• Taxes before Health
  
  

  I had to take a break to do my taxes last week.  For what its worth, it might be interesting to know that when this book was published, people did not have to file income taxes in the United States. 

  There were other forms of taxes, but not income taxes.  I suspect that there may be a correlation to the introduction of income taxes and obesity and heart problems in the US.  I doubt anyone will ever be able to fulfil a research project on that to prove it right or wrong any more than they might show that children that drive RC cars recklessly grow up to drive real cars recklessly, but it is an interesting historical perspective.

• The Fibula and Sciatic Nerve
  
  

  the fibula.  — not only does this second bone-the fibula-get additional string in support to the lake proper, but it likewise increases the bony area or surface of the lake, to which its powerful muscular lovers are attached.

  The Sciatic Nerve.- the large sciatic nerve, its position, course and distribution, is graphically outlined, and as we look upon this point, since the court, we are deeply impressed with the force and truth of what Shakespeare makes one of his characters, to moan say:

  “________the cold sciatica

  Cripples our senators, but their limbs may halt

  as plainly as their manners.”

  Now I do understand that this is not terribly exciting reading at this point in time.  Enough to let a person get some sleep at a hotel trying to offer up time share real estate Branson options, I’m sure.

• Order of Brain Mechanism
  
  

  It’s been a few days since I visited the Book of Medicine so I’ve got a little catching up to do. Today on the cover a quick little section and tomorrow I’ve got a much longer section.

  Order of Brain Mechanism – commencing from above and descending downward we observe the following important structures, to wit: the fascia or skin covering the cranial bones; and then a section of the bones themselves, showing their laminated structures. Between the bones of us go on the brain are seeing the meningeal coats of the brain, which serve the double purpose of supplying it with blood vessels and protecting a delicate organ from pressure or injury.

  There isn’t too much of her mark bowl interest here and this particular section other than the fact that I believe the word ‘fascia’ is today spelled as facia. So more along the lines I think the word is lost to ‘S’. That’s probably not terribly surprising as this book was written right around the time that various different countries were attempting to standardize dictionaries and spelling around the world. Furthermore this book is written for publication in both the United Kingdom and in the United States and so some of the language could have variations due to either of the intended reader bases.

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.

Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:

• Giving up of Oxygen
  
  

  Before I begin this next section, I wanted to point out the title it has a most curious title. I can’t wait to figure learn what it might mean. It sounds as if someone might give up an addiction, however I believe that addiction was not understood 90 years ago as it is today. Although people did work to give up ‘vices’ that today are known to be addictive such as alcohol, tobacco, opiates and other items.
  

  Giving up of Oxygen. –the atmospheric air laden with its life-sustaining property, oxygen, having passed in to the lungs, gives up that vital element and receives in its place the carbonic acid gas, water, and other refuse materials which the blood is picked up in its journey through the body, and which are no longer fitted to circulate in the blood and preserve the vitality of the body. No tonic invigorates so well as a few, deep, full inspirations of pure, cold air.

  ________________

  well I didn’t expect what I received in that section. The last sentence though definitely sounds a little bit hokey. Older maybe invigorating, but that doesn’t certainly make it healthy. It just makes a cold.

  Oddly there are a few unscientific studies that have been circulated over the last decade or two that offer a contrarian exception that heat therapy might actually be good for a person that is sick. I suspect that the correct answer is that the body needs or prefers a stable temperature that is neither too hot nor too cold in order to remain healthy or regain health.

• 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.

• How to Destroy Bed Bugs
  
  

  How to Destroy Bed Bugs.– Spray with pure spirits or crude turpentine or benzine by using an ordinary nose and throat atomizer which can be bought in a drug store, all brass or wooden beds after scalding where possible with hot water, spray the crevices of floor, back of picture frames and where a house is “alive” with the pests repaper and paint rooms.

  These small little bugs are very difficult to see even when you know what you are looking for, dozens of them or their eggs could fit on a micro sd card that would go in a modern cell phone.

  Spirits of turpentine will kill where carbolic acid has failed. After each spraying, watch for the bedbugs as those which are not destroyed will hasten to escape and can be killed. Remember benzine and turpentine are inflammable and poisonous. No lights should be permitted in the rooms during or immediately following the use of these drugs. When articles cannot be sprayed, as books, etc., seal up the room and burn a sulphur candle. Place sulphur candle in a tin cup and place cup in a tin or metal pie plate containing water.