The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-04-08

The trachea is about four inches in
| length and about one inch in diameter.
These measurements are a little less in
women. Its structure consists of from
| twelve 70 fifteen cartilages, forming two
| thirds of ring, the deficiency being be-
hind. These cartilages are two lines in
width and n half line in thickness.
They are held in place by two elastic,
| fibrOus membranes-One covering the out
side and the other lining the inside of the
| trachea. They come together between
| the edges of the rings and form a strong,
elastic, ligamentOus union. At the end of
| the rings they unite the whole length of
| the trachea and extend across the open
space TO complete the tube, so that the
part not formed by the rings is wholly
membranous. On the inside of this liga-
| mentOus membrane muscular fibres cross
it, passing from the end of the cartilages
| on one side across the membrane, and are
inserted into the ends of the cartilages on
the other side. This makes the tube
quite elastic, enabling it to dilate and
| contract under the proper stimulus. There
| are also vertical muscular fibres extend
ing the whole length of the trachea, be-
tween the membrane and the transverse
muscles, so that the organ may shorten
or elongate itself under favorable con-
dtions.
The construction OF the bronchi is
precisely the same rs the trachea. The
right bronchus is shorter than the left,
and makes more acute angle with the
trachea than the left bronchus. At the
point of entrace into the lungs each
bronchus divides into two bronchial tubes.
Each one of these in turn divides into as
many tubes diminishing in size at every
division, until every part of the lungs has
been supplied with bronchial tube. The
diameter of the last division measures
from one-seventieth to one one-hundredth
of an inch. Each one not only terminates
in an air-cell, but its sides communicate
by small openings with cells closely
packed together. Each one of these last
tubes with its cells is called lobules and
| constitute miniature lung. These To-
bules may be compared to bunch of
grapes, the stems being represented by
the bronchial tubes and the grapes by
the lobules of the lungs. The air-cells
measure one two-hundredths of an inch.
The cartilaginous rings and structure of
the bronchi continues nearly all through
the brOnchia, but at every division the
cartilages diminish in size and in the
regularity of their form. They finally dis
appear entierly, and after the last divi-
sion, the walls of the tubes are extremely
thin, consisting of the thinnest mucous
membrane on the inside and the most
delicate elastic tbres on the outside. This
delicacy of structure is only exceeded bv
the clustering cells around it.
The trachea. bronchi and bronchia or
bronchial tubes, and the cells, are lined
by the constinuation of the mucous mem
brane of the larynx through them.
The walls of the capillary blood-vessels
OF the pulmonary artery and vein. which
form network around each air-celI. are
as thin as those of the cells hence the
ease with which the oxygen of the air in
the cells enters the blood; and the car.
bonic acid gas in the blood passes through
the wall into the air-cells This process
is called the oXygenization and decarbon;1
cation of the blood. 1t is in the air-cells
where the purifying of the blood continu-
ally takes place.
1t is readily seen, from the delicate
structure of the terminal bronchial
tubes. the air-cells and the tiny blood.
vessels surrounding them, and the i'm
portant function they have to perform
now easy it must be to take cold in these
uehcate parts. and how great mnst be
!he danger of irritation, congestion and
Inflammation of the lungs Anv disease
mat will fill the air-cells with blood
nucus or matter. MS is often the o. so in
catarrh of the of the lungs, must nnt an IN
END to life very quickly. As Pe.rn.nn
mas speclhc influence upon the mncons
lnemornnne, Wherever located, and most
| e eSl IN the lungs, this most vain.
f so nne9lcihe should ever be kept on hand
/, some years ago l delivered courso
~ lectures IN Pittsburgh, Pa. when a