Reviewing the Medical Books and Journals that constituted Medical understanding a century back.

History of the Book of Medicine

August 20th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

Sea-Water

image Sea-Water.-Sea-water varies considerably in composition, being, of course, more concentrated, as a rule, in the tropical regions, where evaporation is most active, such, for example, as in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean near the equator. According to analysis, the water in the English Channel contains in 1000 parts‑

Chloride of Sodium 28.05

Chloride of Magnesium.......................... 3.66

Sulphate of Magnesia 2.29

Sulphate of Lime .................................. 1.40

Other Saline Materials ............................. .76

Total Solid Matter.......................... 36. 16

Besides these, and perhaps contributing largely to the healthful qualities of sea-water, there exist in the ocean small quantities of iodine and bromide, and extremely minute amounts of some of the common metals. It has been found that, by dissolving a little common salt and carbonate of soda, lime and magnesia in distilled sea-water, its taste is rendered much more agreeable; and this plan, it is said, is adopted in the Russian navy.

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As in the last section where they talk about distilling sea water for drinking on ships, this talks about some of the other materials that can be extracted during the distillation process.  With the exception of salt extraction some of these other materials don't seem terribly practical.  Times do change however, and if water is extracted every bit of material that comes with it has to go somewhere whether it can be sold in bulk for mass production of vitamins or horse supplements or what ever.  :)

Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:

  • 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.

    ________________

    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.

  • Evaporation

    image

    These days our drinking water is so contaminated with drugs, antibiotics, chemical wastes and supplements of every different size and color that you never know if you might be getting a cocktail of Amoxycillin or Fenphedra when you take a sip.

    Evaporation.-Our supplies of drinking water are, of course, derived originally entirely from the rainfall. We need not consider now how the water found its way into the air. Without entering into the details of the process of evaporation, all that the present object requires is, that we clearly recognize the fact that spring, fountain, river and lake are all alike fed from the clouds which float over our heads and send their rain upon the just and upon the unjust. Hence, then, man is wholly dependent for his supply of this vital element upon the rain which comes down from heaven. He may dwell upon the most arid plains, but he drinks from the stream which flows beside or underneath his feet—which stream is itself fed by floods that fell perhaps a thousand miles away—and what-ever mystery attaches to subterranean waters, we may be sure that, by a long enough circuit, we can trace every drop back to the clouds.

  • Dangers in Snow Water

    • The Complete Organs and Structures

      The Complete Organs and Structures — the muscles which give form and shape to the body would be powerless and strands of movement and devoid of the bones of the skeleton.  Thus we see that every organ and structure was formed with direct reference to the accomplishment of a certain definite object.  Hence, the bones form framework, to protect the delicate organs of mind, respiration, circulation, digestion and excretion, to serve as levers on which the muscles may act to produce motion, and to preserve the form and shape of the body; the muscles, such as we observe in this plate, give form, shape and symmetrical proportions to the body, and produce its varied motions; by means of the brain we think, feel and act; the nerves of the eye take cognizance of external objects, and convey their impressions to the brain; the auditory nerve distinguishes sounds; the olfactory nerve identifies and separates the different odors brought into contact with it, and sentient nerves of the skin are fully impressed with the touch of external objects, carry the impression of their character and size to the brain, and the motor nerves carry the commands of the will to the muscular system, at the behests of the mind may be obeyed and carried out; the heart receives that in pure blood from all parts of the body, and sends it to the lungs to be purified, then receives it back again and forces it with enormous power even unto the most remote and my new part of the system; arteries and veins are made for the express purpose of conveying the “pabulum of life” from the heart, and to carry vitiated and poisonous fluid to the heart; the lungs throw off the carbonic acid in the venous fluid and replace it by oxygen; the stomach, by and with the aid of the salivary, biliary, pancreatic and intestinal juices, digest the food and transforms it into blood; the kidneys are designed as filters, to aid in the purification of the blood; thus we observe that the various tissues and organs of the body at each their own special use in the human economy, and their exact and definite function to perform; and as a result of the sum total of the proper required performance of all these different functions, we have not only harmony and health, but happiness of mind, soul and body as well.

      In case you were counting there are exactly 3 periods in this diatribe.  That last sentence is a doozy and probably one of the longest run-on sentences I’ve ever seen in print.  It goes on and on and on!  The grammar in this section is so distracting that it’s almost impossible to find other interesting aspects about this section.

      I will note that I was somewhat surprised to see Dragon Naturally Speaking correctly translate “pabulum of life.”

      This is a concept I believe that dates back to the era of the Royal Society.  If I understand it correctly the pabulum of life refers to that type of substance or matter that can generate heat or energy through digestion.  Ergo if you eat a cheeseburger, cheeseburger is the pabulum of life because it creates energy and heat in your bodily system so to say.  Here is an excerpt quoted from Theory of the Earth Part 4 that provides the phrase in context,

      IT is the nature of animal life to be ultimately supported from matter of vegetable production. Inflammable matter may be considered as the pabulum of life. This is prepared in the bodies of living plants, particularly in their leaves exposed to the sun and light. This inflammable matter, on the contrary, is consumed in animal bodies, where it produces heat or light, or both. Therefore, however animal matter, or the pabulum of life, may circulate through a series of digesting powers, it is constantly impaired or diminishing in the course of this oeconomy, and, without the productive power of plants, it would finally be extinguished.

      The inclusion of this phrase leads me to hypothesize (after reading this book too much into my words become a little heavier than normal) that this book which I believe a one-time event published in London probably included writers if not editors that were well-versed and the discussions and debates of the day from the Royal Society.  As this book was published in 1916, it’s also very likely that the Royal Society studies had become extremely dogmatic and in some ways were probably factionalized amongst the various philosophers and budding scientists of the day.

    • THE CLITORIS, URETHRA, VAGINA AND HYMEN.

      These female organs show further at the perfection which anatomical plate printing has attained.

      Clitoris.—This small organ, it will be seen, is situated at the upper part of the Volvo, or outside parts of the female generative system, it is usually concealed by the lips of the pudenda. It performs a function during sexual intercourse similar to that performed by the penis of the male.

      Urethra.–This highly useful organ, common to both sexes, is, as will be seen by the plate, now, or medium, by means of which the urine is carried from the bladder to be voided. It is a delicately lined organ, furnished with retentive valves, and therefore susceptible to a variety of diseases.

      Vagina.–This word implies a chief, and is applied to the can out which leads from the uterus (womb) to the external organs of generation in the female sex. Commonly, it implies such external organs, or organ, as depicted in the plate.

      Hymen.–The mucous membrane, or virginal membrane, at the entrance of the female sexual organ, or vagina.

      In general the author skips through the section very rapidly in a no-nonsense business or away. There is no alliteration, and no religious references. That is not surprising as this was written just after the turn of the century when discussions of these particular topics are not carried out in public and rarely between men and women in public, let alone in a book designed to teach both men and women. Keep in mind, that this book came out 40 to 50 years before the Kinsey studies and books on sexual practices were done and written about. Medicine and Society at a long way to go from this point in time when this section was written.

    • Rhynoplasty

      Years ago California was not necessarily a place known for its health care system.  It was definitely not known for its capability to deliver some of the best medical procedures and practices such as cosmetic surgery or reconstructive surgery.  Today Beverly Hills and Los Angeles are both known for providing the home offices of some of the best cosmetic and reconstructive surgeons in the world.

      It started in part when they began catering to the rich and famous.  However there are only so many rich and famous people out there and more and more people are seeking out reconstructive processes such as rhinoplasty in Beverly Hills.

      In fact there are several good medical reasons why rhinoplasty Beverly Hills might be considered.  It can help many people suffering form chronic sinus infections or even people suffering from problematic breathing disorders such as snoring to breathe easy once again or possibly for the first time in their life.

      Procedures such as, rhinoplasty Los Angeles, do not just provide a nose job, but can in fact enable a person to live a more normal life.  Looking better is still one of the larger reasons for a rhinoplasty procedure, but after years of the procedures we are learning that they can cure or improve other medical problems that are not cosmetic in nature. 

    Dangers in Snow Water.  — snow water, pure and fresh as it seems may be very dangerous to health and consequence of organic impurities contained in it.

 

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