Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-04-29
Our Women.

Prominent among the causes of the
comparative weakness of our women Is
the contraction of the chest. And vet il
is difficult to find young lady who
''laces" in her estimation. At birth,
however, the chest of the female Is rel
atively larger than that of the male, rs
IL should be, but before the age of
twenty years the form" of the sister
materially differs from that of her twir
brother. This is unnatural, since it is
not seen among the Indian tribes or in
uncivilized life. II is not causeless,
though not always produced by corsets.
A tight dress, belts, bands, ETC., where
the bones are young and yielding, in
their continuous influence will eventual
ly reverse natures form, making it to
correspond with the Paris plates-a
UaSp-sCaist.
In the human body there is no vacu
um, its organs filling the entire space.
Any malformation, 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 vital point, the
most dangerous of the body-destroys
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 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the fact
that that nutriment Is not fully appro
priated, in consequence of Gripping 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, at least,
part of tho lung being pressed out at
the upper part of the chest, in the form
of a 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, II the
heart is hdnipcred 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
impeded, digestion and blood-making
must be incomplete. II the liver Is
crowded and crippled, its work Of fill
tering the blood, and the most impure
elements may not reach and harm the
heart and lungs-is imperfect, leading
to the contamination of the whole sys-
tenn, the heart and lungs suffering to
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 to the extent that their ca
pacity is reduced, that renovation OF
the body must be diminished. II 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 as
the whole body-dcpcnds on the action
of every part. II only a few millions
of the air-cells should remain inactive
as they must if compressed--nature Sc
cures their removal through the agency
of the lymphatics, often, il not general.
ly, attended by the commencement Of
fatal disease. This is avoided only 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. II they
are not used, they are abused, and thus
lose their vitality, since nature expcls
useless constituents.
The relations of vigor and power 10
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-thc fact that they labor
day and night, the abundance of their
food, the air, their influence in purify
ing thc,blood, all point to the necessity
for full and free breathing, ample lungs,
and their free movements. a. Han
nqtord, in Golden Rule.