The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1879-07-16
MISCELLANY,
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THE. W0ND ERFUL isTRUCTURE AND
FUNCTIONS oFTHE HUMAN BODY.
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/ ! FUNCTIONS 0FTHE HUMANB0D
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The mind is brought in relation with ex-
ternal Objects by means of certain, instru-
rnents placed in certain parts of the body call
ed organs of special sense. These organs are
five in number, namely, the organ Of sight OF
vision, of hearing or addition, of taste or gus
tation, of smellor olfaction, and of touch or
palpation. We will first examine the little
organ of sight Though small, yet 1t is very
complicated instrument-mo SO, In its
structure than any other of the special senses
Hits through this instrument that we receive
the most varied and valuable impressions
1t has many structures differing much from
each other. 1t has six nerves, and four of
these are the nerves by which the mind works
the muscular apparatus of this organ. The
eye is an optical Instrument 1t is placed in
| a deep long socket; shaped like globe, but
not perfectly round, as its front part bulges
onta little The eye has three coats. The
thick, white coat, commonly called the white
of the eye. is called the sclerotic coat, from
Greek word, meaning hard. It is this coat
that gives the firm feeling to Che eye when
you press your finger upon it. In the front
or anterior part, we see clear transparent
part of altogether aditferent structure. This
fits into the sclerotic coat something like q
watch-crystal. This is called the cornea.-
Looking through this window of the eye, you
see delicate colored curtain, called the iris,
with round opening in it called the pupil
The iris is different colored in different per-
sons. And we call the eye blue, black, or
gray, &c, according to the color of this cur
tain Inside of the sclerotc coat, is thin,
fibrous lining of dark color called the choroid
coat. We may look through the pupil into
the very inner chamber Of the eye. We find
that the rear chamber of the eye, is dark
chamber. 1t is made SO by tho coloring sub
dark our vision would be indistinct, from the
glare of light in the eye, just as it is when
we go into room where the walls are all oil a
veryligllt color. In the albino, there is none
of the coloring matter in the chorod coat,
therefore he cannot see well in bright light.
Some animals that use their eyes only in the
night have none of this dark matter In
them, because It is only needed when the
bright light of day is shining into the eye.--
Immediately in front of.lthe choroids coat. is
. thin delicate, nervous membrane, called the
retina, upon the surface Of which the image
of external objects are pictured This pic
turing upon the retina takes place with every
object that we see. If we look at wide pros
poet, all the. multitude of objects that We see
are pictured distinctly there in the back part
of the eye, upon the surface that fve-cent
piece would cover. 1t is through the agency
Of light that these pictures are formed upon
the retina. The rays of light that come from
the sun, are reflected from every object in all
directions. And when we see an object, it is
because these rays reflected from it enter our
eyes, and make its object in them. The eye
has three humors.s In the front part, just be
hid the coInea is deposited the aqueous, or
watery humor The iris is in the midst of
this humor. 1t diyjdes theschambers thatcon-
tains the humor into the parts. Immediately
opposite the pupil, posterior to the iris, is sit
uated the crystalline humor, or lens, as 1t is
properly called This is the substance resern-
bling hard transparent jelly. Then back of,
or posterior to this, filing up all the space is
deposited the vitreous, or CLASSY humor, which
is like soft jelly, perfectly transparent The
lenses and humors of the eye must be very
exactly arranged that the images of objects
shall be formed distinctly on the retina. In
near-sighted persons the lenses and humors
are SO arranged as to make the rays that form
images come together too quickly, before they
reach the retina. The result Is that confus-
ed, instead Of a clear image, is formed on the
retina. The common remedy for the near
sighted IS glass that has an effect upon the
rays of light the opposite of that which is
produced by the cornea and the crystalline
that Is, aglass which separates the rays
instead Of bringing them nearer together, SO
as to prevent the rays from coming together,
in the eye too soon. Such glass is called a
concave lens. The crystalline lens on the
other hand, is convex lens. The nerve, by
which the images pictured out upon the re-
tine are conveyed to the brain, is called the
optic nerve, the end of which spreads out
forms the retina. If this nerve is in any way
injured, either by disease or accident, there will
be nossight, because the mind cannot reeeiv,
impressions by sight. There is one thing yer,
I curious in regard to the pictures formed OF
the retina. They are always in an inverted
position. This is owing to the different re-
fractive powers of the humors of the eye In
studying the neutral philosophy of optics, W,
1 ol~<