The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-11

To-Day then, we will consider IN The
same way the trachea the brcEch. the
I bronchial tubes. and The cells Of the lungs.
in which each and every bronchial tube
| terminates.
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 to fifteen cartilages. forming
| two-thirds OF ring, the deficiency being
behind. These carriages are two lines in
width and a half line in thickness. They
are held In place by two elastic, hbrous
memhranes--ona covering the outside and
the other lining the inside Of the trachea.
They come together between the edges Of
the rings and form a strong. elastic, liGa-
mentous union. Al the end of the rings
they unite the whole length of the trachea
and extend across tho open space to COM
| plele the tube, so that the part not formed
by the rings is wholly menbranous. on the
inside Of this ligamentous membrane mus
cular fhres GROSS it, passing from the eud
| OF the cartilnges on one side across the
membrane. and are inserted into the ends
Of the cartiages on the other side This
makes the tube quito elastic. enabling IL
to dilate and contract under the proper
stimulus. There are also vertical muscular
tlbres extending the whole length of the
trachea. between the membrane and the
transverse muscles, so that the organ may
shorten or elongate Itself under favorable
conditions
Tho construction OF the bronch is pre-
cisey the same as the trachea. The right
hronchus is shorter that the left, and
makes more acute angie with the trachea
than the left bronchus At the point of en-
trance into the lungs each bronchus d-
| vides 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-seven-
tieth 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 it's cells
| is called lobules, and constitute a NINA
ture lung. These lobules may be compared
| to bunch OF grapes, the stems being rep
resented by the bronchial tubes and the
grapes by the lobules OF the lungs. The
| ar-cells measure one two-hundred,hs Of
an inch The cartilaginous rings and struc.
ture OF the bropchl continue nearly all
through the hronchla. but at every diyis-
ion the carriages diminish in size and in
the regularity OF their form. They finally
disappear entirely, and after the last dvis-
| ion. the walls of the tubes are extremely
thin, consisting OF the thinnest mucous
membrane on the inside and the most deli
cate elastic fbres on the outside This dell
cncy OF structure is only exceeded by the
clustering coils around It.
Tho trachea, bronchi and bronoha or
bronchial tubes, and the cells, are lined
| by the continuation Of the mucous mem
brane Of tho larynX through them.
The walls Of the capillary blood vessels
of tho pulmonary artery and vein, which
| form a network around each air cell, 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 walls into the air-cels. This process
is called the oxygeni2ation and decarboni-
cation OF the blood. II is in tho air-cells
where the purifying of the blood continu-
| ally takes place,
IT is readily seen, from the delicate
structure of the terminal bronchial tubes,
the air cells and the tiny blood-vessels sur
rounding them, and the important function
they have 10 perform how easy II must be
10 take cold In these delicate parts. and
how great must be the danger NJ irritation
congestion and inflammation Of the lungs.
ANY disease that will All the air-cells with
| blood. mucus or matter as Is often the
case In catarrh OF the lungs must put an
end TO life very quickly. As pe-ru-na has
a specific influence upon the mucous mem
brane. wherever located, and most especi-
ally in the lungs. this most valuable med-
cine should ever be kept on hand for sud
don emergencies
Some years ago ! delivered a course OF
lectures In pittshurg. Pa, when n gentle
man by the name OF Ebersole rushed nm In
me and begged me to come at caee with