Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1880-01-01

of London, has recently proposed 6
plan for the abolition Of tho liver. 1t il
a well-known principle of the develop
ment theory that an organ or limt
which is not used gradually disappears
Thus, the ancestral tail of the human
species disappeared after primeVal mar
ceased to use it in climbing trees, ant
the horse laid aside his five toes wheE
the practice of cramping them togeth
er with iron shoes came in fashion. Il
we accustom ourselves to living with.
out giving any employment to the liver
we shall soon find that organ shrinking
and disappearing. This being true, il
only remains to find some method oi
dispensing with the liver, and we shall
then be able to cast off its obnoxious
yoke.
Anatomists inform us that we have
an organ called the spleen which is al
present purely ornamental. The
Frenchman believes that the spleen
causes the average Englishman to use
strong language every day in the year,
and to commit suicide every November,
but this is mistake. The spleen is q
modest and unassuming organ, which
passes an existance Of elegant leisure
but there is every reason to suppose
that were it assigned any active duty it
would perform it faithfully and we'll.
AS Mr.. Edmonds points out, the liver
is situated on the direct line of commn-
nieation through which the food from
the stomach passes on its way to nour-
ish the body. The liver seizes upon
this food, and by its means keeps itself
in a state of aggressive vigor. Over
the same line pass the various medi-
cines of which the liver is Unsuitable,
and which are a source of such con-
stant and unsatisfactory expense. Were
this line of communication to be cut,
the liver would be isolated, and could
neither receive food nor medicine. In
these circumstances, it would soon lose
its size and strength, and, in the course
of few generations, would become a
merely rudimentary and entirely harm
less organ.
Mr.. Edmonds' plan for bringing
about this result is to place a tourni-
quet between the liver and the stomach,
and at'the same time to place a power
ful poultice between the stomach and
the spleen, and to arouse the attention
of the latter with blisters. He main
tains that after brief period anew
line of communication would be opened
through the spleen, and the liver would
become isolated. This is analogous to
what Grant attempted to do at Vicks-
burg, when he tried to turn the Missis-
sippi through new channel and leave
Vicksburg without water communica-
ton. Whether the plan is feasible or
not remains to be seen. Mr.. Edmonds
bases his estimates for the work upon
the principles of the development theo-
ry and the facts of anatomy, and he as
sures us that the thing can be done
safely and with very little inconveni-
ence. At all events, it is worth trying,
and society for the abolition of the
liver and the improvement and utiliza-
tion of the spleen should be organized
without delay.
Even if Mr.. Edmond's plan does not
prove feasible, some other scheme of
carrying out the same benefcent pur-
pose may be devised. If men will only
put in an earnest effort to get rid of
their livers, the means to that end will
not long be wanting. These are trifing
matters compared with the oppression
and crime of which the liver is guilty.
Let us rid ourselves of this tyrant, and
the malarious places of the earth shall
blossom with tenants, and peace and
comfort shall be the possession of all
men.--N. Y. Times.