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PHYSIOLOGY AND HYGTENE. 
BY J. It, G RISCOM, M. D. 
I.-ORGANIC STRUCTURES. 
1. All the matter of the globe is divided 
into two great classes, viz: the Organic and 
the Inorganic. These terms signify the pres¬ 
ence or absence of organs, or instruments, in 
any individual body. 
2. Inorganic bodies, as stones, water, earth 
and air, consist of particles, generally simi¬ 
lar in kind, united by the mere force of co¬ 
hesion ; they possess no vital principle or 
life; they are incapable of reproduction; 
they are continually subject to changes by 
chemical and mechanical agencies; they can 
increase in size only by external additions, 
and they arc without separate and distinct 
parts or organs. 
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Illustration. —A marble statue is formed of 
a great number of line particles exactly alike, 
which may bo easily detached from each 
other without injuring or disturbing the 
mass; it is without animation or life, is dead 
matter ; it cannot, reproduce its kind; it can¬ 
not enlarge by any internal power; it is 
easily acted on and destroyed, as marble, by 
many mechanical and chemical agents, hav¬ 
ing no power to resist their action. 
3. An organic hotly is formed of particles 
very dissimilar in kind, united by other forces 
than mere cohesion ; it is capable of vitality 
or life; it has the power of reproducing its 
kind; it grows by an internal power; when 
alive, it can resist and overcome the destruc¬ 
tive action of chemical and mechanical 
agents and forces; and it has a number of 
separate and distinct, organ*, each with diner- 
out powers and duties. 
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Illustration. — A living animal or vege¬ 
table, viz., a bird, or a tree, is composed of 
very dissimilar particles, joined together in 
various modes and decrees of force; it pos¬ 
sesses vitality, that is, it is alim; it has the 
power of multiplying itself, as a bird by Us 
eggs, and a plant by its seeds; U will grow ill 
bulk ; when any part ts removed or destroy¬ 
ed, the whole is affected more or less; it can 
resist the decomposing agencies which affect 
dead or inorganic matter, and finally, it, pos¬ 
sesses independent and distinct organs or in¬ 
struments. 
4. Thus the animat has skin, hair, eyes, 
care, teeth, tongue, heart, lungs, brain, mus¬ 
cles, &c.; and the tree has roots, bark, 
branches, leaves, llowers, fruit, &c., which 
are their separate organs. 
5. Another wide distinction between or¬ 
ganic and inorganic bodies is this, that the 
former are continually undergoing changes of 
many kinds, produced by the working of their 
own organs, while inorganic matter never 
changes unless acted upon by external forces. 
Illustrations. —The changes of a tree in 
size, form and condition, the color of its 
leaves and the formation of flowers and 
fruit; the unchangeableness of a statue ex¬ 
cept by the chisel, the weather, or other ex¬ 
ternal causes. 
(!. All the matter of the globe is also 
divided into three great, kingdoms, viz., the 
animal, the vegetable aud the mineral. To 
the first two belong all substances possessing 
vitality; the mineral kingdom includes all 
inanimate or lifeless bodies; mineral sub¬ 
stances belong exclusively to the inorganic 
class, and all animal and vegetable bodies to 
the organic class. The general distinction 
between the classes of substances was stated 
by a distinguished naturalist (Burciiardt) 
thus;—“ Stones grow; plants grow and live; 
animals grow, live and fed I 
7. All living bodies have organs and func¬ 
tions. The organs are the various parts of 
which the body is composed. The function 
of an organ is its action or duty. 
Illustration. — The eye is the organ of 
sight; seeing is the function thereof. The 
wings of birds arc their organs of locomo¬ 
tion ; flying is the function of those organs. 
The leaves of plants are their organs of 
breathing; their action on the air is their 
function.* 
8. Anatomy is the science which describes 
the structure of bodies, and of their several 
parts or organs. Animal anatomy describes 
the structure of animal bodies, and vegetable 
anatomy that of vegetable bodies. 
0. Physiology describes \\w functions of the 
different organs, and is also divided into ani¬ 
mal and vegetable physiology. 
10. Human anatomy and physiology in¬ 
clude the structure and functions of man. 
11. Comparative anatomy and physiology 
consider the structure and functions of other 
animals than man. They are called com¬ 
parative, because a comparison is generally 
made, in studying thorn, between them and 
the human structure and functions. 
12. Every individual grows in size until 
he reaches his full stature, and the increase 
in size and weight of each one can be meas¬ 
ured from year to year, or from month to 
month. This development, or growth of the 
body, is produced by certain functions carried 
on by various organs. 
* A teacher may multiply these illustrations indefi¬ 
nitely. 
-- 
SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS. 
BY A PHYSICIAN. 
To Prevent find Core Coughs, Colds, Etc. 
It is the season for “ coughs, colds, &c,” 
as the nostrum vendors say, (as though 
coughs and colds were mutually dependent) 
and we are constrained to say a few words 
about them. Not that we can undertake to 
give a history of the rise and progress of 
any one of them—that would require, a. 
treatise—but a few hints may prove useful. 
First, as to that most common and most 
disagreeable malady known variously, in 
different localities, ns “ catarrh,” “ influenza,” 
or “cold in the head,” with which every one 
has more or less experience in the course of 
every season. In the country we fancy the 
doctor is not often called upon to treat this 
disease, it being considered loo trifling; and 
besides, nearly every man, woman—and we 
had almost said child—having his or her 
own remedy. Our favorite prescription is— 
don’t have it. Then; is no doubt our climate 
is very trying, and a greater or less degree 
of catarrhal trouble the national character¬ 
istic of all Americans; but it is equally cer¬ 
tain that the climate indoors is much more 
provocative of colds than that outside. A 
distinguished English physician and lecturer 
on medical subjects says, indeed, that 
“colds” should rather he called “hots;” as 
he was convinced they were rather the re¬ 
sult of coming from the Cold air into an 
overheated room, Ilian of the reverse pro¬ 
cess of going out from the warm room. 
This, though contrary to the generally re¬ 
ceived opinion, the Professor fortified by 
some strong arguments, which we cannot 
reproduce here; but of this much we are 
certain, that colds are most frequent among 
those who are most constantly in the house, 
and most seldom found among those who 
are most exposed to the weather. 
A fact in the experience of the medical 
officers of a certain regiment of the. army of 
the Potomac, which has come to our knowl¬ 
edge, is instructive. In the Winter of 1801 
a portion of the regiment built lire places of 
turf, stones, pieces of iron, and such other 
materials as they could find, very rude heat¬ 
ing apparatus, but capital ventilators; while 
others, more luxurious or better supplied 
With pocket-money, bought little sheet-iron 
stoves, manufactured for the purpose, which 
were capable of making a tent almost as hot 
as an oven. The result was that among tin 
first class there was hardly a case of severe 
cold or pneumonia (inflammation of the 
lungs,) during the Winter, while the second 
class suffered severely from these causes. 
Ventilation, with not too high a tempera¬ 
ture of the house or apartment, is one of the 
first requisites for preventing colds. Pre¬ 
cisely how this is to be attained we are una¬ 
ble to point out; everyone must solve the 
problem in his own case; hut of one thing 
we arc certain, that any mode of obtaining 
pure air is preferable to having none. 
Dress warmly over the whole body and 
extremities, but especially about the chest 
and abdomen. 
On coming in, if wet, remove the cloth¬ 
ing, take a bath if possible; if not wet, dry 
with a coarse towel, bringing the skin to a 
glowing red, and you are safe. If the foot 
only are wet, treat them in the same way. 
If, after all, you should get cold there arc 
various things to be done, wliich we will 
consider hereafter. 
Scientific atifc jlt&cfuL 
% 4 / 
POPULAR SCIENTIFIC LECTURES. 
The American Institute is now furnishing 
the New York public with a course of popu¬ 
lar lectures upon scientific and practical sub¬ 
jects. These are given by some of the most 
eminent scientific men in the country, and 
those which have thus tar been delivered 
have colled together large and appreciative 
audiences. A lecture upon 
“Tin? Telesroiie niul its Revelations,“ 
was delivered on Friday evening, the 4th of 
December, by Professor Alexander, of the 
College of New Jersey, at Princeton. lie 
began by saying that it was a noble figure 
which Bun van used in his " Holy War,” in 
which he called the gate of the soul the 
inlet of knowledge from without. The 
noblest of these is the “eye gate,” through 
which the messages of the far-off glories of 
the light arc borne to th« mind. Quite as 
interesting is the light itself, which is most 
beautiful when it reveals to us the glories of 
the heavens. And how wonderful the adap¬ 
tation of the light to the eye, and the eye for 
the reception of the light. How telling tho 
fact that its beams are poured upon the most 
delicate organ of the lutftian frame with a 
velocity which would accomplish a journey 
of 250 miles hv steam in a single second; 
and although striking the eye with such 
great velocity, the presence of light, is most 
grateful to that organ. The benefits con¬ 
ferred by the noble senses are two-fold. In 
that of hearing, we not only distinguish 
sounds, but'enjoy tho harmonies of music; 
in sight we perceive the differences in form 
and have the exquisite pleasures conferred 
by the play of colors. The telescope might 
be termed an exterior eye which had the 
power of drawing objects nearer, and of en¬ 
larging them. 
A lens of rock crystal, with one side plane 
and the other convex, had been found at 
Nineveh; and the monster Nero, who was 
near-sighted, used a convex mirror in order 
to better enjoy the gladiatorial conflicts in 
the arena. Roger Bacon was probably tho 
inventor of spectacles; and in his “Opus 
Majlis” he uses such language with reference 
to wliat, “ may be performed by refracted 
vision,” as to make it somewhat probable 
that he was acquainted with the theory of 
the refracting telescope, although it Is not 
likely that he ever constructed one. We 
have no evidence that such an instrument 
was used before the beginning of the seven¬ 
teenth century. The philosopher Des Car¬ 
tes ascribes the invention of the telescope to 
James Metias, of Almcar, In Holland; but 
others to John Lippensciieim, a spectacle 
maker of Middleburg. After a careful ex¬ 
amination of official papers at, the Hague, 
Professor Mom, concludes* that on the 17th 
of October, 1008, Jacob Adriansy was in 
possession of the art of making telescopes; 
but, for some unexplained reason, concealed 
it; and that on the 21st of the same month, 
Hans Jansen was actually in possession of 
a telescope; but, there is little reason for 
thinking that either he, or his son Zaciiarias, 
invented the instrument, although one of 
them invented a compound microscope about 
tho year 1590. One of the earliest telescopes 
made by the Jansens was presented to 
Prince Maurice, to lie used in his wars as a 
field glass, lu April or May, 1609, Galileo 
first hoard of Ibis and that it had the prop¬ 
erty of causing distant objects to appear near. 
That philosopher thereupon divined how 
that could he accomplished, and, according 
to Delambue, by the next day had con¬ 
structed an iustnunent magnifying three 
times. His second telescope magnified eight¬ 
een times, and his third thirty. Thu opera 
glasses of to-day are Galilean telescopes 
and do not reverse the image of the object 
viewed, sis is the case with the instruments 
used for astronomical purposes. 
The planet Jupiter, the largest of the solar 
system, has four moons; and, as well as 
Mars and Saturn, has been proved by the 
spedroscope to have an atmosphere. These 
four satellites, or moons, were first observed 
by Galileo, who also noticed their eclipse. 
The lecturer showed a diagram of the moon’s 
edge as seen when it is at the quarter. This 
appeared very jagged, which was caused by 
the fact that the rays of the sun first struck 
the summits of its high mountains, giving it 
a very uneven appearance to the eye. The 
density of the moon was such that things 
there only weigh one-sixth as much ns on 
the earth; and the lunar volcanoes probably 
exerted prodigious force in consequence of 
this fact. If a man’s muscular power wc*ro 
preserved to him, and he were placed upon 
the moon’s surface, lie could jump seven 
times as far as upon the earth. A diagram 
was shown giving the relative size of the 
sun, earth and muon. The former was 
nearly six feet in diameter; the earth about 
the size of a marble, and the moon of a pea. 
If the sun’s center were placed so as to coin¬ 
cide with that of the earth, its circumference 
would extend far beyond the moon’s orbit. 
Our sun is a world of such magnificent 
size, that it con! flns . aters so largo 1 hat lie? 
earth aiul moon could ’*d:*q*pe,j together 
into one of them, and come no nearer touch¬ 
ing its sides than a shot iu a fowling piece. 
The surface of the sun is broken by long, 
black, hollow spots, which sometimes open 
and close in the space of two or three days. 
The spectroscope reveals to us the presence, 
in the sun, of iron, magnesium and other 
substances with which we are acquainted. 
The distance from the earth to the moon was 
that of a ten month's journey by steam at 
the rate of 30 miles an hour; and to the sun 
more than 300 years; so that had we stal led 
for the sun when Cortez invaded Mexico, 
we should have been residing in the sun but 
twenty-five years. The distance to the 
planet Neptune, tho most remote member of 
the solar system, is thirty times that to tho 
sun, and to the nearest fixed star is 7,000 
times that to Neptune. Tho light of some 
of these suns, or stars, had been measured 
and found to be Unit, of a hundred suns equal 
to ours. Some of these are so distant that 
the light which started from them before the 
creation of man was just reaching us; and 
the light which left the earth during the 
geologic periods previous to man, js still 
traveling on and may yet reach worlds far 
off in space. 
In our observations upon the planet Mars, 
we see vast accumulations of white matter 
around his poles. A tier n time these dis¬ 
appear. Does not this show us that either 
snow, or something very like it, exists there V 
Tho rings which surround the planet Saturn 
wove discovered with a. telescope having a, 
focal length of more than a hundred feet; 
and it has since been found that they are all 
probably composed of a liquid substance. 
Sir William Hekschell made the won¬ 
derful discovery that the fixed stars go by 
pairs; and that their light is always comple¬ 
mentary ; that is, the light of the two always 
produces white light. For this reason they 
appear to us to he but one star. The greatest 
imagination ever exercised, that of Milton, 
nwver conceived of anything more sublimely 
magnificent than is found in these tinted suns. 
Sueli earn must be exercised in the making 
of object-glasses for telescopes that some of 
the larger were, worth $2,500 in gold, and 
required two years labor in their prepara¬ 
tion. We have, here in America, a maker 
of these glasses so modest and unassuming 
that Princeton College did herself boner 
when, not long ago, she conferred upon him 
the degree of A. M. He referred to Alvin 
Clark, of Cambridge, Mass., who had con¬ 
structed some of the finest telescopes in the 
world; and who, after he completed the 
object glass for tho great telescope at Chicago, 
mounted iL temporarily and discovered the 
object which disturbed the star Sirius. For 
this discovery the French Academy con¬ 
ferred upon Mr. Clark its highest honor — 
a gold medal. 
The various sciences now co-operate in 
their services to man. Photography has 
been of great service in Astronomy. Mr. 
RimiEREoiiD, and Professor Draper, of 
this city, obtained some, magnificent photo¬ 
graphs of the moon two or three years 
:ince, one of which was shown the audi¬ 
ence.; and copies are in the public libraries 
of this city, where they cun can lie seen. 
--♦♦♦- 
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 
In every one hundred cases of exjilosions of 
double-barreled shot-guns, twenty-live occur 
from defects in the loft barrel. Tho explana¬ 
tion of this is, that the right is the most fre¬ 
quently used and reloaded — perhaps ten 
times as often as the left one. Every time | 
the right one is discharged, the powder in 
the left is more or less pulverized by the 
shock, leaving a space, therefore, between 
the powder and wadding by the settling of 
the former. Naturally ihe. discharge of the 
left barrel frequently explodes it. This can 
be prevented by sending the ramrod homo, 
with one or two smart blows, into the non- 
diseliargcd band every time the other is re¬ 
loaded. 
The common artificial lights vitiate the 
atmosphere in two ways—by removing its 
oxygen, which is indispensable to respira¬ 
tion, and by producing carbonic acid gas. 
A six foot burner will produce as large a 
quantity of this poisonous gas as would be 
expired by eight or nine persona in a state 
of quietude; and it, would abstract more 
oxygen from the air than they would absorb 
during the same time. Ventilation, there¬ 
fore, should be carefully secured after the 
gas or lamps are lighted at. night, and partic¬ 
ularly where they are to he burned all night. 
The French Academy of Sciences has re¬ 
cently reported favorably upon M. Df.lau- 
nier’s invention for destroying fire-damp in 
mines. It consists of a copper conductor, 
broken at. intervals, but joined by very fine 
gold wire soldered to the copper, the gold 
wire! being surrounded with flowers of sul¬ 
phur, which ignite easily. By sending strong 
currents of electricity through the wire the 
gold wire becomes red hot, aud, igniting I lie 
sulphur, bums any noxious gases present. 
Of course, this is done before tho descent ot 
the «iiners into the mine. 
floawstk wronoum 
CONDUCTED BY MARY ... G. WAGER. 
PRELIMINARY TABLE TALK. 
James Parton says, “ Mon smoke so as 
to be able to endure each other.” lie might 
have gone farther and said that a good din¬ 
ner makes every body endurable. A wise 
woman knoweth her husband is never so 
vulnerable us just after a delicious dinner. 
Well cooked eatables maketh the heart 
better, as excellent digestion is the key to 
the bulk of amiability in the world. 
But the range of “Domestic Economy” 
comprehends more than simply the “ where¬ 
withal we shall cat.” It lays its liberal hand 
on" the innumerable things that constitute 
the ingredients of what, we call Home. 
Nearly everything goes by fashion in these 
fickle days. 'Women club together and or¬ 
ganize a “Sorosis,” to make Literature, or 
Art, or perhaps scandal and gossip, fashion¬ 
able. So wo propose a “ Sorosis of Domes¬ 
tic Economy,” t.o popularize home comforts, 
or at least increase and aid the efforts daily 
making by housewives, mothers, and daugh¬ 
ters, wherever the Rural is road. 
The salvation of men, and of women, 
depends, in a great degree, upon home sur¬ 
roundings. Men who never have good and 
well cooked food, nor pleasant society, nor 
easy chairs, nor tasteful rooms at home, are 
pretty sure to patronize restaurants, saloons, 
bar-rooms, or the homes of happier neighbors. 
Man needs to be managed, and if one lias 
the key to his stomach, only, she has him 
greatly in her power. Of course, we admit 
Hie exceptions, And before saying any 
more, wo want to put in, that man is a re¬ 
sponsible. partner, the holder of large shares 
ill tile company of “Domestic Economy.” 
There must he appreciation, a most valuable 
aid. There must be provision for motive 
[lower. There must be. hints, suggestions, 
advice and counsel, to ifisiiro harmony. II 
anyone thinks a woman can organize and 
keep in harmonious motion a. model house, 
where the “ head of tine house” is a crusty, 
moody, slovenly, tyrannical, old bear in 
pantaloons, he thinks queerly. It would b<» 
as impossible as to embrace a friend with 
your hands tied. But a woman can do a 
great, deal unaided, if she goes about it 
right. In the first place, sin; must have u 
lucid Idea of order and system. Work sys¬ 
tematized is half done. It is not uncommon 
to see delicate, and even sickly women have 
tidy, orderly, attractive homes, while stout, 
healthy women, have just the reverse. 
Their work is never done. Every tiling is 
at odds and ends. They never get time for 
“ fancy work.” They are deficient in order 
and system. 
A clean, tastefully arranged table, is the 
half-way house to a good meal. A dirty 
table, cloth, spoiled cutlery, absence of nap¬ 
kins, dishes of as many colors and patterns 
as Jacob's coat, takes the edge off of an 
appetite. It, throws cold water all over yon. 
it gives one a true dyspeptic feeling. It is a 
libel on Christianity. Finally, if you arc 
given to facial expression, it makes you turn 
up your nose. A housewife should be a 
chemist. She should also bo a general. It 
requires a vast deal of generalship, some¬ 
times, to get one’s troops at the tabic in due 
season. In some households there is never 
a, fixed hour for any meal. They come just 
as it happens, and cold edibles and disorder 
afe the result. 
Table talk is an important item. Some 
women have the tact to draw so much 
happy talk from their fund of pending and 
experiences, as to utterly conceal all do feels 
of cookery. Some men and women do just 
the reverse, relating all then ill i k and 
bad news, so that i vary mouthful is cauter¬ 
ized with a groat As Christians, it is one’s 
duty to cat»luc t .lly. It is an encouraging 
fact, that young women arc heginn'ng 
pride themselves on their good cookery, it 
is better to be a qu a u of tin kitchen, than 
a languid, lazy, parlor sentimentalist. 
Now what, wo want, is to form ourselves 
into a Mutual Aid Society, and tell each other 
all the good we know about Domestic Econo¬ 
my. We intend to have this department 
conducted on a similar plan to the, Hon. 
Ezra Cornell's idea of his great University: 
“An institution in wliich any person can 
find instruction in auy study.” Wn invite 
everybody to help make this department an 
Encyclopaedia of Domestic lore. We want 
help from every home in the land. Write 
lucidly and to the point. If you possess 
valuable information or can suggest good 
things, do so. if you lack information, let 
your wants he known. We will do the beat 
we can for you. 
—-4-M*- 
Contributors have favored us with many 
valuable recipes which will he given here¬ 
after. This department, shall lose none of 
the practical value to our readers which has 
characterized it in the past; and, if neces¬ 
sary, more space will hereafter be devoted to 
domestic interests. 
