216 ^ HE SEASON WHY. 



"' Know ye that the Lord ho is God: it is he that hath made us, and not \\* 

 ourselves : we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." PSALH c. 



907. Why does the flesh underneath the nails look red ? 



Because the transparent texture of the nails enables us to see the 

 colour of the vascular structure that lies underneath the skin. 

 Vascular Full of vessels. In this instance, full of capillary blood-vessels. 



908. Why have we nails at our fingers' ends ? 



Because they give firmness to the touch, and enable us to apply the 

 extremities of the fingers to many useful purposes for which they 

 would otherwise be unfitted. They enable us to press the tips of the 

 fitigers, where the highest degree of sensitiveness prevails, so as to 

 bring the largest amount of nervous perception into the sense of 

 touch. 



909. Why do white spots occur upon the nails ? 

 Because the vascular surface underneath is attached to the horny 



texture of the nail ; but by knocks and other causes, the nail some- 

 times separates in small patches from the membrane below, and 

 becomes dry and opaque. 



910. Why is there a circular line of whitish colour at 

 the root of the nail ? 



Because there the nail is newly formed by the vascular substance 

 out of which it grows, and has not yet assumed its proper horny 

 and transparent nature. 



911. Why is the eye-ball white ? 



Because the blood-vessels that supply its surface are so very fine 

 that they do not admit the red corpuscles of the blood. 



912. Why does the eye-ball sometimes become blood-shot ? 



Because, under exciting causes of inflammation, the blood-vessels 

 become distended, and the red corpuscles enter, producing a net- 

 work of red blood-vessels across the white surface of the eye. 



913. Why are the lips red? 



Because the lips are formed of the mucous membrane that lines the 

 body internally, and covers the surface of most of the internal parts. 

 This membrane con:ains a great number of minute red vessels, 

 which give softness and moisture to the surface. A very beautiful 



