Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-25
NATURES PATENT OFFICE
Wonderful Designs Which Show Man
a Mere Imitator.
PERFECTION OF ENGINEERING
Epitomy OF All that f. worth while
Conferred in the Human Frame
Superior Knowledge of
Life Architect.

Life Architect.
Within the last ten years the study Of
the human body has been advancing apace,
and in this great human laboratory there
have come to light many strange and
wonderful secrets which no man dreamed
OF before Instead of familiarity breeding
contempt in this instance, it has excited
our wonder and admiration. Nature has
devised the human body on a plan which
makes modern science and engineering
somewhat commonplace in comparison. II
IL the greatest engineer OF the ages and
ikewise the custodian Of the worlds first
patent office.
In recent years there has been an at
tempt to show that many OF our most i'm
portant inventions we're crudely understood
and applied centuries ago by the ancients.
Such, for instance. as the screw, the tur-
bine wheel, the principles OF the lever and
fulcrum, and even the block and tackle
have much more ancient origin than was
at first supposed. The study Of archaeology
has shown that the sncients were not so
slow in their application OF mechanical de-
vices, and in some instances they per-
formed feats in their way that excite the
admiration Of engineers in this age Of
extreme mechanical development.
But nature was the first in the field
and had a priority claim upon most of
the patents. 1t epitomized its superior
knowledge in the human frame. AS though
Laughing at our ignorance, it placed within
each individual the secrets Of mechanical
efficiency and then left US to discover the
secrets slowly and laboriously through CEN
turtles Of effort. II the first race OF men
had dissected and studied carefully the
bones, muscles, glands and other parts of
the human body. they could nave found
nearly all of the important mechanical
principles which have done so much for
the industrial world.
An Accomplished Engineer.
This fact has only been fully appreciated
in recent years, and a knowledge of the
wonderful engineering skill and ingenuity
with which our bodies are constructed
must Increase our respect for the architect
of our lives. 1t has been carefully esti-
mated by Psychologists tnat the human
body contains the vital principles OF nearly
100 Inventions, and If patents covered every
part we should have to pay royalties to
enrich a host OF inventors. 1t is even
possible that many new principles of me-
chanlcal and chemical efficiency are used
In the human body which we do not vet
understand and some day their discovery
viii add TO the worlds knowledge.
Nature is an accomplished engineer in
the construction of the bones alone. II
made them hollow, TO give the maximum
strength with the minimum OF material. The
bones OF the face were formed for accom-.
modating hundreds of little muscles. but in
order to accomplish this without increas-
ing the surface greatly 1t bored hundreds
OF little holes in the surface, called air.
cells, to which the muscles could be at.
taehed In countless numbers. Strength,
lightness and large surface are thus OBJ.
tanned in the most ingenious way. Ar
engineer would find great difficulty ir
duplicating such a piece of mechanism.
We know that a hollow shaft OF iron o,
steel is nearly twice as strong as a solid
shaft containing the same amount Of ma.
terial-au important scientific fact that
all engineers know and apply in their work.
But nature knew il long before man die
and applied the principle in the construc.
tlon of our bones.
The block and pulley, or tackle was 8
great mechanical discovery, but natur,
made every man carry several of these
around with him at the very beginning Of
creation. The most important Of These
tackles is found in the eye. II you turr
your eye TO look at the tip Of your nose
you use this block and pulley, which
is Just as perfect as any erected on a shir
to hoist sail. The muscle which moves the
eyehall works through the block easily and
smoothly and without friction. for natur,
has supplied to all OF its machinery auto.
matte or mechanical oil inventions. Thes,
never fail to work unless we are sick. ant
then the danger Of a hot box is to be con.
sideIed.
The safety Valve.
The invention OF abe safety valve fol
steam engines has saved thousands of lvei
and millions OF dollars OF property. 1t /.
an invention that stands prominently t
the front in this age OF mechanical prog
ress. But nature supplied us each with 8
safety valve which tor effectiveness work.
better than any made by man, II we die
not have this safety valve we would no
1.-Two twenty-four hours. This safety valv,
il the perspirstive, or sweat gland, and /,
make sure that we would not run short o
the supply II has furnished the body viii
some 100000 OF them. II our tempsratur.
rose seven or eight degrees we would di
within a few hours. and yet we could no
rum, row, play tennis, ball or even wall
safely any distance without increasing on
temperature to the danger point II we hal
no safety valve provided SO ingeniously b.
nature.
The c~up-and-ball socket and the air
tight valve were first used in the humai
body. II our hip joints and arms wer
not provided with air-tfght sockets vi
would get too tired to continue our worl
for any length OF time in just holding thes
limbs together by muscles. II Is the pres
sure OF the air which holds them in plac,
and thus all physical effort is avoided. 1
the various air-tight joints and socket
found In the human body one may fin,
nearly all the mechanical principles in
volved In the air brake or the use OF com
pressed air for a thousand different thing,
Some one claims that nature did no
discover ball bearings. a mechanical devic
which has revolutionized the vehicula
world. But the principle is almost deveI
oped In the ball OF the leg bone and tn
socket OF the hip. which are made s
smooth and are so well oiled that the
slip back and forth with practically n
friction.