Iron County register., 1886-07-29

illustrate not only the chemical COM
position of the human body, but the
daily income and expenditures of the
body, based upon the results of an.
alyses made by Prof. w. o. Atwatar.
The story or meaning of the exhibits
is told SO plainly by the different sizes OF
the jars and the graphic and explicit
statements of the labels that it can be
easily understood, even by one who
knows little or nothing of chemistry.
The first series of exhibits represent the
thirteen elements which a large label in
forms YOU enter into the chemical COM
pound of which our bodies are made.
Five of these are gases and eight solid
substances. The oxygen is shown in a
jar with label which states that the
weight of oxygen in a human weighing
154 pounds is 81 pounds. This jar,
which would hold a gallon, represents
only one-ten-thousandth part of the
oxygen of a man of that weight. If the
79 pounds of oxygen were set
free from the body, it would fill
space of 1.090 cubic feet.
The oxygen is the great supporter of
combustion in the system. The next
jar represents the % pounds of hydro
gen going to make up the 154-pound
man. This amount of hydrogen set
free would fill 2,759 cubic feet, and the
jar represents only one-ten thousandth
of the whole amount. Another jar or
bottle, having a capacity of little over
a quart, represents the pounds and
Is ounces of nitrogen found in the i'm
aginary man. This nitrogen, if free,
would fill 4S.S cubic feet. Another
small bottle contains, combined with
calcium, the 3.5 ounces of tluorine, and
another contains one-tenth of the 4
ounces of chlorine to be found in the
man. Chlorine is one of the constit.
ents of bleaching powder. After the
jar of chlorine was put in the casq
the stopper was blown out and
the gas bleached all the tinted
labels in the case. Thus the elements OF
the human body are shown to comprise
five gases existing in such quantities as,
that if they were set free, would fill a
space of about four thousand cubic feet
which, if paid for at the rate of S1.75 a
thousand at the usual discount for
promptness, would amount to Sc. If
the gases of 154-pound man began to
expand, and expanded to their utmost,
the man would fill large room or hall.
The hall of Representatives, commodi-
Gus as it is, could hold only few men
| in the gaseous state.
The next series of jars or exhibits
represent the solids of the body. First
there is the carbon, represented by a
solid cube of charcoal weighing 81
pounds. If a man had to take his car
bon out and carry it around with him
in basket all day, he would be pretty
tired at night. Yet every man, mill
ionaire or tramp is weighed down
with load of carbon. which, if
coined into diamonds, would enable him
to rival the splendors of Monte Cristo.
Then the 154-pound man yielded l
pound and II ounces of phosphorus and
3.5 ounces of sulphur. After the gases,
the carbon, the phosphorus and sulphur
have been extracted from the man,
there is nothing left of him but metals.
1t is doubtful whether metals exist in
the human body in such paving guam
titles as to offer inducements to mining
companies, still one would be surprised
to look into this case and see how much
a man is weighted down with various
metallic substances. First there is iron,
of which the average man described
carries one tenth of an ounce in his
system. This quantity is shown in the
exhibit in the form of iron wire.
The metal with which the body
is most abundantly provided is calcium,
the basis of lime, of which the man.
supposed to have been resolved into his
| chemical constituents yielded 3 pounds
and Is ounces This is a yellowish
metal, and the amount obtained is
shown in a cube about 3 inches high. A
little block of magnesium, a silver -hued
metal, weighing 1.S ounces, and then
2.9 ounces of potassium were taken
from the man, and all that remained
| was little quantity of sodium weigh
ing 2.6 ounces. The weights of the
chemical elements in the body of man
weighing 154 pounds are summarized on
one of the labels as follows: Oxygen,
| 7.20 pounds; carbon, 81. 10: hydrogen,
| Is. 20; nitrogen, $50; calcium, $50:
phosphorus, 1.75; chlorine, .25; flour
inc, %; sulphur, %; potassium, .18:
sodium, .16; magnesium. IL; iron, .01.
Total, 154 pounds.
| This, however, is only one way that
| the chemist has of looking at man.
These elements are chemically combined
with each other, forming numerous
| compounds, and another series in the
same case represents the result obtained
by resolving another 154-pound man
into his principal chemical compounds.
First there are two large jars of water,
containing together 96 pounds or 4f
quarts. Then another large jar repre-.
sents the proteine compounds, of which
the man yielded "a pounds. The next
in order of quantity are the fats, weigh.
ing % pounds; the min eral salts. weigh.
ing 10 pounds 13 ounces, and the carbo
hydrates, starch and sugar, weighing
ounces. Among the proteine compounds
appears hemoglobin, the red colorine
matter of the blood, and which serves
to carry and distribute the oxygen from
the lungs to the different parts of the
body. Two little vials contain protagor
and lecithin, substances found in the
brain, spinal cord and nerves. Their
there is pound of carbonate of lime
8 IA pounds of phosphate of lime.
ounces of tluoride of calcium, 6 ounce:
of chloride of sodium, 5 ouuces of chlor
ide of potassium that exhausted the
man with which the chemist started
Washington Star.