, in twenty. -four hours, is neurl
Q $4,000 cubic inches, containing about 6
i ounces OF solid carbon. THIS requires, !
:. the same time, moro than AGO, 900 cubi
e inches of pure air to furnish the roquisit
'f amount OF oxygen for its consumption, q
y that any diminution Of this quantity sends
q corresponding amount of impurity, not |
10 say poison, through the vital current. Fro
10 the foregoing facts we may learn how grel
j. q volume of air is vitiated and rendered III
g fit tor respiration by one pair of lungs. ,
T. air once brea,hed will not support con
70 bustion, hence IL 10 unfit to be again inhale
}. Is II matter of surprise that, in orowde
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