I 20 
the cultivator. 
from the conflicting constructions of the constitution, in reference to 
the several limits of the powers of the three great branches of go¬ 
vernment, legislature, judiciary and executive. There ;s danger 
from the fact, that the chief magistrate can be re-elected, while his 
power over the funds and offices of government, and over congres¬ 
sional bills is all but absolute. This feature of our constitution may 
yet shake this government to its foundation. But I am not compe¬ 
tent to expatiate upon most of these, so as fully to show you w T hat 
evils may arise from them. It is sufficient to have mentioned them 
here, and to urge them upon abler advocates, as topics on which 
they should enlighten our citizens. I know not but I might shew you 
that our government has a tendency to give a hot-bed stimulus to 
some of the bad passions of the heart, and especially to the excessive 
love of power. If a Cataline chooses to use the principle of univer¬ 
sal suffrage, we have given him full opportunity to play on the peo¬ 
ple, and in fact, have rather tempted him to do it.” 
OFFICES OF THE SKIN. 
As an incitement to cleanliness, and to exercise in the sedentary and studious 
—as a precaution against sudden changes of temperature, close heated rooms 
and thin clothing—and with a general view of preserving health, we give 
the following extract from Combe on Health: 
Besides performing the mechanical office of a shield to the parts 
beneath, the skin is admirably fitted, by the great supply of blood 
which it receives, for its use as a secreting and excreting organ. 
The whole animal system is in a state of constant decay and reno¬ 
vation ; and while the stomach and alimentary canal take in new 
materials, the skin forms one of the principal outlets or channels by 
which the old, altered, or useless particles are eliminated from the 
body. Every one knows that the skin perspires, and that checked 
perspiration is a powerful cause of disease and of death; but few 
have any just notion of the real extent and influence of this exhala¬ 
tion, such as we shall attempt to exhibit it. When the body is over¬ 
heated by exercise in warm weather, a copious sweat soon breaks 
out, which, by carrying off the superfluous heat, produces an agree¬ 
able feeling of coolness and refreshment. This is the higher and 
more obvious degree of the function of exhalation ; but, in the ordi¬ 
nary state, the skin is constantly giving out a large quantity of waste 
materials by what is called insensible perspiration, a process which 
is of great importance to the preservation of health, and which is 
called insensible, because the exhalation, being in the form of vapor, 
and carried off by the surrounding air, is invisible to the eye ; but its 
presence may often be made manifest even to sight by the near ap¬ 
proach of a dry cool mirror, on the surface of which it will soon be 
condensed so as to become visible. * * * 
The largest quantity of insensible perspiration from the lungs and 
skin together amounted to thirty-two grains per minute; three 
ounces and a quarter per hour; or five pounds per day. Of this the 
cutaneous constituted two-thirds, or sixty ounces in twenty-four hours. 
The smallest quantity observed amounted to eleven grains per mi¬ 
nute, or one pound eleven and a half ounces in twenty-four hours, of 
which the skin furnished about twenty ounces. The medium or ave¬ 
rage amount was eighteen grains a minute, of which eleven were 
from the skin, making in twenty-four hours about thirty-three ounces. 
When the extent of surface which the skin presents is considered, 
these results do not seem extravagant. But even admitting that 
there may be some unperceived source of fallacy in the experiments, 
and that the quantity is not so great as is here stated, still, after 
making every allowance, enough remains to demonstrate that exha¬ 
lation is a very important function of the skin. And although the 
precise amount of perspiration may be disputed, still the greater 
number of observers agree that the cutaneous exhalation is more 
abundant than the united excretions of both bowels and kidneys; 
and that, according as the weather becomes warmer or colder, the 
skin and kidneys alternate in the proportions of work which they se¬ 
verally perform; most passing off by the skin in warm weather, and 
by the kidneys in cold, and vice versa. The quantity exhaled increases 
after meals, during sleep, in dry warm weather, and by friction or 
whatever stimulates the skin; and diminishes when digestion is im¬ 
paired, and in a moist atmosphere. 
What we have considered relates only to the insensible perspira¬ 
tion. That which is caused by great heat or severe exercise is 
evolved in much greater quantity; and by accumulation at the sur¬ 
face, it becomes visible, and forms sweat. In this way, a robust 
man may lose two or three pounds’ weight in the course of one 
hour’s severe exertion; and if this be suddenly checked, the conse¬ 
quences in certain states of the system are often of the most serious 
description. When the surface of the body is chilled by cold, the 
blood-vessels of the skin become contracted in their diameter, and 
hinder the free entrance of the red particles of the blood, which are 
therefore of necessity collected and retained in greater quantity in 
the internal organs, where the heat varies very little. The skin 
consequently becomes pale, and its papillae contract, forming by their 
erection what is called the goose’s skin. In this state it becomes 
less fit for its uses ; the sense of touch can no longer nicely discrimi¬ 
nate the qualities of bodies, and a cut or bruise may be received with 
comparatively little pain. From the oppressien of too much blood, 
the internal organs, on the other hand, work heavily: the mental 
faculties are weakened, sleepiness is induced, respiration is oppress¬ 
ed, the circulation languishes, and digestion ceases ; and if the cold 
be very intense, the vital functions are at last extinguished without 
pain, and without a struggle. This is a picture of the extremes ; 
but the same causes which in an aggrevated form occasion death, 
produce, when applied in a minor degree, effects equally certain, al¬ 
though not equally marked or speedy in their appearance. 
Every thing tends to show that perspiration is a direct product of 
a vital process, and not a mere exudation of watery particles through 
the pores of the skin. 
Taking even the lowest estimate of Lavoisier, we find the skin 
endowed with the important charge of removing from the system 
about twenty ounces of waste matter every twenty-four hours; and 
when we consider that the quantity not only is great, but is sent 
forth in so divided a state as to be invisible to the eye, and that the 
whole of it is given out by the very minute ramifications of the blood¬ 
vessels of the skin, we perceive at once why these are so extreme¬ 
ly numerous that a pin’s point cannot touch any spot without pierc¬ 
ing them; and we see an ample reason why checked perspiration 
should prove so detrimental to health,—because for every twenty- 
four hours during which such a state continues w r e must either have 
twenty ounces of useless and hurtful matter accumulating in the 
body, or have some of the other organs of excretion grievously over¬ 
tasked, which obviously cannot happen without disturbing their re¬ 
gularity and well-being. People know the fact, and wonder that it 
I should be so, that cold applied to the skin, or continued exposure in 
a cold day, often produces a bowel complaint, a severe cold in the 
chest, or inflammation of some internal organ; but were they 
taught, as they ought to be, the structuie and uses of their own bo¬ 
dies, they would rather wonder that it did not always produce one 
of these effects. 
RECEIPTS.—We have received payments for the number of subscribers 
indicated below, between the 21st May and 20th June inclusive. Numbers 
under ten not noticed. 
Post-Offices. 
Albion, Ill. 
Bordentown, N. J. 
Buck tavern, Pa. 
Berkshire, Tioga, 
Brown’s Mills, Pa. 
Cicero, Onon. 
Damascoville, O. 
Fonda, Mont. 
Ghent, Ky. 
Hall’s corners, Ont. 
Hartford,Ct. 
11 
11 
10 
11 
11 
11 
11 
13 
11 
12 
11 
Post-Offices. 
"Keesville, Ess. 33 
Lewiston, Niag. 13 
"Lovingston, Va. 22 
Lockport, Niag. 28 
Millstone, N. J. 11 
"Montreal, L. C. 17 
Naugatuck, Ct. 29 
"Norwich, Ct. 52 
New town, Md. 19 
"Plattsburgh, Clint. 21 
Post-Offices. 
Piscataway, Md. 11 
Port Deposite, Md. 11 
Princess Ann, Md. 11 
Penn-Yan, Yates. 16 
Seahn’s Grove, Pa. 11 
Sackett’s Harbor, Jeff. 11 
Tappahannock, Va. 10 
Upper Marlboro, Md. 15 
"Wynantskill, Reris. 15 
Yardville, N. J. 13 
Including former payments. 
PRICE CURRENT. 
ARTICLES. 
N. York. 
Aug. 27. 
Boston. 
Aug. 24. 
Philadel’a. 
Aug. 27. 
Baltimore. 
Aug. 23. 
Beans white, bush. 
1 
50. 
. 1 75 
.. 1 
75 
..1 
75 
1 50..1 75 
Beef, best, cwt. 
5 
00. 
. 7 50 
6 00.. 7 
00 
6 
00..7 
50 
7 00..8 50 
Pork, per cwt. 
9 
50. 
.12 75 
12 00..15 00 
10 
50 
8 00..8 50 
Butter, fresh, pound,. 
22. 
. 24 
20.. 
27 
17.. 
19 
20.. 38 
Cheese, pound, . 
9. 
. 11 
10.. 
12 
10.. 
11 
Flour, best, bbl. 
7 
00. 
. 8 62 
7 00.. 8 
00 
7 
00..8 
50 
7 50..9 00 
Grain —Wheat, bushel, .. 
. 
. 1 62 
l 
75..1 
85 
1 38..1 80 
Rye, do. 
1 
06. 
. 1 12 
1 05.. 1 
09 
1 
10..1 
18 
1 00..1 12 
Oats, do. 
48. 
. 53 
55.. 
58 
36.. 
40 
25.. 37 
Corn, do. 
94. 
. 1 04 
78.. 1 
09 
76.. 
83 
85.. 91 
Seeds —Red Clover, lb... 
10. 
. 11 
11.. 
12 
10.. 
11 
11.. 12 
Timothy, bushel,. 
2 
75. 
. 3 00 
2 
75 
2 
00..3 
on 
2 50..3 00 
Wool —Saxony, fleece, lb. 
65. 
. 75 
60.. 
75 
70.. 
75 
50.. 68 
Merino, lb . 
50. 
. 65 
60.. 
70 
60.. 
70 
48.. 55 
1-4 and com. lb. .. 
40. 
. 48 
40.. 
65 
40.. 
55 
36.. 45 
Sheep,. 
2 50.. 4 
50 
Cows and Calves,. 
18 00..35 00 
23 00..42 
50 
25 0..45 0 
