THE FOOT; IT'S MECHANISM AND IT'S WONDERFUL ENDOWMENTS.

Arrangement and Uses of the Foot. -- in this exquisite colored engraving is represented the human foot, the organ by which we stand, walk or run. Look at it carefully, aye, critically, and see if you can duplicate it in the whole range of man's achievements! The general arrangement of the bony framework of the foot, as seen in the illustration, is strikingly like that of the hand. The graceful arch of the foot, composed by the tarsal and metatarsal bones, is firmly joined together by a thick layer of cartilaginous structure, not only preventing a liability to displacement, but giving it in elasticity, sprightliness and strengthen which could never be attained by single flat bone. In the next colored illustration we have a section of the foot, showing its architectural dignity and perfection. But it's under or plantar surface are seen stretching from the heel forward towards the toes a number of ligaments, the principal one of which is the plantar ligament, and possesses great strength and elasticity.

Its odd but for centuries the foot has received less attention that other parts of the body, even though good health and well being are directly related to the foot.  People are more likely to under go a colon cleanse procedure than take simple steps to care for their feet and keep them health.

Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:

• The Crab Lice
  
  

  The Crab Lice.—These are a smaller type of the former species, as head or body lice. They are nearly as wide as long. They have strong legs spread out on the sides of the body, which makes them appear like crabs. They are of whitish color, slightly shaded on the shoulders and legs with a red tinge. Crab lice are found upon the hairy regions of the body other than the scalp. The spread of these pests can be checked by washing all toilet seats with scalding water, and boiling towels and linen from suspected persons. Laundries should be especially careful as to the thorough boiling and disinfection of all clothing, as the eggs of these parasites can be conveyed in bed-clothing, towels, etc.

  TREATMENT.–Shave the hair in the region of the itching and wash twice a day with a lotion made of

  Tincture of Larkspur…………1/2 ounce

  Commercial Ether ……….. 8 ounces

   

   WARNING  This treatment recommendation is over 100 years old.  We do not recommend it nor know how effective or safe it might be.  If you are cleaning clothing or Delsey luggage or something, use at your own risk, but if you try this stuff on your self, we think you are probably crazy.

• Danger in Farmhouses from Polluted Water
  
  

  Danger in Farmhouses from Polluted Water.  — Of course, the same conclusion holds good for country farmhouses or dwellings when, from motives of convenience, although there is space enough and to spare, but a short distance is interposed between the sides of the hole which is called the well, and which furnishes the drinking water, and the other hole nearby which is called the cesspit, and used as a receptacle for filthy, often poisonous, excrement.  Moreover, there are no doubt many instances where, owing to the inclination of beds of sand or gravel, strata of rock and so forth, impurities of these and other dangerous varieties may be carried, by underground currents, much further than the distances which have been mentioned as measured upon the surface of the earth area in other words, a cesspool on a hillside, 500 feet or more away from a well, may infect the water of the latter, if underground currents favor such contamination.

  We have previously talked about the potential for typhoid and other contagions that can be carried by livestock and transmitted to humans.  Shielding the water supply both of people from animals and animals from people was known 100 years ago, but not always well documented unlike the dangers of mesothelioma or many other deadly situations that people could create themselves.

• Mineral Springs
  
  

  Mineral Springs. — mineral springs, notwithstanding they are much used for drinking, are properly medicinal agents. They comprise all those waters which contain sufficient quantities of dissolved matters, such for example, as iron or sulfur, as to produce thereby a positive effect upon the systems of persons for taking of them. The mineral springs of this country are frequently valuable remedial agents and some chronic diseases.

   

  In this section they do kind of tell you something about the category and that this type of water has minerals or other matter that is dissolved in the water. It doesn’t happen to mention how those minerals may have a come to be there, such as those that are mingled with water by the Earth itself as opposed to water that is polluted by a person. In some regards I believe the author has at this point, deemed the actual term of mineral springs, to be a term that would be widely recognized by people and the author thereby hopes that the categorization of this type of water will take place in the readers mind such that the author or editor does not actually have to spell out why something is in a category at all. It’s a little backwards but almost like a person might expect that a living creature wearing baby clothes should be a baby as opposed to a dog dressed up in baby clothes. The assumption is that the object associated with something that is commonly known should lead the reader to accept categorization automatically. Again this is not terribly scientific and creates the imperative for an assumption, which might lead us to assume, that the author has not learned the lesson of making an ass out of you and me.