Omaha daily bee., 1922-01-10

- @''-'- - -"
Copyright. 1891. by DR.. ". A. Evans
WORK OF SOLAR PLExUS.
J. C. ID. writes: "win you please
write an article on The Solar PlAx-
us and It's Functions and Misusef ?
] can't give the technical name for
this organ.
DIR. Byron Robinson used to call
Tho solar plexus the abdominal
brain. In that day most folks
thought the only location OF the
brain WAS In tho head. II was the
Job OF that anatomlst 10 make peo-
plo know that they also had brains
In the belly.
or course the present day teach
Ing. known to great many people.
In that men have brains In all parts
OF the body. the cranisl cavity be-
Ing merely the brain city; the CEN
ter Of things; the place where the
brain population is densest and best
organized.
The solar plexus. now generally
known as the coeliac ganglion. Is a
large accumulation of nerve cells
and fibers. massef together at a
point directly back OF the stomach
and In front OF the aorta. the large
blood vessel of the body. which In
turn lies on the front or the back
bone.
This abdominal brain Is a very
important structure. almost as i'm
portant as the head brain, and 1t
must be well protected.
The strongest thing in that vici-
nifty Is the backbone: therefore, this
ganglion lies close TO 1t. And flank
ing 1t are the enormously strong
muscles Of the back.
On the front the protection Is not
keeps toward the back, we'll be-
hind the organs on the upper abb
domen.
Nerves come to 1t from the spinal
cord, and from the other sympa-
thetic nerve. ganglia and plexus.
both above and below 1t.
In turn It gives nerves to every
thing around 1t.
Enough for its anatomy. What can
I say about its functions?
The coeliac ganglion, or so-called
solar plexus, belong to what is called
the sympathetic nervous system.
This system Of nerves has to do
with such work as digesting of
food, beating OF the heart and dis
tribution Of blood throughout the
body. These have been called the
vegetative functions, since they have
to do with the carrying on" Of
life.
The sympathetic nerves, in a cer-
tain sense. are not under the con-
troll Of the will.
It would not do to have such i'm
portant acts as breathing, heart
beat. digestion, absorption and dis
tribution of blood too closely con-
trolled by the mind, partaking too
much Of the nature of voluntary
conscious acts. A fellow might get
Interested in something else and for
get to live; might 60 to sleep with
out having wound up his heart and
might never wake up.
They hold now that these sympa-
thetic impulses came out of the
main brain. just as other impulses
do, but they came from sections of
this brain which are not under the
control Of the will.
The sympathetic nerves cannot
feel pain. or heat. or cold as such,
cannot move an ordinary muscle,
such as a leg muscle. cannot see nor
hear. But they do have to do with
these other highly necessary func-
tions.
will reserve something about the
use and misuse of the sympathetic
nervous system for later paper.
Grease for Skin Splitting.
H. E. s. writes: 1.-THE cuticIe on
the ends Of my fingers is unduly
thick, and just as soon as cool wealth
er comes this cuticle splits open to
the quick at the corners Of my nails.
This condition persists on one or
more fingers all winter long, and
careful grooming and manicuring
seems to make no difference.
II have been told that this condi-
ton signifies some lack in my sys-
tenn. In fact, an undue dryness ex-
lists on my whole epidermis and I
have cracked heels, split ears, and
rough elbows. I am always fight
Ing, till my array of lotions, po-
LAA8ACo, oAAo ebAlA 81 C0oC6 4ldt0 OC.
come family joke"
REPLY.
Roget tells us that people who live
In the Alps have the skin around
the finger tips thicken up in win
ter.
My suggestion is that you use a |
good deal of grease on your skin,
that you wear war; loose gloves
and other warm clothing, and that
you do all you can to keep the air
In the your house moist.
No Harm to Eat Raisins.
]. ]. S. writes: Il. What food VAL
ue have raisins?
2. Would eating small quanti-
" between meals daily cause any
harmful effects? If no, what?"
REPLY.
l. One ounce contains about IL
grains OF proteid, Is grains of fat,
345 grains of sugar and Is grains |
If ash. The ash is fairly rich in
ron and phosphates.
2. No.
Or Take Up Astronomy.
Mae writes: II am IS years old |
md since childhood have been in
he habit of holding my head down.
This has caused the bones of my
'pine to stick out at the neck. There
s a large lump between my neck
Ind shoulders and it is very annoy
ng.
''Is there anything I can do to
gradually reduce the lump? l am
1ow sleeping without a pillow; for
nerly I used two pillows. Will this
help it any?"
REPLY.
The lump is your seventh cervi- |
,al vertebra. Everybody has it, but |