The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-09-02

all the vast body Of heat that makes
our respiratory glands labor so dill
gently in summer to keep the body at
the proper temperature? Immense
quantities are taken in by growing
vegetation. This is the principal ware
house into which the accumulated
heats of summer pour in unceasing
foods. Vegetation is the great reser-
voir of heat. No doubt some is radia-
ted. As we receive large fraction of
our heat from the stars, and as the
planets reflect the heat of the sun and
stars to rs, so our little planet gives
off its heat. Nobody will begrudge
the inhabitants of distant spheres the
small amount of heat they receive
from us when he considers that it is
only return of compliments. 1t is
with the heat absorbed by vegetation
that we are most concerned. 1t is
not to be considered that little cubes
or spheres of heat are stored away in
the branches and trunks of plants. 1t
is entirely different from this. The
chemical elements of earth and air are
gathered into new substance. The
molecules are brought into a new rela-
ton. Vast amounts of heat are neces-
sary to bring about this chemical
union. Heat is given to the air not
by direct absorption from the sun.
The ground is first heated. This heat
is radiated and the atmosphere is
warmed. From these moving cur
rents of warm air growing vegetation
derives the heat with which it FORCES
the chemical elements of earth and air
into the substance of it's texture. This
heat vegetation retains until it decays
or is consumed. And when it is con-
sumed all this stored up heat is given
off. How is vegetation consumed +?
In various ways. Wheat, corn, and
farm products are largely used as food
By the action of saliva, gastric juice,
bile, and pancreatic juice, these chemi-
cal elements are restored or modified,
and by the action heat is given off.
The utilized products of the food even
tually reach the circulation. The lungs
supply the oxygen by which the foods
thus taken into the body are forged in
to the living tissues, and in these
chemical changes lie the requisites OF
bodily warmth and vital force. In
muscular action, in mental excitement
the tissues Of the body are destroyed as
such. Heat is again evolved; and if
the action be great it would seem to
produce an excess Of heat. Nature has
her remedy for this. The respiratory
glands are the principal agents in Civ.
ing off such heat-the safety valve, SC
to speak. They secrete fluids and ex-
pose them upon the surface of the body
These drops are eyaporated. But in
the evaporation or change of water to
vapor vast amount of latent heat is
absorbed. This is obtained from the
body, and it's temperature is thus re-
duced. Now as regards the heat that is
stored up in more permanent forms OF
vegetation: wood and fuel of all kinds
are OF vegetable origin. 1t is only
necessary to set the chemical forces to
work and they will continue for them
selves. The fires that are giving out
the cheering warmth through the cold
winter days illustrate sufficiently the
service this stored up heat is to hui.
manity. Coal is but the gathered heat
of earlier ages. Thus do we use moi
only the heat of each previous sum.
mer, but the heats Of ages long ago are
ours, stored in reservoirs that man
may not hope to rival and in quantities
that have thus far been found suf.
ficient. (Where nature has been and
is so bountiful in boxing up sunshine
for our use, it is Il little hard to
understand why wood should sell
for SO per cord, and poor quality
at that.) In all these changes Meth.
er matter nor force is DESTROYED
Heat disappears in one way only to ap
pear in form that we call heat. II
may appear as motion, as muscular
action. or the flying locomotive. II
may appear as a molecular force repell
ing the molecules of matter, as steam
1t may appear as light or gravity, but
it will some day again appear as heat
Thus do we see not only the conser
Int L. Ill