Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-03-09
Marvals Of The Human Body.

Popular Monthly.
While the gastric juice has Il mild,
bland, swectish taste it possesses the
power OF di-solving the hardest food
that can be swallowed. 1t has no in
hucnce whatever on the soft aud deli.
cate tibres of the living stomach, nor
upon the living hand. but at the mo-
ment OF death 1t begins TO eat them
away with the power of the strongest
acids.
There j. dust on the sea, on land,
in the valley, and on the mountain
top; there is dust always and every.
where the atmosphere Is full Of it it
peuetratcs the noisome dungeon, and
visits the deepest, darkest caves Of the
earth no palace doors can shut it out,
no drawers 30 secret as 10 escape Its
presence every breath of wind dashes
1t upon the open eye, yet the eye Is
not blinded, because under the cye.lId
there Is necessarily emptyiug it-el: a
fountain of the blandcst fluid in na.
ture, which spreads itself over the sur.
face of the eye at every winking
and washes every atom away. But
this liquid, so mild and so well adap.
ted to the eye, itself has some acridity,
which under circumstances, becomes
so decided as to be scalding to the skin,
and would rot away the eye.lids, were
it not that along the edge of them are
little oil manufactures, which spread
over their surface a coating as impcr.
vious to the liquids necessary for keep.
ing the eye.lids clean as the best var.
nish il impervious 10 water.
The breath which leaves the lungs
has been SO perfectly divested of its
life.giving properties, that to rebreathe
it unmixed with other air the moment
it escapes from the mouth, would
cause immediate death by sutiocatlon.
and while it it lowered above US more
or less destructive influence over
health and life would be occasioned.
But it is made of nature 50 much
lighter than the common air that the
instant it escapes the lips aud nostrils
it ascend- to the higher regions above
the breathing point, there to be recli-
fed, renovated, and sent back again,
replete with purity and life. How
rapidly it ascends is fully exhibited
every frosty morning
But foul and deadly as the expired
nir il, Nature, wisely economical in
all her works and ways, turns it 10
good account its outward passage
through the organs of the voice max.
ing Of it the whispers of love, the soft
est words of affection, the tender tones
of human sympathy, the sweetest
strains Of ravishing music, the persua-
sive eloqueBce of the finished orator.
If a well made man be extended on
the ground, biz arms at right angles
with the body, circle making the
navel the centre will just take in the
head, the finger ends and the feet
The distance from top TO toe, is pre-
cisely the same rs that between the
tips Of the fingers when the arms are
extended. The length Of the body is
just six times the length of the foot,
while the distance from the edge of the
hair on the forehead to the edge of the
chin is one-tenth the length of the
whole structure.
OF the sixty.two primary elements
in nature, only eighteen are known in
the human body, and Of these seven
are metallic. Iron is found in the blood
phosphorus in the brain, limestone in
the bile, lime in the bones and dust
aud ashes in all. Not only these
eighteen human elements, but the
whole sixty.two of which the universe
is made, have their essential basis in
the four substances of oxygen hydro.
gen, nitrogen and carbon, represent
ing the more familiar names of fire,
water saltpetre and charcoal And
such is man,the lord of earth Ia spark
Of fire, drop Of water, grain of pow.
der, an atom Of charcoal.
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