Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-06-19

1
| WHAT MAKES A MAN.
The Result Of Passing AN Average Man
Through Chemists Laboratory.
! AN EASY LESSON IN SCIENCE FROM SERIES OF
ExHIBITs IN THE NATIONAL MUsEUM-THE
GASES AND SOLIDS OF THE BoDY-wArER
OXYGEN AND HYDROGEN.
1t depends, Of course, on how one looks at n
man. That was the reflection of a STAR re-
porter, as he stood before a case forming part
Of the exhibits in the section OF foods at the Ma
tionai Museum. The contents OF the case
showed one what 154 pound man appears
like from the chemists point OF view. In other
words, supposititious man five feet eight
Inches high. weighing 154 pounds had been
passed through the chemists laboratory and
divided and subdivided into his ultimate ele-
ments. There stood all these elements and
chemical compounds In glass Jars, properly la
beled. All OF the man was there, except the sub
tie breath of life, which in some way escapes
Oei9re the chemist can get it corked up in jar
ana LABELED. Hence, as this important element
Is lacking 1t would be difficult, SO the chemist
admitted to THE STAR reporter, to make . man
contents of these jar. The case of exhibits
forms part of a series being prepared under
toi or the section. and which, when complete,
VIII illustrate not only the chemical compost.
ton OF the human body, but the daily income
d
results OF analyses made by Prot. VIC. Atwater.
THE STORY TOLD BY THE EXHIBITS.
Inc 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 1t 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 informs you
enter into the chemical compounds of which
our bodies are made Five OF these are gases
shown in jar with label which states that
the weight OF oxygen in a man weighing 154
pounds is 81 pounds. This Jar, which would
thousandth part Of the oxygen of q man Of that
weight. Ii the 81 pounds OF oxygen were set
free from the body, it would fill space Of I,O9O
cubic feet. The oxygen is the great supporter
a, combustion In the system The next jar
amount of hydrogen set free would MI 1850
cubic feeI, and the jar represents only one-ten
jar or bottle, having capacity OF little over
quart, represents the lbs and Ii OF. of nitrogen
iound In the Imaginary man. This nitrogen, If
free, would fill 4S.3 cubic feet. Another small
bottle contains, combined with calcium, the
SO ounces of fiuorine, and another lar contains
one-tenth OF the ounces OF chlorine to be
found in the man. Chlorine 10 one of the con-
stituents OF bleaching powder. After the Jar Of
chlorine was put in the case the stopper was
labels in the case. Thus the elements s Of the
human body are shown to comprise i've gases
existing in such quantities as that If they were
sand cubic eet which, ii paid tor at the rate Of
$1.76 q thousand at the usual discount for
prom ptness, would amount to 80. If the gases
OF 154 pound man began to expand and ex-
Panded TO their utmost, the man would fill
large large room or hall. The hall OF Representa-
lew men in the gaseous state.
SOLIDS OF THE BODY.
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 weigh
ing 81 pounds. II q man had to take his carbon
all day he would be pretty tired at night Yet
every man, millionaire or tramp, is weighted
down with load of carbon, which If coined
splendors of Monte Cristo. Then the one
hundred and fifty-fOur pound man yielded one
OF sulphSr After tRe ths c car
hon, the PHOSPHORUS and sulphur have been
extracted from the man there Is nothing left of
exist in the human body in such paying guam
titles as to offer inducements to mining COM
panies, still one woulo be surprised TO look into
THIS case and see how nj UGH q man is weighted
down with various metallic substances. First
there Is iron, Of which the average man de-
scribed carries one-tenth Of an ounce In his
system. This quantity is shown in the ex.
hibit 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 chemi-
Cal constituents yielded pounds and Is
ounces. 1n1S Is a yeliOw1sh metal, and the
amount obtained is shown in cube about
inches high. A little block OF magnesium, a sill.
very-hued metal, weighing LIZ ounces, and then
2.S ounces of potassium were taken from the
man, and all that remained was q little GUAM
tity OF sodium weighing 90 ounces. The
weights OF the chemical elements in the body
OF a man weighing "a pounds are summarized
on one OF the labels as follows: Oxygen e. 10
pounds carbon, 3l.1O; hydrogen, 1920; nitro
gen, $50; calcium, $50; phosphorus, 1.75;
stun, II; sodium, .16; magnesium, IL; iron,
.O1. Total, 154 pounds.
ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING ATT
This. however, is only one way that the
chemist has of looking at man. These ele-
ments are chemically combined with each
other, forming numerous compounds and
another series LII the same case represents the
result obtained by resolving another one hum
dred and nIty-four pound man into his Drinci-
pal chemical compounds. First there are two
large jars OF water, containing together SO
pounds or 40 quarts. Then another large lar
represents the Protein compounds of which
the man yielded "a pounds. The next in order
OF quantity are the fats, weighing % pounds:
the mineral salts, weighing 10 pounds Is
ounces, and the carbohydrates, starch and
sugar. weighing ounces. Among the Protein
compounds appears hemoglobin, the red color
ing 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
Walls contain protag0n and lecithfn substances
found in the brain, spinal cord and neryes
Then there IL pound OF carbonate of lime SL
pounds OF phosphate of lime, z ounces of finoe
nesia, ounces Of chloride Of sodium, 5 ounces
OF chloride OF potassium that exhausted the
man with which the chemist started.
The Appeal of q Sufferer from Woman.
To the Editor of The EVENING STAR
Mrcr lott