The Thorax. -- The thorax derives its name from the Greek word thoreo, and signifies "I leap," because the heart leaps in it. It is covered on the front part by large muscles; the pectoralis major, or large muscle of the breast, is observed on the left side of the chest, Wilson on the right it is removed and exposes the pectoralis minor, or small muscle of the breast. The dovetailed muscle observed on each side is the Seratus Magnus, and is employed in expanding and contracting the chest in the act of breathing. The muscles of the chest walls, in a deep inspiration, exert a force equal to lifting a weight of 750 pounds.I do not know Greek but I found it interesting to learn that little bit of Greek above about the thorax. It's a very descriptive word actually and I suspect if I understand it correctly preferring to the movement of the Adam's apple? I would use the word Adam's apple is a form of layman term, and I'm somewhat surprised that they didn't use a layman term in their description as the audience for this book is supposed to be house wives and mothers.
Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:
- How Lead Poisons Water
How Lead Poisons Water. — when pure water recently boiled is placed in, or run over, lead, no action takes place; but if the water, after being boiled, is exposed for a short time to the air, from which it absorbs oxygen and carbonic acid, and is then brought in contact with lead, we soon find a whitish film, which on chemical examination is found to be composed of a carbonate of lead, is formed upon the metallic surface. This whitish film, which easily separates from the lead on which it appears and becomes mechanically mixed with water, is very poisonous. Since as already mentioned, Rainwater contains usually some nitric acid, in addition to the oxygen and carbonic acid which it absorbs from the air, and this nitric acid
combines with lead to form a very soluble in poisonous nitrate of lead, it is much more dangerous than even purer. Water, after standing for a short time in contact with a leaden surface. Rainwater intended for drinking or cooking purposes ought, therefore, never to be collected from lead or tin roofs, transmitted through lead pipes, nor under any circumstances stored in lead lined cisterns of any kind.Years back poisoning from lead was possible from industrial run off, from pain, and from many many sources. Today, we have exposure to other chemicals but lead poisoning exposure has dropped somewhat as we use lead free gas, lead free paint and as we endeavor even to go fiber optic with HDMI cables and other silicon based conductors.
- Taxes before Health
I had to take a break to do my taxes last week. For what its worth, it might be interesting to know that when this book was published, people did not have to file income taxes in the United States.
There were other forms of taxes, but not income taxes. I suspect that there may be a correlation to the introduction of income taxes and obesity and heart problems in the US. I doubt anyone will ever be able to fulfil a research project on that to prove it right or wrong any more than they might show that children that drive RC cars recklessly grow up to drive real cars recklessly, but it is an interesting historical perspective.
- The Hand- Its Mechanism and Wonderful Endowments- Engraving of The Hand
The Hand; Its Mechanism and Wonderful Endowments.
Engraving of The Hand. – to tell one that this exquisite colored engraving represents a human hand seems almost like questioning his sanity. Yet such as; but how few there are who can give an intelligent account of the hand, describe its beautiful arrangements and complex mechanism, we’re told it’s wonderful endowments. Smaller compass, compact and structure, yet so skillfully arranged or its blood vessels and nerves, that they form a complete network over its surface so minute are they in their distribution that the point of the finest needle cannot penetrate any part of the hand without piercing quite a number of them. The hand is the great organ of touch and pretension in the instrument which distinguishes man in the large class of mammals, since he is the only animal which possesses to perfect and complete hands.
I just don’t think I have ever heard the human hand referred to before in health, science, anatomy or biology as a mechanism, like its a toilet or tankless water heaters or some elaborate dog feeding gizmo that you’d find in a mad scientists home in a bad Michael J Fox movie.
OK, so it wasn’t that bad!
