20. Dr. Wieting, an interesting lecturer on Physiology, tells an amusing story of an ignorant Irishman, who began to think about eating and drinking, but who, becoming puzzled, went to a physician, and asked him whether indeed there were two passages to the stomach, one for the solids and the other for liquids. The doctor replied that there was only one.

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Well," said he, "I thought they must be wide awake down there to separate the puddin' from the milk when I ate them."

21. If the nerves that lead from the stomach to the brain were cut off, the sensations of hunger and thirst which we all feel, would be destroyed. After the chyme has been formed, it passes out of the stomach through the pylorus into the duodenum, or second stomach, as it is sometimes called, which is the upper part of the intestines. As soon as one portion of the food is sent out of the stomach, another portion is formed into chyme, and so on, till all has been mixed with the gastric juice, which soon takes place, unless we have eaten too much food, or that of an improper kind.

22. The chyme which is prevented from returning to the stomach by a little valve in the pylorus, is now mixed with the bile that is secreted by the liver, which lies at the right side of the stomach, and a juice called the pancreatic, which comes from the pancreas, situated near the stomach. These two fluids convert it into a white fluid called chyle. It now travels along over the

20. Relate the anecdote of the Irishman. 21. What effect have the nerves on the stomach? How is the whole of the food converted into chyme? What prevents the return of the chyme to the stomach? Where are the liver and the pancreas situated? How is chyle made? Over what does the chyle pass?

whole internal surface of the intestines, which are six times the length of the body, but are folded in so com pact a manner that they occupy but a small space.

23. As the chyle is passing, that part of it which will make good blood, or is fit for the growth and nourishment of the body, is taken up by thousands of little tubes, called lacteals-because the fluid is white-also called capillary vessels-because the Latin word capilla means a hair-and these tubes are as small as a hair. It travels along through these tubes in the same manner that the particles of oil travel along through the little tubes in the wick of a lamp, till they unite in larger tubes.

24. These terminate in glands, from which larger tubes or pipes collect and carry the chyle from all parts into one common vessel, called the receptacle or thoracic duct, which holds about a table spoonful. From this bag a large pipe proceeds, which runs up the back part of the chest, and along till it reaches the neck at the top of the left shoulder.

25. It is now poured into a large vein called the subclavian vein, which carries the chyle, together with the old blood coming from the veins, situated all over the body, to the heart, the great fountain of life. The blood, now formed, runs along, being of a dark which is not yet healthy, to the lungs. Here the air we inhale or breathe in, changes the dark color of the blood to red, as we see it when we prick our fingers.

color, but

26. Then it flows back to the heart, and by a con

23. What are the lacteals, and what is their office? In what manner does the chyle pass through them? 24. Explain the further passage of the chyle. 25. How does the chyle and old blood finally reach the heart? Where does this blood run, and what change takes place in it?

OFFICE OF THE BLOOD.

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traction of the muscles of the heart, it is thrown into tubes, called arteries, with sufficient force and rapidity to carry it to all parts of the body.

27. The blood contains the elements of all those substances which compose our body. It is the blood which makes our bones, our skin, our hair, and every limb; and it is the blood which makes us grow. So you see if we did not eat, we should not have any blood, and so of course we could not grow.

28. You may think it very strange that the red blood flowing like the water in a river, can make something as hard as a bone or flesh. But when you cut your finger, or break a bone, the reason why, after several days or weeks, it heals or becomes well, is, that the blood, in passing the place cut, leaves a little something there; the next time it leaves again a little substance; when, by and by, it becomes flesh and skin.

29. When a bone is broken, just the same process goes on, only the substance left is a little harder till a piece of bone is formed. Should you hurt your fingernail so that it peeled off, you would find that gradually a new nail would grow, but if you should eat very sparingly for two or three months, you would not see this growth.

30. Different kinds of food make different quantities of chyle and different kinds of blood. Animal substances make more chyle than vegetable; hence, if we lived altogether on meat and animal food, we should not require so much in quantity.

26. What is said of the blood after it flows back to the heart? 27. What does the blood contain? 28. Explain in what manner the finger heals when cut? 29. Explain in what manner the bone unites when it is broken? 30. On what does the quality of the blood depend?

31. Men, women, and children eat a great many kinds of food which are very injurious. Some people drink rum, wine, and other ardent spirits, although they are sensible that these only heat the body, do them great injury, and render them more stupid than the beasts who have no reason to guide them. They make no blood at all, but burn the stomach till it is all consumed. Tea and coffee make poor blood; so do all kinds of spices and rich gravies.

32. In the mill I spoke of, supposing those who had the care of it should throw in corn all day, without stopping to see whether the mill was full or not, do you not suppose they would soon get the mill out of order, so that they could not use it at all? But our stomachs are much more delicate, and more easily injured by our eating too fast, too much, and too often, than the mill.

33. When Nature does anything, she is governed by regular rules and fixed laws, and is systematic in all her arrangements. She does one thing at a time, and is only capable of doing a certain amount, and no more, without injuring some other part or function of the body.

34. Suppose I should listen to the talking of the stomach, what do you think it would tell me? I will imagine it to be William's stomach. As soon as he awoke in the morning, and was dressed, he teased his mother for something to eat, for he was very hungry; his mother, to get rid of his importunities, said, “Yes,” and gave him a large slice of bread and butter. By and by, in the course of a few moments, the stomach heard

31. What are some of the things that make poor blood? 32 How could a mill be injured? How are our stomachs injured? 33. What are the operations of nature? 34. Explain what the stomach of William said?

HOW THE STOMACH IS INJURED.

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the bread and butter knocking for entrance; so she took it and says, "This will make some nice blood, only it would have been better for my little master if there had not been quite so much butter."

35. So the stomach went on with her work to make it very fine, and get it ready to send to the heart; but before it could quite send it all out, William's mother had prepared his breakfast, and there was another tap at the door: "Let me come in," said some bread and butter; " and me too," says some coffee; "and me also," said a large piece of mince-pie; all of which had been swallowed, half chewed, almost as quick as I can speak, or you can read or hear.

36. "Well," said the accommodating stomach, "I will do all I can for you; but if you had waited an hour, or my master had ground you with his teeth, I could have done better;" but she went to work pushing, and tugging, and throwing her sides together, to get the contents all digested, as it is called, or thoroughly dissolved by that gastric juice which I told you was in the stomach.

37. She almost gave up the undertaking, but she tried again, and finally succeeded in making the chyme. "There," said the stomach," go; but I am afraid my little master's cheeks will not appear as rosy and bright; for that mince-pie will steal away some of the color from the blood which goes to his cheeks; I really hope that my poor sides will be able to take a little rest.

38. "Little Willy will have to go to school, and will not be able to get any more food till noon." If Mrs. Stomach could have looked into her master's pockets,

35. What did she do with his bread and butter? 36. How did the stomach succeed with her task? 37. How did the stomach console herself?