Shape of Brain-- As so graphically delineated in this beautiful as well as natural illustration of the human brain, we glean a knowledge of the origin and source of its blood supply; the arteries are observed to distribute numerous branches in very us directions along and over its surface, many of which penetrate its substance. As noticed, the brain presents an ovoid or egg shaped appearance, divided into two equal, lateral halves -- hemispheres as they are called -- thus virtually giving us two brains, the same as we have two eyes, two arms and two legs. With this surplus of brains, as it were, at our command, we are naturally lead to ask the question, who can define the metes and bounds of the mind? or described the limits of our intellectual capacity? Who can fathom the depths of thought? Or circumscribe our mental, educational or scientifical acquirements, when health grounds the human temple with its rubicund mantle? Echo answers who?Now I love it when the authors of this book go into weird speculative diatribes. In this section we are given one of those strange diatribes. The author starts to provide a description of the diagram of the brain and then launches into hypothetical questions that have no answer. It strikes me that based on the extra spectacular use of profound words, that the author is almost writing in a way to prove their knowledge and authority and their own deep thoughts only possible due to the extraordinary brain that they possess as they described the brain in general. I think it's important to mention that this book is destined for housewives in an era hundred years ago where any child that grew up to be lucky to possess and elementary education. The use of words such as 'rubicund' and 'circumscribe' strike me as words that probably weren't understood at that time. However it's possible that these were everyday words in an era when language was different than it is today. Circumscribe is not a particularly odd word today however rubicund is. So as the author left off with many hypothetical questions, I will do the same. Did the author intend to impress turn-of-the-century housewives with his fancy talk? Did the female editor of this work change the words to something fancier than what the original author had written? Was the author attempting to fill the book with more words, using 20 where one might do? Was language such as this used more commonly a hundred years ago? Is there something biblical sounding about these words or do they commit a type of philosophical sentiment? I'm sure there are dozens of other questions that can be emitted about this, but it's these types of phrases and perspectives that make this study of the book interesting.
Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:
- Beauty and Strength of the Foot
Beauty and Strength of the Foot. — not only does the foot, too, frequently sustain heavy weights, but it must carry them as well. It likewise affords a firm support. Were it not for this beautiful mechanism, the constant jarring a concussion which would be experienced in the act of walking would inevitably destroy these delicate organs, the brain and spinal cord, and death would immediately follow. How few persons and civilized nations have perfectly natural feat! The beauty and utility of the human foot is marred; its movements are impeded by encasement and unnatural boots and shoes; these, instead of conforming to the form and shape of the foot, make the foot of death itself to them. The consequences corns, bunions, cross toes, in-growing toenails, large joints, and a number of other evils from which so many suffer the present day.
And that sections ends another section of non-sense. I am looking forward to the further sections of the book that actually conveys some knowledge. You couldn’t find useful information in this section of the book with a GPS device.
- Bony Frame of the Hand – Palm of the Hand
Bony Frame of the Hand. – on turning over this flap we behold the bony framework of this wonderful organ. This seemed to consist of a number of bones, so exquisitely arranged as to combine the greatest possible degree of flexibility and strength.
Palm of the Hand. – below this is given an elegant, and the same time a true and correct view of the muscular arrangement of the palm of the hand and fingers. Over the wrist to see me annular ligament, that then, tough, strong sheet, which binds the muscular courts and holds them firmly in place us in these anatomical charts have we depicted the perfection of the human hand.
Sometimes you definitely do get the impression that the author is talking much more about the book they are writing, the pictures in the book and absolutely nothing at all related to the topic. The author could be talking about acne treatment and it would be more relevant than talking about these charts and the ‘perfection of the human hand’.
del.icio.us tags: history of medicine, medicinal teaching, hand frame, hand palm, palm of hand, bony hand - Saline Impurity
Saline Impurity. — But any quantity of saline impurity exceeding thirty-five grains to the gallon renders a water unfit for the freest domestic use. Such water would be popularly designated as a very “hard” water, but a good deal of in difference is caused by the nature of the hardness, that due to sulfate of lime, and called the permanent hardness because it is not removable by boiling, being decidedly most prejudicial to health.
Okay so I’m going to admit freely that have no idea what this last paragraph was about. I understand what saline solution is, and I understand what hard water is. But I do not understand how the two come together in this particular paragraph and what it might mean even in the context of the previous paragraph in section. I think progress like this that I wish I had found a 100-year-old golf digest talking about golf bags and techniques as opposed to a medical journal.
