Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-05-04
Our Women.

AIohlihtut among the causes OF the
comparative weakness of our women is
the contraction Of the chest. And vet il
is difficult 10 find young lady who
faces in her estimation. At birth,
however, the chest Of the female is rel
aiively larger than that of the male, rs
il should be, but before the ace of
twenty years the 90 form" of the sister
materially differs from that of her twin
brother. This is unnatural. since il is
not seen among the Indian tribes or in
uncivilized life. 1t is not causeless,
though not always produced by eorsets
A tight dress, belts, bands, etc, where
the bones are young and yielding, in
their continuous influence will eventual
~ reverse natures form, making it to
correspond with the Paris plates-a
'Cdsp-UdiSt.
In the human body there is no vacu-
um, its organs filling the entire space.
Any malfornation, therefore, must
cripple, rob some Of the viScera Of their
natural and necessary space, and of
course prove hurtful This compress
sion of the chest-at a vital point, the
most dangerous of the body-destrovs
the natural action of the lungs. heart,
stomach, liver and bowels, and is among
the prominent causes of dyspepsia.
This will explain why its victims are
so weak-half-starved- the fact
that That nutrimept is not fully appro-
priated, in consequence of crippling the
stomach.
A pressure ut this point necessarily
crowds the organs out of their natural
position, of necessity trenching on their
freedom. In this way the lungs and
heart are invaded, in one case, ut least,
part OF the lung being pressed out at
the upper part of the chest, in the form
OF tumor. 1t follows, therefore, that
when the heart, stomach and lungs are
thus crowded, their natural functions
cannot be well performed.
Since they demand motion. if the
heart is hdnipered its contractions and
expansions are necessarily unnaturally
labored and their action incomplete,
the blood-which is the life-is not
successfully sent on its mission of reno
Walton and creation, while, if the
churning" motion of the stomach is
impcded, digestion and blood-makine
must be incomplete. II the liver is
crowded and crippled, its work of fill
teiing the blood, and the most impure.
clements may not reach and harm the
heart and lungs imperfect, leading
to the contamination of the whole sys-
tenn, the heart and lungs suffering tc
the greatest extent.
The capacity of the lungs is much af-
fected by our habits, and may be in
creased or diminished. They serve an
important purpose of purifying the
blood, the air coming in contact with
the blood in six hundred million air
cells. The natural lungs are none too
large for the labor intended for them,
while, just 10 the extent that their ca
pacity is reduced, that renovation of
the body must be diminished. If the
natural lungs inspire about twenty
cubic inches of pure air at each of the
from fifteen To twenty inspirations each
minute, or eight hundred cubic feet per
day-the smallest amount which can
conduce To good health-it is plain that
contracted lungs can do but fraction
of the natural renovation. Ii only
twelve cubic inches are inspired, in con.
sequence of the diminished capacity, it
IS certain that the blood is not duly vi.
talized.
The health of the lungs-as well rs
~" "h'i' bbu -utpfnus on the 0cttOU
of every part. If only few millions
of the air-cells should remain Inactive
n they must if comprcsscd-nature Sc.
cures their removal through the agency
of the lymphatics, often, if not general.
". attended by the commencement o,
fatal disease. This is avoided oRly by
deep and full breathing, not possible
when the lungs are contracted TO one.
half or two-thirds of their natural ca
pacity, by ruinous custom. If they
are not uSCd. they are abused, and thus
lose their vitSlity, since nature expcls
useless constituents.
The relations of vigor and power &c
the air inhaled in quantity and quality,
may be inferred from the fact that we
naturally initiate the lungs when at.
tempting an unusual effort. The size
OF the lungs-with a capacity of about
one gallon-the fact that they labor
<iy and night, the abundance of their
fool, the air, their influence in purify.
ing the blood, all point to the necessity
'or full and free breathing, ample lungs,
and their free movcments.-J Il. Han.
nUord, in Golden Rule.