Breathing Capacity of Lungs. --the breeding capacity of the lungs bears a close correspondence to the stature of man. For an ordinary sized man of about 5'8" in height, it will be 230 cubic inches, or about 1 gallon of air, and for each additional inch of stature up to 6 feet, there will be an increase of 8 cubic inches. in a forcible expiration all the air in the lungs is not expelled; or still remains behind 100 cubic inches. thus, with his son expelled air, the breeding capacity of an ordinary sized man is about 330 cubic inches, or equivalent to 11 pints of air. Of the 230 cubic inches, 100 can only be forced into lungs by the exercise of great effort, and is available for emergencies as striking a heavy blow, or for the purpose of training, as in singing, rolling, running, climbing, etc.; but the extra amount of air old was on hand in the lungs is of great value, since it enables the lungs to perform their functions continuously, even under severe and violent exertions.
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At this point in time I'm on page 47 of this text. We've been walking through basic anatomy, and I have a layman's education in anatomy. I think this might be the first time that I've actually learned something conceivably useful from the book. I do not know how accurate it might be, I was intrigued by the concept that some of the air for the lungs remains in the lungs continuously. I do understand the concept of air pressure and this does make logical sense in that regards. It would also explain why it's important to cover hole in the chest if you happen to puncture a lung. The puncture creates a deflated long which is lost that amount of air which remains at a constant level.
All in all I'm quite impressed that I have learned something from the book that's meant to teach me something.
Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:
- Applying the Test for Lead
Applying the Test for Lead. — the sulfide of ammonium may be purchased at a small cost, save for $.25 an ounce, of most dealers and chemicals; and, as its odor is extremely disagreeable, it should be carefully corked until the moment it is used. The experiment should be made upon half a pint of the suspected water; and, if the contamination is supposed to be caused by lead pipes, it is a good plan to test a portion of the liquid which has stood overnight in the conduits. The mode of discriminating the precipitate caused by iron from those due to the dangerous metals, lead and copper, is to let fall a few drop of hydrochloric acid, called also muriatic acid, into the fluid. If the brownish or yellowish brown tent disappears, we may know that innocent iron is the only metallic impurities; whilst if, on the contrary, no change is effected by the addition of the acid, one of the poisonous metals, better copper, is present. No water, however, in which the slightest change is produced by adding the sulfide of ammonium, should be swallowed by man or beast until a rigid investigation by a competent water analyst has proved it to be harmless.
I somehow doubt that sulfide of ammonium costs that amount today. Its probably either much more expensive or sold in ridiculous bulks at every grocery store, pharmacy and gas station next to the Phentermine in one of those combination aisles that sells just a little bit of everything, but never the thing you really need.
- Changes in the Human Body
I was traveling over the 4th of July here in the US and had written this article in advance, but something got stuck and it did not publish. Technology!
Changes in the Human Body. –The human body is in a constant state of change. In the midst of life there is death. The blood discs die and new ones are born into life. Every act of life is destructive as well as constructive. Not a thought can be evolved but numerous brain cells die; not a wink of an eye, a smell of a lovely rose, nor a muscular movement, but results in the death of some part of the machinery involved. Every process of life is a process of death. The scales of the epidermis are constantly falling off to be replaced by fresh cells from beneath, and it is on the continuance of this interchange that our life, health and vigor depends. The more rapidly this change goes on, and fresh, vigorous, healthy tissues take the place of the old lifeless ones, the more elasticity, buoyancy and strength we possess — the more healthy and robust we become.
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To a layman most of that last paragraph sounded like nonsense. Yes, cells do die and more cells are created throughout the human body. the author describes in a way that makes it sound like birth is given to the cells by other cells. I think the part the Mesa sound rather ludicrous is based on the author’s assumption that there is a cause-and-effect. When you move a muscle according to the author’s reasoning, that movement kills a muscle cell and births another muscle cell at the same time. Cells may be creating and dined at the same time but I don’t believe it’s from the exertion or the motion. That seems to be a fallacy in the logic from the statement.
- Muscles of the Face and Neck
Now we move into the next section after we’ve covered the intro. The pictures are available in Chart1.
Muscles of the Face and Neck – this fine plate is a remarkably realistic and accurate representation of the head and neck, after the outer skin has been removed. It shows the bare skull, together with the admirable and skillful arrangement of the muscles of the face and neck; also the external part of the ear. There are, also, numerous blood — vessels noticed meandering over the parts exposed to view, by means of which this muscular area receives its a plant nutrient blood. The large, broad muscle observed over the four head is the one by which we elevate the brow, and in conjunction with the more orbicular muscle in his scenes surrounding the eye,we can contract the brow, as in “scowling.”
Muscles of the Face — The muscles of the face are those employed to give variety of expression to the countenance. It is through the medium of the small but useful muscles that public speakers can get facial emphasis to their flow of rhetorical eloquence; the tragedian employs them to get dramatic effect to the various characters he impersonates, and the low comedienne and “clown” cultivate them for facial contortions and “guying” characterization. The numerous muscles observed about the neck are those which give elasticity and mobility to the head. It is by means of these muscles that the head can rotate on its axis, then forward, backward, sideways, and pose in the diversified attitudes in various positions it can be made to assume.
Of this next section there are a couple goes full items that are of some interest. One of those as though use of the word tragedian, which surprised me for two reasons:
- Because it was used at all, and too.
- Because my voice recognition program picked it up on the first try.
in addition to links to examples are analogies such as clowns or comedians is somewhat archaic today. I don’t think anyone today” hundred years later would use a similar analogy. However the turn of the century and a time when vaudeville was popular and moving pictures were still a couple decades away, I can see how this may have been a little bit more of a medical marvel.