Transformation of Food Into Flesh.-- How strange this is -- the transformation of food into human flesh, into human thoughts!  We eat a meal; it is composed of meat, bread, vegetables and liquids.  The more solid part is ground by the teeth, mixed with the different juices, dissolved, changed, organize and is swept through the body and the circulation of the blood.  Each organ sees as its own particular food as it passes.  Within the cells of the various tissues it is transformed into the soft, sensitive brain, or the hard, callous bone; here into the nerve of sight, there into gristle or tendon; here briny tears are formed, they are bland saliva; in the stomach, acid juice; in the skin, acrid perspiration; bile for digestion, oil for the hair, nails for the fingers, muscle for the strong arm of toil, and flesh and fat to give shade, form and beauty to the face.

 

I think the previous section prepared me actually for this section.  In the previous set action the author sounded like he was speaking gibberish.  In this section the author or marbles at the ability of the body to turn one type of matter into another matter which is part of the human body or system.  Today I look at this process as a function, a program if you will run by the programmed DNA of the human system and control by the major organs.  In some ways my own interpretation is only slightly less obscure than the authors interpretation.  The other marvels at something that is relatively new and highly misunderstood where is I take it for granted.

 

Neither one of our perspectives in that regard are more accurate than the other or may be a better way to say that is that we both have a perspective that equally valuable or valid.  The author doesn't actually offer up any interpretation as to how the systems work or how it performs any of these items that they discuss, instead the author chooses just to remark on the fact that the actions are interesting even amazing.

In many ways almost any system that we talk about today might have appeared equally as amazing to the author a hundred years ago.  Some of those systems could be interpreted better back then than they could stay such as the workings of kitchen faucets possibly as opposed to the workings of a Turing machine or computer neither of which had been invented as of the writing of this book, but both of which had been speculated on for many years.

 

In many ways it's these types of remarks it illustrates that the book is filled in large parts with what I might call science fiction or scientific interpretation or even a scientific editorial and not scientific fact.

Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:

• Muscular Arrangement and Blood Supply
  
  

  Muscles of the Trunk of the Human Body.

  Muscular Arrangement and Blood Supply.  — In this exquisite and magnificent colored engraving we had a grand view of the wonderful arrangement of the muscles of the trunk of the human body, together with the muscular arrangement of the arms and likewise their blood supply.  The trunk of the body is divided into two compartments — the thorax and the abdomen.

  I believe this opening segment is referring to the first image and charred two.  (see chart 2 first picture  )

  Now I am not a doctor nor I are very good artist, but as I look at this drawing or engraving as it’s referred to it seemed a little basic to me.  Sure I’m used to souped-up graphics and a number of other things that it developed in the last 90 years.  That difference I suppose is one of the remarkable things about the book.  I often point out the difference and grammar and punctuation and perspective to need a little bit and knowledge.
  This is another example of cultural differences spanning 90 years of time.  90 years ago this might have been a very accurate and high-tech picture, well today and 2007 it looks extremely basic almost like something that a grade school student might color with a crayon.

  It may be a little trite but like to point out also a diagram of the belly button, which strikes me as rather ludicrous looking even though it’s not all that bad.  Maybe it’s the two-dimensional rendering of the belly button that strikes me, or maybe it’s the juxtaposition of a section of skin on top of a section of the torso that has no skin.  I’m not really sure but it seems little funny to me.

• The Contaminated Ice Pond
  
  

  The Contaminated Ice Pond.  — both the house in which the ice was stored in the water from the melted ice gave off a decidedly disagreeable or even offensive odor.  Finally, a visited upon from which the ice and then gathered disclose the fact that much of the water and it was dark colored, file and highly contaminated with filthy marsh mud and decomposing sawdust.  Chemical analysis showed that both it and the suspected eyes contain a large excess of organic and volatile impurities, including four one hundredths of a grain per gallon of albuminoid ammonia.

• Colon Cleanser on Public Health Forum
  
  

  Now I cover a lot of items that seem a little peculiar culturally speaking. Today, I happened across PublicHealthForums.com. One of their sub-forums is a Bowtrol Forum. People show up to the forum to get Bowtrol Reviews and try and decide whether or not they should Buy Bowtrol.

  Now I mention this because one of the people visiting the form asked the perfectly logical question:

  I have a question. I just ordered a two months supply. My husband is afraid to try the product during working hours. Will it cause discomfort during the day? Any cramping, diarrhea, or other extremes?

  That is definitely a reasonable question for a colon cleanser. Culturally speaking I wonder what people will think about this type of Social Networking in the future. In many ways the Library of Health is a book that published the accumulated medical knowledge of the time to distribute to people around the country. It was a codification of medical practices and possibly word of mouth knowledge and herbal lore even.

  Not so different than people coming together to work out a best practice solution for the usage of a medical product or treatment today.