Pleura of the Lungs. --in this chart we see also the pleura or the investing membrane of the lungs, and right below it the diaphragm or midriff.Two Distinct Lungs. --although the lungs are two in number, as far as their structure is concerned, and are perfectly distinct from each other, having, as we observe in the chart underneath this one, the heart and blood-vessels between them, yet as regards their functions they may be considered the same, since they received their blood from a single vessel, the pulmonary artery, and the air by one canal, the trachea or wind-pipe, and act in common with each other. Size and Shape of Lungs. --as will be observed, the lungs are not quite the same size or shape; the right lung, although somewhat shorter and thicker than the left, is the larger and stronger, being divided into three lobe; wills to the left is the smaller and weaker, divided into two lobes only, and hence more frequently subject to disease. Weight And Shape of Lungs. --the weight of the lungs varies very much; but in general they average about forty-two ounces in the male;thirty-six in the female; the right lung been about 2 ounces heavier than the left. Each lung is comical in shape, with a broad concave base resting on the convex surface of the midriff, the apex directed upward and extending into the root of the neck about 1 inch above the level of the first rib.

______________ This section sounds much more scientific than the opening statement, it does have quite a few excessive examples of commas and even a few semicolons, but it doesn't mention corsets, and it seems to stick to the facts or leased a description of the lungs in this particular case. A student studying medicine might learn something about the lungs from the section, although I suppose it probably was a practical thing to learn hundred years ago that corsets cause and strictures in the lungs. In fact it might have even been common knowledge although there may have been some sort of taboo against discussing such things and maybe it was only known by certain people. Therefore it might've been very practical to call that a medical book in case male readers or male doctors were somehow ignorant of the problems caused by corsets.

Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:

• Body Lice – Crab Lice
  
  

  Body Lice.—The Body Lice are larger than the head lice and are commonly found upon the body. This type has bands across the back.

  Crab Lice.—They usually develop in the seams of clothing, however, the eggs have been found upon the hairs on the body’s surface. They live in concealed portions of the clothing where the skin is most conveniently reached, where the various bites are to be found most often, as around the neck, across the shoulders, the upper part of the back, around the waist and outer side of the thighs.

  TREATMENT. All clothing worn should be boiled and gone over with a hot iron to destroy them. A hot bath should be taken by the person annoyed by the parasites. Bathing suits should be carefully boiled as they often become infested with the eggs and body lice from a person who may have worn the suit and had them, upon his or her clothing or person.

  In some ways that treatment has changed substantially.  Some of the medicines and shampoos have definitely improved.  But who knows maybe in another 100 years they’ll have diet pills that include a treatment for lice and crabs.

• Powers of the Hand – Skill of the hand
  
  

  Powers of the Hand. – and how very good and useful or its endowments! How wondrously adapted to the uses to which it is daily applied! It’s elegance of outline, delicacy of mold and beauty of color has ever made it the attractive study of the artist; whilst its elasticity, flexibility and strength, combined with its delicate and exquisite mobility, and perfect adaptation as an organ of pretension, have led many philosophers to attribute man’s high and graceful spear he worked he even more to the hand them to the mine. Glowing thoughts are penned up on the pages of history by means of the hand; it wheels the artist pencil and brush, and makes the bare canvas and attractive and valuable work of art; how it strikes the keyboard of the piano with so delicate a touch that low, sweet, plaintive strains of music are brought forth; now the force of the blow is much greater and firmer, and louder and louder and more thrilling musical strains.

  Skill of the Hand. – the farmers toil, a housewife status, the dressmakers deafness, the mechanics skill, are all accomplished by the human hand. How constantly does the lives from an aids us in expressing our feelings. It is the orator’s chief aide and giving expression to his lofty strains of eloquence, or emphasizing his pathetic appeals.

  At this point, for this session I am going to sign off.  The platitudes have finally gotten to me but don’t fear.  We’ll be back again and you can continue to read my droll commentary like subtitling on a bad Sundance Film Festival Marathon in Italian.

  del.icio.us tags: hand, hand strength, history of medicine, medicinal teaching
• THE HEART AND ITS WONDERS – What the Blood Is
  
  

  THE HEART AND ITS WONDERS.
  What the Blood Is.-The blood — the pabulum of life — has not inaptly been termed “Liquid Flesh.” But it is more than that, since it contains materials so essential and so requisite for the building up and repair of every organ tissue of which the body is composed. The blood is the liquid by means of which the circulation in the body is carried on; it permeates every note and corner of the system, and is composed of a pen, colorless fluid, the plasma, filled with red discs, so small, flat and thin that it requires 3,500, placed side by side, to measure 1 inch, and no less than 18,000, placed one upon the other, to make a column 1 inch in height. These discs are continually forming and as constantly dying.

  This section started off very strange with the reference to liquid flash, I think the author would have been wise to describe her point out this reference. As were only 50 pages into the book, I have the suspicion that there are going to be many very peculiar quoted references to sources that we will never know.

  Than the author goes into his rapture about the human body and emotions of being in awe of the blood. That was somewhat to be expected.

  Then we got to something interesting as they started to talk about the red discs. I suspect he’s referring to red blood cells, and the viewer perception that they were discs as they looked at it through a microscope. It probably didn’t really know what they were looking at yet and they could only get a descriptive name.