This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1828 Excerpt: ...long, but by their various foldings take up but a small compass. Son. What becomes of the grosser parts of our food? Father. When all the nourishment is drawn from it, those grosser parts pass onward to be discharged from the body. Son. And how, or in what manner, is the body nourished by food? Father. The fine juices ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1828 Excerpt: ...long, but by their various foldings take up but a small compass. Son. What becomes of the grosser parts of our food? Father. When all the nourishment is drawn from it, those grosser parts pass onward to be discharged from the body. Son. And how, or in what manner, is the body nourished by food? Father. The fine juices (called chyle) are conveyed, by means of the thoracic duct, to the heart, to be formed into blood. Son. How is all this work effected? Father. The heart receives these juioes, and injects them into the lungs, and the lungs press and prepare them. The air drawn in by the lungs, passing through the windpipe, carries off the inflammable parts in the act of breathing, and the lungs return the juices back to the heart; and they are thus converted into good blood, which nourishes the whole body. Son. What gives the blood its motion or circulation? Father. In that lies the grand secret termed life.--The heart has the power of opening and of closing its cavities, which we call its expansion or contraction: and as-long as this continues, we live. By the former the blood is brought in, and by the latter sent out into a duct, called the great artery. It is supposed the pulsations of the heart are more than two thousand every hour, whether we wake or sleep. Son. I am lost in wonder and admiration! Father. Adopt the words of the Psalmist, who was much employed in meditating on the works of God--" I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well." But I have one thing more to call your attention to, which will also excite your astonishment. It is this, if the blood (which is brought again into the heart, into its other cavity, from the extremities of the body and limbs throu...
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