THE MOUTH.-This is, in many respects, the most important door of the human frame. For if the nose should cease to perform its office, we could supply its place, in some measure, by the eye, the ear, and the touch. The same is true of the ear, and even of the eye. But if the mouth were to fail-if this door were closed forever-there is no substitute. We may indeed receive a part of the supplies necessary to our existence, (I mean air,) through the nose; but a far greater part could not be received even in this way; and our frames would soon decay, and mingle with their kindred dust.

shot

I have never known but one instance in which any kind of substitute for the mouth was provided. Several years ago, a young Canadian by the name of Alexis St. Martin was wounded, in the army, by a ball, which away a part of the flesh of the side and When he recovered, an opening was left somewhat like the mouth of a purse, directly from his left side into his stomach. So complete was this artificial mouth, that though it was very tender, food and drink could be introduced into it through a pipe;

stomach.

and if care were used, it could be done without pain. The contents of the stomach-the fluid contents at least-which had been swallowed by the mouth, could also be taken out at any time.

I have seen Alexis once myself; and have witnessed what I state. But this is perhaps a solitary case. I do not know that any other case of the kind ever existed, or ever will exist again.

The particular structure of the mouthcurious as it is-is so well known that it does not seem to require a particular description, under this head. When I come to speak of the apartments, and especially of the furniture and employments of the house I live in, I shall have occasion to say more about it. It was only necessary to mention it here as a part of the covering, and for the sake of method.

CHAPTER XIV.

APARTMENTS AND FURNITURE.

General remarks.

The external ear.

Chambers of the

Cavity of the

nose. The mouth, internally. The salivary glands.
Passages to the ear. The chest.
lungs. The voice. The food pipe.
The intestines. Gall bladder, &c.
The apartment of the circulation. Chambers of the
brain. Nerves.

The stomach.
The abdomen.

GENERAL REMARKS.-There are two kinds of apartments in the house of the soul. One of these is connected with outside doors; the other is not. Both are numerous, and both are important. I will begin with a description of the former; and occasionally speak, as I go along, of some of the latter.

door in front to the

In many houses a broad space or hall extends through from the back side of the building. always either uniform or regular.

This space is not

Sometimes

3

--and indeed usually-if the house has more than one story, it contains a stairway; and sometimes it includes a closet or a room for other purposes. Doors also in the sides of this hall connect it with other apartments.

Now the house I live in is constructed very much on the same general plan, except that, as I told you in reference to the frame, there is no square work about it. The beauty of the internal parts of a common dwelling house depends very much on its straight lines, upright walls, and horizontal floors and ceilings; but the beauty of the habitation of the human soul consists, on the contrary, in curved lines. Not an apartment can be found, in good order, in which you can trace a single straight line.

There is one more essential and important difference. The rooms in many dwellings are often partly or wholly empty; or at least there is nothing in them except a small quantity of furniture and air. But except a few very small and not very important apartments, all the rooms of the house I live in are completely filled. Such a thing as empty space is hardly known there. The furniture, or whatever is

in them, at all times completely fills them; for when anything is removed from them, their walls are accustomed to shrink accordingly; and when anything is introduced into them, these walls have the power of gradually yielding so as greatly to increase the capacity of the apartments.

It is true, that the furniture, &c., in each room, does not so entirely fill it as not to leave place for air; for as I have already said, all the kind of rooms of which I am now treating, have communication with the open air, in such a way that the air, in small quantity, can, and probably does reach them; and much more of it would reach them, were they not so closely filled as to prevent its admittance.

But it is time for me to speak of these apartments with more particularity. I must here tell you that all the cavities, or passages in the human body which open to the air, such as the ears, nose, mouth, &c., are lined with a membrane almost exactly like the skin, only thinner. It has its thick layer, or real skin, on a thin cellular layer; then its soft thin layer of pigment or paint, if this has any existence beyond the commencement of