Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-02-14
CHAPTER. Is

CHAPTER IS
4 single drop of blood with Its
red and white corpuscles, contain
ing potassium, sodium, phos-
phorus, calcium, mangnesium,
sulphur, iron, etc, is sufficient to
confOund all the wisdom of the
world.
We have seen the minerals that are
present in the internal secretions OF
the body.
It is evident that these minerals are
not present through the operation of
any blind accident. 1t is just as evil
dent that a profound intelligence has
regulated their presence and proper
tions. In the clearly disclosed evil
dences of the intelligence we behold
the workmanship of God.
Water forms about three-fourths of
the weight of the adult body and. is
the medium in which the chemical
changes of the body are carried on.
We could transfer an iron tank
filled with pure sulphuric acid from
San Francisco to New York. and back
again and the acid would not affect
the tank in any manner. But If we
introduced water into that tank the
acid would Immediately become ac-
tive and destroy the tank.
In the case of the plant water is
so necessary that without it no plant
life can exist. Plants that have but
single cell, which are not actually
immersed in water, are generally to
be found In more or less moist situa-
tions where they continually obtain
supplies of water from dew or rain.
In times of drought they are seri-
ously injured. The young cell which
is enclosed with a cell membrane
speedily shows q tendency to accumu-
late water in its interior. Gradually
- 41,. t.14 mo 70
ly vacuole, which is always full of
liquid is formed.
In the plant which consists of a
number of cells such a vacuole is
found in every adult cell as long as it
is living. In other words, healthy
protoplasm must always be in direct
contact with water. 1t is only while
saturated with water that the active
life of protoplasm can exist.
With very rare exceptions, If cell
is once completely dried, even at a
low temperature, its life is gone and
restoration of water fails to enable it
to recover.
The life of a plant is intimately
connected with the renewal of the
water which it's cells contain. Fresh
liquid must be constantly taken i'm and
that which is already there must, to
a certain extent, be removed. The
plant demands, in fact, a kind of
circulation of water, and this becomes
the more imperative as the growth of
the plant increases.
1T has been proved that protoplasm,
which. as we have seen. is the active
substance found in every living cell
of plant or animal, draws It's nutri-
ment eventually from the water which
comes to 1t.
1t has also been established that
protoplasm must return to this water
such waste products as it gives off.
1t must obtain its oxygen, for in
stance, from water, for this element
can only pass into the interior of a
cell through the liquid which enters
that cell. Thus we see that water,
too, is wonderful medium through
which to convey the forces of life.
1t is not difficult to believe, there
fore. that the body of a man weigh
ing 160 pounds, made up of more than
100 pounds of water, contains all that
water as the result of a fixed aw.
OF the solid matter to be found in
the human body about one-fifth is
made up of the minerals--iron, cal
cium, phosphorus potassium, mag
nesium, manganese. sodium, sulphur,
silicon. fiuorine, iodine, and chlorine.
Chlorides and phosphates with
carbonates and sulphates form the
chief of these mineral salts, as far as
weight is concerned, but some of the
salts which appear in mere traces,
such as fiuorine and iodine, have es-
sential functions to perform, and
without them there is much evidence
to support the assertion that human
life could not exist
One of humanity's most con-
spicuous sins of omission or neglect
has been its failure reverently to con-