The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-07-23

THE lungs are two extremely vascular,
porous organs, situated in each of the
lateral cavities of the chest and separat-
ed from each other by the heart. In
shape, each lung is conical, with the apex
toward the upper portion of the thoracic
cavity, which is the cavity formed by the
bony framework of the ribs and dorsal
vertebr@. They weigh ordinarily about
three and one-half pounds troy; but SO
extremely spongy is their structure that,
with only this comparatively light weight,
they fill almost the entire cavity of the
thorax. Externally they are enveloped
in Serious sack, the pleura, which is the
seat of that common Inflammation, pleu-
risy. Internally they are lined with
very thin, delicate mucous membrane,
through which the oxygen of the air and
the carbonic acid of the blood pass dur
ing respiration. They are connected with
the external air by means of the larynx
and trachea, the former of which, box
like organ situated at the base of the
tongue, will be the subject Of future
paper; the latter is cartilageno-mem-
branous tube, about four and one-half
inches long, separating into two smaller
tubes called bronchi, which 60 to the two
lungs. These tubes again divide and
subdivide, their caliber constantly de-
creasing as their number increases, until
they reach diameter of about one
twenty-fifth of an inch, when they ter
inmate in little curious-shaped cells,
which are again divided by partitions
into tiny compartments Of about one
seventy-fifth of an inch in diameter.
Into these little tubes and cells the air is
drawn with each inspiration, where the
thinness of the lining membrane allows
the blood circulating through this net
work of cells to be literally bathed in
the air which furnishes the life-sustain-
ing oxygen, while at each expiration
that deadly product of our decaying It's
sues, carbonic acid, is expelled from the
system.
It must not be supposed, however, that
the entire amount Of air in the lungs is
changed with each respiratory move
ment; on the contrary, only some 10 or
IL pr cent of the whole is renewed,
which is called tidal air." the rest, or
:" residual air" remaining constantly in
the lungs; SO that it requires some ten
or twelve inspirations to completely re-
new the air in these organs. A curiosity
in respiration consists in minute, hair
like bodies called cili9, which grow per-
pendicularly to the walls of the air
passages and which keep up constant
waving motion always in the direction
of the trachea, and thus, by the tiny
currents they cause, assist materially in
completely changing the impure for
pure air.
The diseases of the lungs are numer-
Gus and formidable and by the masses
little understood. The hacking cough
of incipient consumption is but too often
mistaken for an ordinary cold; while, on
the other hand, chronic bronchitis,
which is perfectly harmless compared
with consumption, is mistaken for that
malady and the sufferers life rendered
miserable by groundless fears and nau-
seous nostrums. In the space allowed
us here it is impossible to even touch on
this portion of our subject, so we will
close with few general hints on the
care of these organs, which are as fol
lows:
Close the mouth tightly and breathe
entirely through the nostrils whenever
passing from a warm, moist air into that
which is colder; as from a crowded as
semblage into the open air, etc. This
will warm the air thus breathed, reducing
it nearer to the temperature of the
lungs.
Avoid rooms too highly heated; espe-
cially where it is the result of crowding
and packing. The warm, rarified air re-
lakes the lung tissue and renders it doubly
susceptible to injury. Avoid draughts,
cold limbs, prolonged wetting, etc; as
anything which reduces the temperature
and amount of blood at the surface of
the body necessarily increases the amount
sent to internal organs, thus rendering
them liable to inflammation. The lungs
usually suffer in these cases in four out
of five instances; and large majority of
colds have their origin in this manner
Treat a common cold by hot footballs,
warm body-baths, warm tlannels, avoid
ance of exposure for few days, com
Portable clothing, and no drugs unless
there is constipation, when simple
cathartic may be given. Beyond SIM
pie cold, consult reliable physician
never tampering with quacks or patent
nostrums.-Pacife Rural Press.