The Pancreas, or "Sweetbread." -- The pancreas, or "sweetbread," is a single glandular organ, situated transversely across the upper and back part of the abdomen, on a level with the last dorsal spine bone. It is of an irregular, elongated form, from six to 8 inches in length, an inch and a half in breadth, and from a half to 1 inch in thickness. It secretes about 7 ounces daily of a slightly alkaline fluid containing the organic principle -- pancreatin, which is the property of changing the starchy food into sugar. Whilst it has this power, yet its chief work in the digestive process seems to be the breaking up of the fat globules into myriad of my new particles which mix freely with water, and thereby promote their absorption by the lacteals.
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This section definitely exhibits a lack of understanding of the workings of the pancreas. It's not too far off and its description and characteristic described within it are not too far off. You can can understand where they were going with their logic based on what they were observing. I suppose if someone were to cut open some golf balls, they might as them that the plastic white shell is there to protect the rubber bands inside from the bludgeon of the golf club. That's not incorrect but it's not exactly the purpose either.
Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:
- Why is it that Disease Spreads?
Why is it that disease spreads?-It has been found by scientists that certain definitive living bodies (germs) are the cause of certain diseases, such as tuberculosis, smallpox, typhoid fever, diphtheria, etc.; and other diseases must be caused by other undiscovered bodies, which will some day be known. These minute living bodies are active and give off poisonous material which destroys the tissues, organs, etc. of the body. When a person is ill, these germs are being continually thrown off in the waste materials of the body, in the spittle, bowel movements, sweat, saliva, urine, et cetera. If these products of disease are allowed to remain in a vessel, the carpets, floor, soil, etc., they dry and in the form of dust are blown about in here at the house, street or country road. If they come in contact with clothing or household furniture, they can be carried. Should a nurse or attendant upon a case be careless about disinfecting the hands are closing during or after the management of a contagious disease, he or she can become a common carrier by touching food, dishes, clothing, etc., used by other members of the family.
Water is a common carrier of disease, particularly typhoid fever, cholera, etc. Therefore to prevent the spread of disease every farmer, dairy man, occupant of a dwelling, factory, citizens of villages, cities and states, should see that they have a clean water supply free from germs and not contaminated by dirty water or refuse from a toilet, a pen, stable, etc.., which might contain germs carry from a patient or animal suffering from any of the contagious disease is. One case of typhoid fever along the edge of a mountain stream, carelessly managed, thus permitting bowel movements to be thrown into or washed into the stream by rain, pelting snow, etc., could cause an epidemic in every village which received its water supply from that stream or the reverence which it empty.
Milk can be a common carrier of disease, such as tuberculosis, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, measles, diphtheria, etc. Most states however, have protected the supply of milk by the enactment of laws covering the inspection of cattle, the erection of well lighted, clean and ventilated dairies, boiling and sterilization of all utensils used in its handling, even the wearing of sterile grounds by the milkers and attendants, cleansing of the cows utters before and after milking incurring and brushing the cattle and covering them with light blanket. Milk should be kept it even temperatures after being placed in sterile can prevent the formation of germs which will develop even in transit to the consumer in the country or by train or in the milk bottles prior to delivery. Railroads are compelled in some states, and should be in all states, to furnish refrigerator cans with highs and the dealers in the city should particularly during the warm weather, have a refrigerator or eyes in the delivery wagons to maintain an even temperature for all milk delivered.
There are some interesting concepts within the section some of these actually seem somewhat practical and you can get a sense of the evolution of thought and care that was starting to go into the maintenance of water supplies and especially the concept of moving milk producing milk and transmitting or delivering it logistically across long distances as people lived more in cities and away from the country away from the source of the actual cattle delivering the milk.
Its also somewhat surprising that as early as one hundred years ago they were concerned with milkers wearing sterile clothing. I have a mental image in my head of kids going out to milk the cow each morning for milk and parents that had little regard for the sterility of children’s clothes as long as they did not spoil their Sunday clothes.
- Virulence of Lead Poison
Virulence of Lead Poison. — in the celebrated case of the accidental poisoning of the ex-royal family of France, a Claremont, by lead which was taken up in the drinking water, the amount was found not to exceed one grain of metal to the gallon of water. From cases which have since been observed, it would appear that the habitual use of water containing 1/10 or even 1/20 of a grain per gallon, is sometimes attended with danger. In his investigation into the cause of that curious disease, as it was formerly considered, the Devonshire colic, Sir George Baker, who discovered that it was only a form of lead poisoning due to the drinking of cider fermented in lead lined vats and troughs, found that 18 bottles of cider he examined contained four and a half grains of lead, or a quarter of a grain to each bottle.
The poisoning of the French aristocracy may not have originated in France. Some researches believe that lead lined vats may have played a contributing role in the decline of the Roman empire.
Well-to-do Romans painted their walls a rich Pompeian red, which owed its color to a salt of lead or mercury. Lead was used for water pipes, cups, toys, statues, cosmetics, coffins, and roofs, but the most significant source may have been the wine of the wealthy class.S. Columba Gilfillan proposed a theory for Roman decay in 1965 that involved "poisons esteemed as delicious by the ancient well-to-do." Spoilage was a problem in ancient Rome, and vintners discovered that wine tasted better and lasted longer if it was mixed with a concentrated grape syrup called sapa.
Some enterprising Roman probably started up a nice home business making wine ‘taste better’ and in so doing brought about the wasting of the upper class and the possible downfall of Rome as a whole.
- Chart 3
Here are the images as promised for Chart 3 covering the eye, the hands, the feet, the ear and the leg.
