Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1874-03-17
Spirit Of Jetfersm.
Jefferson County, West Va.
TUESDAY MORNING. MARCH II, 1874.
For the Spirit of Jeftersou.l
PHYSIOLOGY, HYGIENE ANDSAN-
ITARY SCIENCE.

Those who have read Hurbert Spencer's
work on education, in which he gives his es-
innate of the value of different branches of
knowledge, places Human Physiology among
the first. The reason for this is very simple.
Human Physiology is simply the study of
machine We are to run, or which is to run US,
for three score years eud ten. 1t is certainly
study which falls very directly to us, and
starting poiut for scientific studies, the
study of these subjects has very great value.
1t would be impossible in this brief space to
treat Of the subject of Physiology generally.
We would have. to commence with the COM
position Of the blood, and trace its course
through the organism. We could not omit
mention of the course Of those wonderful little
bodies, the red gobu!es, possessing vital pow
ers and having as their role the carrying out
the oxygen in a free state, or in feeble solu-
ton to the tissues, and on their return, COM
ing back laden with etfete carbonic acid, ready
for excretion. Modern science has dissipated
the plausible theories of Lavoisier and dIIeibeg,
as to the mode of production of animal heat.
These theories supposed combustion which
cannot he proven either of an active or slow
nature. Modern physiology has taught us to
believe that animal heat is the result of the
complete series Of acts of general assimilation.
Not function, hut the result of many tunc-
tions. From recent experiments the spinal
cord, being the centre of circulation and res
plTatlOn, has aE Indirect action upon the chem>
istry of the organism, aud consequently upon
the animal heat, aud that there is in the brain
centres which regulate the temperature of the
body. Who would have thought a few years
ago, thst science could have explained nearly
all the phenomena Of this living machine as
produced by physical and chemical law. Or
who was aware of the correlation of the phys
ical forces before the researches of IIelmholtz,
or the applicability of thoir laws to the
living organism before Lionel Zeal, Moxon
and Odiipg proved it: Wonderful Influence
of solar encrgy-the sun, the source Of all the
physical forces, operating in living beings
Tie fact is indispuable that there ia not
portion Of physiology about which views have
not been radically changed by modern re-
searches. matter where we turn. The
science Of Iysienc, so intimately connected
with Physiology, should have much more at
tanti0n paid to the observance of its laws than
formerly. We should be more familiar with
the Immedste influeuoe of light. d! heat, of
atmospheric air, OF exercise upon healthy nu
triton, and the great necessity of confirming
to their requirements. The result Of the Oh.
serv"ucc Of these laws have been very advau>
tsrcGus 10 the preservation Of health, in the
healthy, aud 10 she return of strength to the
cnfeeb!ed. The Iyyicnic treatment Of dis
ease is one Of tie 9,aat medical facts Of tic day
Ia no department Of Hygiene has tho adj
vance had more beneficial effect than IN that
of the Philosophy of Food The purely
chemical classification of Ieibg denying nutri-
tive properties to any but his plastic OF nilro>
genous compounds, seemed SO true. ,heoret-
icaiiy, that lis applicability to the living or
gauism was scarcely for years questioned, it
agreed SO exactly with his plausible ,heory in re
gard to animal heat, that there appeared crest
beauty in the adoption Of the one TO the other.
His theories are talacious, and must DC aban>
doned. Whatever mau lCes on, that is food
and every article lie aSsimilates is tissue nak>
ing, and every PHI ysiGaI and chemical process of
his organism is heat producing. Man cannot
live exclusively on any Que class Of food, no
mater whether it contains Nitrogen or not
lie is "mnifcruus i'll his development, and for
the Integrity of his nutrition mus; have them
all. Anuthc. important fact, established by
Hyg;eue, is that no kind Of food, animal or
vegetable, is infiarua:ory iu its nature No
article OF nutritious food, If dige- ted, will
give rise to infammatory action increase
the morbid prnceSs, ii begun. or add fuel to
any supposed fame. 1t would be as rhiln-
sophical to exclude oxygen from the tissues
diseased, by Withholding atmospheric air, As to
withdraw nu;riment, They need material for
repair. and without it they will grow weaker,
the morbid process will Increase. and the in
dividual will perish tron, iGau,ion. 1t will
not answer to attempt 30 nuu!izh the tissues
on blood laden Eith cHete or poisonous prin-
ciples, any more than it wou!d be proper tn
Il. 1 =
No fuctiOn can 20 on hcalthfully or be re-
stored to health without Its nutrition is sus~
tanned, and it cannot be so sustained without
pure blood-biood rerlcnishej by pure oxygen
and by food, and having then briefly alluded
10 Physiology and Hygiene, it naturally leads
US TO consider in :hei5 connection Sanitary
Science. The simplest truths of Sanitary
Science are ignored throughout our country,
even in our mos: eniigh,cd districts men are
allowed to hezp up the material in which dis
ease germs arise abundantly, thereby showing
absolute blindness to the simplest principles
Of sanitary science, thus we haze Typhoid
and Typhus fevers going hand in hand, deci.
mating our people. Yet you find great dif-
fculty to induce the people to believe that
their lands require drainage, and their villages
swerage. Ignorance upon these great laws
will continue until some measures are adopted
to instruct the youth of to-day upon these
great health preserving principles.
MEDICUs
AN ExTRAoRDINARY WAGER-The Due
de Feltre has won By neck an extraordinary
wager. He backed himself to drive the troi-
ter in light carriage to Lyons. before the
Com,e Philippe de Nevule would reach the
place on his veIocipede. The distance was
$50 kilometres, or 222! miles, which was run
in 6O3 hours, and was won by e neck by the
Due de Feltre. who drove into the courtyard