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the brain and nerves; but our analyses as yet are too imperfect to allow a subdivision, and as all the mineral elements are more or less combined with each other, and all reside together in articles of food, we shall include all mineral elements under the term Phosphates.

The waste, and consequently the supply, of these three classes of elements is very different, four times as much carbonaceous food being required as nitrogenous, and of the

The human body is composed of the follow-phosphates not more than two per cent. of the ing elements, all of which are found also in the food provided by nature, or in air or water, and all must be supplied, day by day,

or some bad results are sure to follow :

Oxygen, a gas, in quantity sufficient to

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carbonates. Altogether, the waste of these principles will average in a man of moderate size, with moderate heat, more than one pound in a day, varying very much according to the amount of exercise and the temperature in which he LB. OZ. GR. lives. These elements must all be supplied in vegetable or animal food, not one being allowed to become a part of the system unless it has been first organized with other elements of food, in some vegetable, or in water, or the atmosphere; but being appropriated by some animal, remain 0 organized and adapted to the human system, so that animal and vegetable food contain the same elements in the same proportion and nearly the same chemical combinations, and are equally adapted to supply all necessary el

occupy a space equal to 750 cubic feet, 111 Hydrogen, a gas, in quantity sufficient to

occupy 3000 feet, which with oxygen, constitutes water, the weight of the two indicating nearly the necessary amount of water... Carbon, constituting fat, and used also for fuel to create animal heat.. Nitrogen, which constitutes the basis of the muscles, and solid tissues, and which is supplied by that part of the food which we shall denominate Nitrates.

Phosphorus, the physical source of vitali

ty, and the most important of the
mineral elements, will represent the
whole class which we shall denominate
the Phosphates....

Calcium, the metallic base of lime, which
is the base of the bones..
Fluorine, found combined in small quanti-
ties in bones.

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The Carbonates
are furnished in

Fat.

In Animal Food,

The Nitrates in

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The Carbonates

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In Vegetable Food,

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Chlorine, constituting, with sodium, com-
mon salt, found in the blood...
Sodium, the base of all the salts of soda..
Iron, which is supposed to give color to
the blood.

The elements of a man weighing 154 lbs.

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Classification of Food.- Food may be divided into three classes. That class which supplies the lungs with fuel, and thus furnishes heat to the system, and supplies fat or adipose substance, etc., we shall call Carbonates, carbon being the principal element; that which supplies the waste of muscles, we shall call Nitrates, nitrogen being the principal element; and that which supplies the bones, and the brain, and the nerves, and gives vital power, both muscular and mental, we shall call the Phosphates, phosphorus being the principal element. These last might be subdivided into the fixed and the soluble phosphates, the fixed being a combination principally with lime to form the bones, and the soluble being combinations with potash and soda, to work

are furnished in little Fat.

Gluten, Albumen, and Casein.

The Phosphates in both animal and vegetable food are found inseparably connected with the nitrates, none being found in any of the carbonates, and generally in the proportion of from two to three per cent. of all the principles in vegetable, and from three to five in animal food.

The Carbonates of both animal and vegetable food are chemically alike— fat, sugar, and starch, all being composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, and in about the same chemical combinations and proportions.

The Nitrates, also albumen, gluten, fibrin, and casein, are alike in chemical combinations and elements, being composed of nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen, and a little carbon not digestible. These simple bodies are not, however, capable of being assimilated and converted into tissue; they must be previously combined, primarily by the vegetable kingdom.

Analysis of Articles of Food in their Natural State.

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CLEANLINESS.

To keep the body in a cleanly condition is the third important requisite for health. This becomes necessary in consequence of a very important process which is constantly going on near and upon the surface of the body.

The process in question is that of perspiration. The matter here concerned is a watery secretion produced by glands near the surface of the body, and sent up through the skin by channels imperceptibly minute and wonderfully numerous. From one to two pounds of this secretion is believed to exude through these channels, or pores, in the course of twenty-four hours, being, in fact, the chief form taken by what is called the waste of the system, the remainder passing off by the bowels, kidneys, and lungs. To promote the egress of this fluid is of great consequence to health; for, when it is suppressed, disease is apt to fall upon some of the other organs concerned in the discharge of waste.

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all carbonates

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One of the most notable checks which perspiration experiences is that produced by a current of cold air upon the skin, in which case the pores instantly contract and close, and the individual is seized with some ailment either in one or the other of the organs of waste, whichever is in him the weakest, or in the internal lining of some part of the body, all of which is sympathetic with the condition of the skin. A result of the nature of that last described is usually recognized as a cold or catarrh. We are not at present called on particularly to notice such effects of checked perspiration, but others of a less immediately hurtful or dangerous nature.

The fluid alluded to is composed, besides water, of certain salts and animal matters, which, being solid, do not pass away in vapor, as does the watery part of the compound, but rest on the surface where they have been discharged. There, if not removed by some artificial means, they form a layer of hard stuff,

and unavoidably impede the egress of the cur- the palpable effect of exercise upon the skin; but rent perspiration. By cleanliness is merely many are not aware that the sensible perspirameant the taking proper means to prevent this tion is but an increase of an insensible peror any other matter accumulating on the sur-spiration which is unceasingly poured out from face, to the production of certain hurtful consequences.

myriads of little pores. the mouths of the sweat glands and the oil glands of the skin. Ablution or washing is the best means of The ordinary insensible perspiration is continattaining this end; and accordingly it is well ually freeing us from a mass of impurity which for us to wash or bathe the body very frequently. cannot be retained in our system without inMany leave by far the greater part of their jury. Convert the insensible perspiration into bodies unwashed, except, perhaps, on rare oc- sensible, by exercise, and produce moderate casions, thinking it enough if the parts ex-sweating, and if the clothing be rational, you posed to common view be in decent trim. If will give off to the winds the cause of many a the object of cleaning were solely to preserve headache and gloomy thoughts. Now this infair appearances, this might be sufficient; but the great end, it must be clearly seen, is to keep the skin in a fit state for its peculiar and very important functions. Frequent change of the clothing next to the skin is of course a great aid to cleanliness, and may partly be esteemed as a substitute for bathing, seeing that the clothes absorb much of the impurities, and, when changed, may be said to carry these off. But still this will not serve the end nearly so well as frequent ablution of the whole person. Anyone will be convinced of this, who goes into a bath, and uses the fleshbrush in cleansing his body. The quantity of scurf and impurity which he will then remove, from even a body which has changes of linen once a day, will surprise him.

EXERCISE.

Bodily exercise is absolutely essential to the maintenance of good health. The human body may be regarded as a complex machine, the various parts of which are so beautifully adapted to each other, that, if one be disturbed, all must suffer. The bones and muscles are the portions of the frame on which motion most depends. There are four hundred muscles in the body, each of which has certain functions to perform that cannot be disturbed without danger to the whole, and it is a wise provision of nature that the more these muscles are exercised the stronger do they become; hence it is that laborers are stronger and more muscular than persons whose lives are passed in easy or sedentary occupations. Besides strengthening the limbs, muscular exercise has a most beneficial influence on respiration and the circulation of the blood. Says a distinguished medical writer : "Exercise tells by inciting both heart and lungs to increased action and energy, and this, done in a pure air, is great gain to the purification of the blood; but exercise does much more, for not only are the lungs, with their large capacity for air, great purifiers, but the skin is little less effective towards the same end. All know

creased skin secretion must come from somewhere; and so it does, for the increased exertion causes increased wear and tear of system; every step works up tissue; and muscles, blood vessels, nerves, are all used quicker than when there is no action. Off go these used-up matters, probably the worst first, through lungs and skin, as fast as they can, and the man begins to feel this waste, for from all sides there are telegraphs to the stomach for supplies, and he finds himself getting excessively hungry, the dinner hour very welcome, and the formerly capricious stomach ready for anything; and so new supplies go in to supply the place of the old used-up works, and the physical man is greatly renovated —taken to pieces, as it were, and built up again. 1. In order that exercise may be truly advantageous, the parts must be in a state of sufficient health to endure the exertion. In no case must exercise be carried beyond what the parts are capable of bearing with ease; otherwise a loss of energy, instead of a gain, will be the consequence.

2. Exercise to be efficacious, even in a healthy subject, must be excited, sustained, and directed by that nervous stimulus which gives the muscles the principal part of their strength, and contributes so much to the nutrition of parts in a state of activity.

3. The waste occasioned by exercise must be duly replaced by food; as, if there be any deficiency in that important requisite, the blood will soon cease to give that invigoration to the parts upon which increased health and strength depend.

Kinds of Bodily Exercise.-- Exercise is usually considered as of two kinds active and passive. The active consists in walking, running, leaping, riding, fencing, rowing, skating, swimming, dancing, and various exercises, such as those with the poles, ropes, etc., prescribed in gymnastic institutions. The passive consists in carriage-riding, sailing, friction, swinging, etc.

Walking is perhaps the readiest mode of tak

ing exercise, and the one most extensively resorted to. If it brought the upper part of the body as thoroughly into exertion as the lower, it would be perfect, for it is gentle and safe with nearly all except the much debilitated. To render it the more effectual in the upper part of the body it were well to walk at all times, when convenient, singly and allow the arms and trunk free play. It is best to walk with a companion, or for some definite object, as the flow of nervous energy will be by these means promoted, and the exercise be rendered, as has been already explained, the more serviceable.

Very long or rapid walks should not be attempted by individuals of sedentary habits, nor by weakly persons. Their frames are totally unprepared for such violent exertion.

Running as an Exercise.— Among the means which nature has bestowed on animals in general for the preservation and enjoyment of life, running is the most important. Since, then, it is pointed out to us by nature, it must be in a high degree innocent. It is very singular that we should apparently do all we can

which, fortunately, is not much to make our children unlearn the art of running. Our earliest physical treatment of them seems calculated to destroy their aptitude for it; in a little time, it is too often the case that the city boy scarcely dares look as if he wished to run, we prohibit it so strongly as vulgar, and when he is more grown up gentility steps in and prohibits it altogether. Medical prejudices and our own convenience contribute likewise their share, and never allow our children, boys and girls, to acquire an art innocent of itself and necessary to all. It is possible that a person may get injury from running, but the fault is not in the exercise, but in the person who runs without having had proper training and practice.

Running should only be practiced in cool weather; as, for instance, in the late fall, winter, and early spring months.

The clothing should be light, the head bare, and the neck uncovered. As soon as the exercise is finished, warm clothing should be put on and gentle exercise continued for some time. It is not necessary to have a race course. The teacher of a school may take his pupils into the fields and find suitable ground for them. Then his pupils may exercise their bodies in other ways, acquire strength, agility, health, and the capacity of continued exertion; the will is brought into play vigorously, which is a great aid in the battle of life.

Care must be taken not to overdo, and thus, perhaps for life, weaken or injure the heart. The race, at first, should be short and fre

quently repeated, rather than long, and full speed should not be attempted for some time. Running is well adapted to young and middle aged persons, but not to those who are fat. Sedentary persons may find great benefit in it after the day's work is ended. If they live in cities, a quiet spot in the park may be selected, and short trials adapted to the strength entered into. Invalids may do the same thing, only they must be more careful than the robust never to over-exert themselves.

Girls may run as well as boys, and, while they cannot go so fast, they can race much more gracefully and beautifully. Indeed, there can be few more attractive sights than that of a race between beautiful girls from ten to twelve years of age. After maturity, the change in the formation of the bones of the pelvis in girls renders running less easy and graceful. In ancient Greece girls were trained to run races as well as boys, and to their superb physical culture was in great part due the grandeur and beauty of Greek life during the years of their ascendency. The modern style of dress for young women is also entirely unsuited to running.

Fencing is of all active exercises that which is the most commendable, inasmuch as it throws open the chest, and at the same time calls into action the muscles both of the upper and lower extremities. Add to this that it improves very much the carriage of the body ; for which reason it may be reckoned a branch of polite education.

Dancing is exhilarating and healthful, and seems to be almost the only active exercise which the despotic laws of fashion permit young ladies to enjoy.

Rope Jumping. As the cool weather approaches the jumping rope may be more and more in the hands of girls. Properly used it is not an objectionable plaything. But children cannot be too frequently cautioned against jumping against time or competing to see who can jump the greatest number of times without stopping.

Repose a Condition Demanded by Exercise.- Exercise demands occasional periods of repose, and, in particular, that a certain part of every twenty-four hours be spent in sleep. After having been engaged in daily occupations for fourteen or sixteen hours, a general feeling of fatigue and weakness is induced; the motions of the body become difficult, the senses confused, the power of volition or will suspended, and the rest of the mental faculties, becoming more and more inactive, sink at length into a state of unconsciousness. The sense of sight first ceases to act by the closing of the eyelids; then the senses of taste

and smell become dormant; and then those of hearing and touch. The muscles, also, dispose themselves with a certain reference to ease of position, those of the limbs having grown indolent before those that support the head, and those that support the head before those of the trunk. In proportion as these phenomena proceed, the respiration becomes slower and more deep, the circulation diminishes in impetus, the blood proceeds in great quantity toward the head, and all the functions of the internal organs become retarded. In this state, shut out as it were from the external world, the mind still retains its wonted activity, deprived, however, of the guidance of judgment and the power of distinct recollection; in consequence of which, it does not perceive the monstrous incongruities of the imagery which sweeps before it, and takes but faint cognizance of the time which elapses.

is enjoyed. Parents err in fancying that a very hard bed contributes to harden the constitution of their children; for which reason they lay them down on mattresses, or beds with boarded bottoms. A bed for young children cannot be too soft, provided the child does not sink into it in such a manner that the surrounding parts of the bed bend over and cover the body. The too great hardness of beds, says Dr. Darwin, frequently proves injurious to the shape of infants, by causing them to rest on too few parts at a time; it also causes their sleep to be uneasy and unrefreshing. Whatever be the time chosen for sleep, it is evident that no person can with impunity convert day into night. Eight o'clock for children, and eleven for adults, may be recommended as good hours for retiring to rest. It is well known that children require more sleep than adults; and more sleep is requisite in winter than in summer. The average duration It may be laid down as an axiom, that the of sleep which may be recommended for adults more uninterrupted sleep is, the more refresh- is eight hours; but much depends upon habit, ing and salutary will be its effects; for dur- and many persons require only six. It is ing this period, the body undoubtedly acquires scarcely necessary to observe that, on rising in an accession of nervous energy, which restless- the morning, the strictest attention should ness, however induced, must disturb; and be paid to washing the face, neck, and hands; therefore the state of the body before going to the mouth and teeth should also be well sleep, the kind of bed, and the manner of cleansed. The most simple powder for the clothing, require especial attention. As the teeth is finely brayed charcoal, a little of functions of the body are performed more which will clear away all impurities, and preslowly during our sleeping than our waking serve the teeth. On leaving the bedroom, the hours, a full meal or supper, taken immedi- windows should be opened, and the clothes of ately before going to bed, imposes a load on the bed turned down, in order that the exhalathe stomach which it is not in a condition to tions of the body during sleep may be dissidigest, and the unpleasant consequence of op- pated. If, instead of this, the bed be made pressive and harassing dreams is almost cer- immediately after we have risen, these exhalatain to ensue. When the sleeper lies on his tions are again folded up with the clothes — a back, the heart pressing, while pulsating, on practice which is not consonant either with the lungs, gives rise to a sense of intolerable cleanliness or health. oppression on the chest, which seems to bear down upon the whole body, so that in this painful state not a muscle will obey the impulse of the will, and every effort to move appears to be altogether unavailing. This constitutes incubus or nightmare; and it may be observed, that, as acidity on the stomach, or indigestion, gives rise to such dreams, so all dreams of this disturbed character are converse indications of indigestion; for which reason the great physiologist Haller considered dreaming to be a symptom of disease.

The kind of bed on which we repose requires attention. Some are advocates for soft, others for hard, beds; hence some accustom themselves to feather beds, others to mattresses. The only difference between a soft and a hard bed is this that the weight of the body in a soft bed presses on a larger surface than on a hard bed, and thereby a greater degree of comfort

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Overworking the Undeveloped Brain. "Overwork," properly so-called, can only occur when the organ upon which the stress of the labor falls is as yet immature, and, therefore, in process of development. When an organ has reached the maturity of its growth it can only work up to the level of its capacity or faculty for work! Fatigue may produce exhaustion, but that exhaustion will come soon enough to save the organ. peated "efforts" may, under abnormal conditions, follow each other too rapidly to allow of recuperation in the intervals of actual exertion, and as the starting point will, in each successive instance, be lower than the previous state, there may be a gradual abasement; but even this process should not seriously injure a healthy and well developed organ. In short, a great deal of nonsense has been said and written about the "overwork" of mature

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