66 



THE GROWTH OF THE BRAIN. 



of the body, which may again be ranged in larger 

 groups or systems. The bony skeleton is connective 

 tissue, rendered rigid by a deposit of lime-salts. The 

 system of the voluntary or skeletal muscles is predomi- 

 nantly composed of muscular tissue ; while in the case 

 of the nervous system this dominance of characteristic 

 tissue is even more marked. 



Within the thoracic and abdominal cavities of the 

 body are the several viscera, and these last may be 

 removed and studied separately. What remains 

 after their removal is the skeleton enclosed by 

 the muscles, and in turn enclosing the central nervous 

 system, the whole mass being covered by the skin. 

 By proper methods these several portions may be 

 separated from one another. The facts obtained by 

 such a separation are in part shown in the following 

 table on the weight and composition of the human body, 

 as given by Bischoff 1 : 



TABLE 5. SHOWING THE ABSOLUTE WEIGHT OF Six PERSONS 

 OF DIFFERENT AGES (FOUR MALES, Two FEMALES), AND 

 THE PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL BODY- WEIGHT REPRE- 

 SENTED BY THE PARTS NAMED. (E. Bischoff.} 



1 E. Bischoff, Zeit.f. rationelle Med., 1863. 



