The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-10-25

the most part, in state of cOmbina-
ton, the result of which we call water
or moisture. OF the composition there
is, say, about 10 pounds-aU the two
chemicals not being combined. Of the
other cOmpOnents, the carbon is MAIN
ly contained in the fat, and the pros
phorous and calcium in the bones and
brain, while the rest are scattered pro-
miscuously throughout the organism.
Water, as it will be seen, makes up
the greater bulk of the body, and it is
the most important agent figuring in
the action of the machine, being the
pack mule which aids in all the work
and carries all the other components
to their allotted places in the system.
A person of the weight above given
contains in. his organization about
fourteen gallons of water. Writing on
this same subject DIR. Nichols, editor
"Boston Journal of Chemistry" says:
OF phosphorus, every adult person
carries enough Qa pOunds) about with
him in his body, to make at least 1000
of the ordinary two-cent packages of
friction matches, but he does not have
tity of the little incendiary cOmbusti-
acquainted with those strange metals,
sodium and potassium, for he has seen
them flash into brilliant flame when
thrown upon water. The body con-
tains q ounces of the former, and a
half ounce of the latter metal enough
for all needed experimental purposes
in the schools of a large city. The
magnesium which an ordinary body
contains would be ample in quantity
to form the "silver rain" for dozen
rockets, or enough to create light
which, under favorable conditions,
could be seen for distance of twenty
miles.
1t has often been asserted, and by men
who ought TO have better understood
whereof they were talking, that "the
blood of ten men contains iron enough
to make a plowshare ;" but you will
readily see by glance at the foregoing
table that the notion is an erroneous
one. The one hundred grains Of iron
reported as existing i'm a person of Or
dinary size, would just about make two
good darning-needle, and twenty
darning-needles, as you must under
stand, would not not go far toward
forming plowshare. We again copy
from DIR. Nichols:
Probably no fact in medical or chem
ical science is more widely understood
than that there is "iron in the blood"
AS fact, it is no more remarkable
than that this fluid holds potassium or
sodium, or that the brain is permeated
with phosphorus. The popular Curl
Osity and interest regarding iron as it
exists i'm the circulation, have been
excited by the vendors of quack reme-
dies alleged to contain some cOmbina-
ton of the element. While there is
much that is very absurd in the state
ments popularly presented, it is impOs-
sible to overlook the importance to the
well-being of the individual of the few
grains of iron found in the blood. If
the quantity is diminished from any
cause, the whole economy suffers seri-
GUS arrangement. We have reason
to believe that when the normal guam
tity (about $50 grains) is reduced to
ten per cent. the system is sensibly
affected and the health suffers. How
sensitive to all the chemical reactions
going on within and around, is this
complex machine which we call the
body!
Dul lIOu, dtEOIS tlC ulluSIdI GOii-
stituents of the body, does not stand
alone in its important relationship.
The metals exist combined with other
bodies, or they are locked up in the
form of salts, which are vital to the
economy. There are five rounds of
phosphate of lime, one of carbonate of
lime, three ounces of fluoride of cal
cium, three and half ounces of COM
mon salt, all of which have important
offices to fill. Not one of them must
he allowed to fall in quantity below
the normal standard. If the lime
fails, the bones gives way, if salt is
withheld, the blood suffers, and diges-
ton is impaired; if phosphorus is
sparingly furnished, the mind is weak
ened, and the tendency is towards
idiocv.
Now, since these important compO-
nents are constantly passing away and
must be renewed, the question natural
ly arises Whence do we obtain our
supplies? They come to us through
the food We eat. A pound of the flour
of which we make our bread, contains
fourth of an ounce of mineral sub
stances; a pound of potatoes contains
half the same quantity; and cabbages,
lettuce, peaches, apples-every species
of food we enjoy is constantly bring
ing in what We need, and thus the
machine is kept going and in good
repair.