Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-02
THIS is A MAN.

three pounds and thirteen ounces of nitrogen.
nearly all of which is combined with certain
other elements to make his flesh. The amount
OF carbon that enters into his physical econ
omy Is accurately represented under the
glass case by one-foot cube of or
binary coal weighing 81 pounds. This repre-
sentation Is not perfectly correct, because coal
Is not pure carbon. II the museum could
AFFORD to exhibit for the purpose diamond of
one-foot cube-diamonds are absolutely pure
carbon-complete accuracy would be attained
In this particular. OF chlorine a bottle con-
tanning ounces is shown, such being the
amount Of that element contained in the body
OF man weighing 154 pounds; likewise 81
ounces of fuorine. Chlorine in the body is
almost all found in the shape of common salt
while the 1uorine enters into the composition
OF the bones The next jar in order contains
pound ounces OF phosphorus-ay yellow waxy
substance which combines with limo to make
phosphate of lime in the bones. Another jar
holds
THREE AND A HALF OUNCES OF BIRTHSTONE,
otherwise known as sulphur, bright yellow
substance that goes toward making up the
bones and the teeth. Next comes a glass vial
containing steel wire to the weight of one
tenth of an ounce-that form of iron being
chosen because 1t is the purest produced. Such
is the quantity of iron that enters into the
makeup OF a man or woman weighing 154
pounds. Iron, il should be understood, is the
matter of the blood; also 1t enters into the
bones and other parts of the body. When a
sufficient quantity of it is lacking people take
it in the shape of tincture for medicine.
Calcium appears in the next bottle, three
pounds and thirteen ounces of it. 1t is a etal
so valuable that the amount contained in one
such human body is worth, at the present
market rate of $500 an ounce. els. 800. Few OF
our fellow-c1tiZens realize that they are worth
20 much independently of their bones and their
Tor
into the composition of the bones. There is
plenty of the metal around loose in the world;
in fact, it is the basis of limestone. and every
chalk bed is a mine of ii. The difficulty is to
separate it from the elements with which il is
found combined in nature; the expense of the
necessary processes is what makes it cost so
much.
small jar containing little less than two
ounces of magnesium indicates that the body
OF q man weighing 14 pounds contains exactly
that amount OF this metal, which photographers
use in a powdered state for their flash Ugh.
pictures. II is a substance of silvery lite
ness and can be set fire to readily with a match
20 as to burn with great briliiancy. OF sodium
and potassium also the body contains some
thing more than i've ounces, nearly equally
divided Further remarks will be made about
them later on.
WE ARE ALL Two-THIRDs WATER
So much for the chemical elements that COM
pose a man. More interesting still is the dis
play In another glass case Of the actual sub
stances of which he is made up. To begin
with. there is enormous Jar of water con-
tanning 80 quarts or SO pounds. printed
card attached tells you that the bones are
nearly one-quarter water, the fat little less,
the nerves more than one-half water and the
skin nearly three-quarters water; the brain,
muscles. lungs and heart are three-quarters
water, while the blood is more than four-fifths
water. A curious thing 1t is that the flesh Of a
fat person contains less water for its mass than
that of thin person. Ninety-six pounds OF
water, therefore, form the main constituent of
the body Of person weighing l54 pounds.
Next to the great water jar is another jar con-
Siderebly smaller, containing Is pounds OF
white Of egg. which represents the amount of
albumenous substance in the body. Adjoining
the latter is third jar filed with 8 pounds
and ii ounces Of pure glue. We're il not for
his glue il would be impossible to keep BODY
and soul together. The next jar contains
~ pounds Of fat Of the ordinary sort,
put several little jars close by it
fats not to be confused with the common sorts.
Eight and one-quarter pounds OF phosphate of
lime appear in still another Jar. II ID q pure
white substance and makes the chief constitu-
emit OF the bones though one pound Of carbon
ate of lime-shown In d separate iar-combines
with il and small fractions of other materials
to~make up the osseous structure. Chalk and
marble are almost pure carbonate Of lime; but
phosphate OF lime Is nowhere found in ANY,
Thing hke a pure state save in the bones of
ANIMALS. Phosphorus, you will observe, goes
In with lime TO form phosphate OF lime; carbon
Hoes the same to make carbonate of lime:
duorine enters in with the carbon to form car
bon huoride, and in that sort Of way the differ
snt chemical elements mingie in the body in
shapes that seem, offhand, mysterious 70 per-
sons inexperienced. Add to the elements
already mentioned three ounces Of sugar and
starch, seven ounces of fuoride Of calcium six
ounces of phosphate of msgnesia q trife of
chloride Of potassium and Just little ordinary
table salt and you have the complete make-up
physical Of man weighing 15a pounda
MAN Is VERY coMBusrIBLr.
Curiously enough no less than four OF the
constituents Of the human body will take Gre
by spontaneous combustion. Leave q scrap
Of PHOSPHORUS lying about on q table and il
will be likely to catch fire of its own accord
very quickly and burn up. Take q piece OF
sodium, which looks like lead when you cut il
with q knife, only brighter, and throw it into .
basin Of water. At once IL will burst into q
rosy flame and swim about violently on the
surface Of the water until il is burned out
Potassium is not unlike sodium in its COM
bustion, though more violent Upon touching
water il bursts into q similar rosy flame and ct
length explodes like fireworks, throw
ing 9 fountain of sparks into the air,
though only very small piece be used Mag
nesium 10 SO readily and fsrcely COM
bustible that IL has to be kept
tightly corked in bottles, while every
enc knows that birthstone b his satanic