The Washington times., 1935-10-24

JAAASp JAA0O uIl"
less it is sup.
Dr. Clenden'nE piled with
materials, fatigue accumulates
until it has to stop.
And largely this means oxy-
gen. If muscle, even a human
muscle, has plenty of oxygen
supply, it can work indefinitely,
The insects muscles are so
much more efficient compare
lively than human muscles be-
cause air is carried directly
from the surface of the insect
body to the internal organs by
a set Of little tubes. Each mus
Gle fiber has its own little pipe
line bringing it all the oxygen
it needs.
More Complex
The higher animals, including
ourselves, have the same thing,
but by a much more complex
and less efficient arrangement.
Like the insect, we get our oxy.
gen from the air. But the oxy-
gen is not carried to the muscle
fiber direct. True, it goes there,
as does the insects, in little
tubes; but in the case of the
human body they are blood YES
sells. and the oxygen is carried
to the muscle by the red blood
cells.
But, as in the case of the in
sect, each human muscle has
a tiny, individual pipeline or
capillary running beside 1t; it's
walls are so thin that the oxy-
gen in the blood can readily
pass over to the muscle.
This oxygencarrying capacity
Of the blood is one of the most
interesting chemical functions
Of the body. 1t was known to
one of the earliest investigators
in physiology, Mayow, that dark
blood from a vein, when ex-
posed to air and whipped, will
turn bright red. And his con-
temporary, Richard Lower.
showed that exactly the same
change takes place in the dark
blood from the right side Of the
heart when it passes through
the lungs. Because in the lungs
it passes through such thin
walled vessels that it is practi-
cally exposed to the air and
picks up oxygen.
The chemical substance in
the blood which does this is
called "hemoglobin," and is a
part Of the red blood cell. When
exposed to oxygen at atmos-
pheric pressure, hemoglobin will
take up oxygen. forming a loose
chemical combination called
"oxyhemoglobin." When this is
put into q vacuum, it again
gives up it's oxygen. More or
less that is the way in which
the interchange occurs in the
body.
Significance
In the lungs hemoglobin Is
exposed to air at atmospheric
pressure, and while there is no
where exactly a vacuum in the
body, conditions in the muscle
approximate a partial vacuum.
The essential nature of the
chemical changes in this vital
function of oxygen carriage re-
volve around the properties of
iron, which is a constituent OF
hemoglobin. Iron, which is thus
so necessary to animal life, is
carefully conserved in the body.
Every infant has a good sup
ply of body iron at birth. But
as there is little, or none, in
milk. it has to be supplied be-
ginning at about the age of six
months. Hence the Importance
of the pigment foods in infancy
-yolk of egg, spinach. etc.
The deeper significance of
this mechanism will be seen
when we discuss later in the
week the acid base balance of
the body.
Editors Note-Six pamphlets
by DR.. Clendening can now be
obtained by sending 10 cents in
coin, for each, and a Self-ad-
dressed envelope stamped with
q three-cent stamp to DR.. Logan
Clendening, in care of this
paper. The pamphlets are: In
digestion and Constipation"
Reducing and Gaining" I'm
FAINT Feeding" instructions for
the Treatment of Diabetes"
Feminine Hygiene" and The
Care of the Hair and Skin"