Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-04-26
WONDERS OF OUR LUNGS.
Six Hundred Million Air Cells Aid In Puri
flying the Blood.


tying the Blood.
The Importance of the lungs as .
means of publication of the blood and
of promoting the general welfare Of
the human organism may be inferred
from their protection. so nearly sur
rounded by strong bony structures
The same may be inferred from their
constant action, without minutes va.
cation, ordinarily, at anyone time.
from the dawn of life till it's close.
Nor are these five lobe servants, in
their general activity, controlled by
mental influences will power-but
continue their activity whether we are
awake or asleep, whether we are sensi.
BILE or insensible-managing their own
affairs. Their appropriate mission is
the supply of pure air to the system,
the most important design of which is
it's publication, carrying off particles
of impure and dead matter. which are
ever accommodating as the result OF age
and the exercise of the organic func-
tions.
To effect this very important result.
this publication of body constantly
becoming impure, of necessity. there
of air cells, all of these being more OF
less inflated by each breath. AS small
as these must be, it is estimated that
the outer surface of each has an aver
age of five minute blood vessels, con-
tanning the blood from the general
system, sent there for revitalizing-
that it may continue to sustain and
care for the body. The theory is that
the iron in the blood attracts the oxy-
gen of the breath through the mem
branes, resulting in an actual COM
bustion, burning waste matters, and,
in this way, sustaining the warmth of
the body, our clothing doing nothing
in this regard, beyond regulating the
escape of the heat thus produced, and
preventing the natural ingress of the
cold from without. After the burning of
these refuse matters which a dead
ly gas is produced, as in all combus-
ton, which with what we may call
ashes. are drawn through these mem
branes, entering the air-cells, soon to
be thrown out by the expired breath,
as this gas is particularly poisonous to
the lungs. That such impurities not
be rebreathed, they ascend, being
lighter than the cool air, till the poison
gas becomes cool, when it falls to the
surface of the earth, where it is alb
sorbed as one of the most important
fertilizers, vegetation being sustained
more in it's work of purifying the air
than by the soilt The average capacity
of the lungs of a full-sized man is about
one gallon, though only about one-halt
of the air is thrown out at any one
time, the rest remaining, aiding in the
publication of the body.
It is estimated that the lungs are sup.
piled annually with one hundred thou
sand cubic feet of air-breathing seven
million times, purifying three thousand
Eve hundred tons of blood. In view OF
such a stupendous amount Of toll per.
formed by the lungs, with the i'm.
portance of this publication of the
body, without which health and life
can be continued but short time. it is
of the utmost Importance that we have
a generous supply of pure air. while
the natural supply would be sufficient,
probably if the population of the earth
should be increased hundred-fold
particularly since the vegetable world
is constantly employed in its purifica-
tion. We have simply to open our
doors and windows, freely breathing
our part, in doing which we shall not
rob OUR NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Traveller