Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-05-15
FACTS GBOUT THE BUMAN BODY,

There are two hundred and eight
bones in the human body, exclusive
of the teeth. These bones are COM
posed of animal and earthly materials,
the former prepOnderating in youth
and the latter in old age, rendering
I the bone brittle. The most important
of the bones is the spine, which is
composed of twenty-four small bones
called the vertebrae, one on the top Of
the other curiously hooked together,
and fastened by elastic ligaments,
/ forming a pillar, so to speak, by
which the human frame is supported.
There are two sets of muscles, one
to draw the bone one way, and the
other to draw it back again. We can
not better describe the muscles than
by comparing them to fine, elastic
threads, bound up in their cases of
skin. Many muscles terminate in
tendons, which are stout cords, such
as may be seen traversing the back of
the hand, just within the skin; and
which can be observed to move when
the hand is opened or shut. Every
motion we make, even the involunta-
~ one of the breathing, is performed
through the agency Of the muscles.
In adults there are about fifteen
quarts of blood, each quart weighing
about two pounds. This blood is of
two kinds, the arterial and venous.-l
The first is the pure blood as it leaves
the heart to nourish the frame, and is
of bright vermillion color. The last |
is the blood as it returns to the heart, |
loaded with the impurities of the |
body to be there refined, and is of a |
.Ta u Of NbaN
heart sends out about two ounces of !
arterial blood, and as there are from
seventy to eighty beats in the minute, /
a hOgshead of blood passes through /
the heart every hour. In fevers the
motion is accelerated the waste goes
on faster than it can be recuperated;
and consequently death comes If the
fever is not checked
The stomach is a boiler, if we may
use such an expression, which drives
the human engine. Two sets of mus
cles crossing each other traversely,
turn the food over and over. ehurning
it up in the gastric juice till it has
been reduced to the consistency of
thin paste. This process requires
from two to four hours Emerging
from the stomach, the food enters the
small intestine, where it is mixed
with bile and paDeretic juice and con-
verted into chyle. These small in
testiHes are twenty-fonr feet long,
closely packed, Of course, and sur
rounded, through the whole length
with small tubes which act like suck
ers, and drawing off the chyle, empty
il into a large tube, named the thor
lcic duct, which run up the back, and
its contents into the jugu-
lar vein, whence it passes into the
heart, to assist in forming arterial {
blood.
The lungs are two bags connected I
with the open air by the windpipe,
which branches into innumerable
mall tubes all over the inside of the {
ungs, each tube terminating in a {
minute air-cell. The other surface ]
# these air-cells is full OF capidaries, ,
II infinitely small veins, membrane /
'nly dividing the air from the blood.
The impure portion of veinous blood
8 earbOnic acid, which, having a 6
trOpger affinity for air than for I
Hood, passes through this thin MEM
,rane in q gaseous state, combines :
With the air in the air-eell, and is eX- +
lelled with the next respiratiOn.- G
the oxygen of the air Z
mites with the blood and becomes I
then passing into the heart, d
eing mixed with ehyle, it is forced 9
through the body as life-giving and d
rterial blood.