Progeny 65 



complex mass of cells known as a living creature 

 is, and it would be advisable to observe what food 

 consists of, how it reaches cell life and other matters 

 of interest. Food is of two kinds, viz., what we 

 call food in the common acceptance of the word, 

 and air. The former going down the alimentary- 

 tract, the latter the respiratory. In case of the 

 former, it passes through various mechanical and 

 digestive processes until it reaches the lesser intes- 

 tines, where the bulk of it is absorbed, part of which 

 is thrown directly into the blood, and part into the 

 same medium after passing through the liver. 

 What is not absorbed during the passage through 

 the body is thrown out at the vent. 



"In the case of air, it passes to the lungs, where 

 it enters fine blood vessels and is carried at once by 

 the red corpuscles of the blood to its destination. 

 Thus we find that the blood is the medium of con- 

 veyance of nutrition to the cells of the body whereby 

 anabolism is affected. The same medium, how- 

 ever, acts as dustman to the body, for we find that 

 it carries away the debris of cell life brought about 

 by anabohc changes, to the kidneys and the skin 

 where they are expelled from the body. This being 

 the case, the metabolism which goes on in the non- 

 pregnant female is obviously limited to the renewal 

 of cells and the carting away of broken down ones. 



