CONSUMPTION. 135 



The heart is a hollow muscular organ; a longitudinal 

 septum or partition divides it into two lateral halves, 

 which from their position are called right and left 

 heart. A transverse septum; i. e., one extending from 

 side to side, again divides the heart into four cavities, 

 two upper and two lower. The right heart controls 

 the circulation through the lungs only, the left heart 

 control the general or systematic circulation. The dark 

 venous blood from the whole system is received into the 

 right heart, and sent through the lungs where it re- 

 ceives oxygen from the air we breathe, and^ is returned 

 to the left heart; this contracts and sends the bright 

 arterial blood throughout the system. The right and 

 left heart are really two organs molded into one, na- 

 ture's method of economizing space and power. The 

 heart cavities are lined with a delicate membrane which 

 is continuous with that lining the arteries, picked up 

 folds of this membrane form the valves which guard 

 the openings between the cavities. 



The channels through which poisons are eliminated 

 are the digestive tract, kidneys, lungs and skin. When 

 food does not digest it ferments, and as a result there 

 are many poisons produced. The veins of the stomach 

 and those of the digestive tract unite to form the 

 portal vein, and the portal vein enters the liver, hence 

 many of tne poisonous substances resulting from indi- 

 gestion are carried direct to this organ. 



The liver tries to reduce the poison, but fails; its 

 effects together with the irritation from the impure 

 blood overcomes more or less its vitality, and its action 

 is interfered with, constipation follows, and the poi- 



