HEALTH AND HAPPINE 
 
 FRANCIS J. DOR 
 
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HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 An Elementary Text Book of Personal 
 
 Hygiene and Physiology Based 
 
 on Catholic Principles 
 
 BY THE REVEREND 
 
 FRANCIS J. DORE, S.J., Ph.D., M.D. 
 
 Dean of the School of Social Service, Fordham University 
 
 p*'"!>^. 
 
 y 1 i»r 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 JOSEPH F. WAGNER, Inc. 
 
 LONDON: B. HERDER 
 
QP 
 
 ,>6 
 
 Copyright, 1922, by 
 JOSEPH R WAGNER 
 
 BoiraieeuiKUMMiv 
 
A. m. s. (g. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 There have been many text-books written on 
 the interesting subject of hygiene, but most of 
 them emphasize so strongly the acquirement of 
 health as the chief aim of life, without which 
 happiness is impossible, that they tend to make 
 the youthful readers too material, and to cause 
 them to lose sight of the much more weighty 
 spiritual interests of mankind. This book was 
 written to try to indicate the close interweaving 
 of science and religion, and to show how an un- 
 biased study of the former naturally trains the 
 mind in the knowledge and love of our First and 
 Last End. 
 
 Acknowledgments are due to the encourage- 
 ment and cooperation of a number of friends, and 
 especially to the kindness of the Eeverend John 
 A. Brosnan, S. J., Professor of Biology at Wood- 
 stock College, without whose tireless industry 
 many of the pictures in the book would not have 
 been possibleo 
 
 F. J. D. 
 
Uij^r? (i>ob Ijaa built iJ^XB blaxtng ©IjrDttF, 
 Nor ^tt alnn^ on rartl| hrlnm 
 Mttli b^lt^b B^aa tlyat rnm? nnh go, 
 An& ^nlil^Ba tska af aunltt gr^rn, 
 Jfa all tlj^ ilakrr*a glnrg ar^n — 
 Unok in upon tl^g monJiruuB fram^, 
 Etrrnal Miabnm atill tl|f aamr- 
 
 Oliver Wendell Holmes. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Preface vii 
 
 Introduction xiii 
 
 CHAPTEK 
 
 I. The Skeleton 1 
 
 II. The Muscles 16 
 
 III. What Exercise Does 25 
 
 IV. How to Exercise 35 
 
 V. The Covering of the Body ... 49 
 
 VI. The Circulation 64 
 
 VII. The Blood 75 
 
 VIII. The Alimentary Tract 87 
 
 IX. Digestion: Part I 93 
 
 X. Digestion: Part II 100 
 
 XI. Assimilation 106 
 
 XII. The Wonderful Eye 117 
 
 XIII. The Marvellous Ear 129 
 
 XIV. The Air We Breathe 138 
 
 XV. The Path of the Air 151 
 
 XVI. Artificial Breathing 163 
 
 XVII. The Nervous System 167 
 
 XVIII. The Central Station 179 
 
 XIX. Care of the Nerves 185 
 
 XX. How Nerves Act 196 
 
 XXI. Overworking the Nerves . . . . 205 
 
 XXII. Mastery of the Nerves . . . .215 
 
 .XXIII. The End and the Beginning . . . 223 
 
 xi 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 1. Man is called a microcosm, from two Greek 
 words, meaning a * kittle world,'' since he com- 
 bines in himself the elements of all the rest of 
 creation. His soul, in so far as it is spiritual, 
 partakes of the nature of the angels. His body 
 shares in all the elements which go to make up 
 the three great kingdoms of this visible universe ; 
 namely, the mineral, the vegetable and the animal 
 kingdoms. 
 
 2. Like the minerals, all human beings are sub- 
 ject to the laws of time and space; they are af- 
 fected by heat and cold; they are influenced by 
 gravity and the forces of attraction and repulsion. 
 Thus, in ever so many ways, men show their kin- 
 ship with the earth, from the soil of which God 
 formed the first man, Adam, and on which man 
 dwells for a time, while he prepares himself, by a 
 loyal service of his Creator, for his true home in 
 heaven. Like the members of the vegetable king- 
 dom, the body of man develops cell by cell, grad- 
 
xiv INTRODUCTION 
 
 ually enlarging in size until full growth is reached. 
 While he lives on earth, a building-up, as well as 
 a breaking-down process is always going on, just 
 as in plants and flowers. 
 
 3. Like the animals, man eats, drinks, sleeps and 
 wakes. He has similar faculties of taste, touch, 
 sight, hearing and smell, though many of the lower 
 animals have senses which are much more acute 
 than those of man. His whole organic structure, 
 however, is very much the same; so much so in- 
 deed, that this fact has led many people, who are 
 educated only in a one-sided way, to conclude that 
 man is an animal and nothing more. In the last 
 century, this view was made public by an English 
 scientist of prominence, named Charles Darwin, 
 so that this very unworthy opinion of man is 
 called ''The Darwinian Theory." According to 
 its followers, man is simply a highly developed 
 animal, more so than the dog, cat or horse, or any 
 of our domestic animals. Many of these mis- 
 named scientists say that man's remote ancestor 
 was a monkey, and this was the view adopted by 
 Darwin. But some of the modern ones now hold 
 that man has descended from a lizard, others say 
 it was a scallop, others a jellyfish. In fact, there 
 is no limit to the absurdities into which people 
 fall when they once reject the safe guidance of the 
 
INTRODUCTION xv 
 
 infallible Churcli of Christ, wliich teaches that 
 man is created by God with a definite purpose and 
 a definite work to do ; and if man is only faithful 
 and obedient here on earth, he will be rewarded by 
 his Creator with everlasting happiness in heaven. 
 
 4. Dr. Thomas Dwight, who was an anatomist 
 of the first rank, as well as a splendid Catholic, 
 used to begin the course of lectures which he gave 
 at a certain medical school every year, with this 
 sentence: ^^Man is a creature composed of body 
 and soul,^' which you will remember from the first 
 page of your catechism. But then he added: 
 *^With the soul we have nothing to do here, as our 
 work lies altogether with the body''; and in the 
 myriad wonders of the latter some of his hearers 
 became so interested that they forgot the existence 
 of the former. 
 
 5. We shall try to avoid their mistake, but must 
 bear it in mind; since the human body is a very 
 absorbing subject, and its marvellous construction 
 and its wonderful mechanism, even though we 
 shall penetrate their mysteries but very slightly, 
 are so enticing, that unless we are on our guard, 
 we may forget what our Catholic Religion tells us 
 about the close association of the soul with the 
 body, and that the body must never be allowed to 
 do anything which will bring damage to the soul 
 
XVI INTRODUCTION 
 
 or stain its whiteness with sin. It is also helpful 
 to remember that the soul is so dependent upon 
 the body here in this life that the condition of one 
 affects the other, and that frequently a weak and 
 unpleasant character is the result of an undevel- 
 oped and badly trained body. Dr. Charles Eliot, 
 until recently the President of Harvard Univer- 
 sity, once said: ^'To attain success and length of 
 service in any of the learned professions, a vigor- 
 ous body is well-nigh essential. A busy lawyer, 
 editor, minister, physician or teacher, has need of 
 greater physical endurance than a farmer, trader, 
 manufacturer or mechanic. All professional biog- 
 raphy teaches that to attain lasting distinction in 
 sedentary indoor occupations which tax the brain 
 and the nervous system, extraordinary toughness 
 of body must accompany the extraordinary mental 
 powers.'^ 
 
 6. Most men who have been forces that really 
 counted in shaping the history of the world, were 
 as strong in body as in mind. Napoleon was called 
 a ^'man of iron,'' and his favorite saying was that 
 *'The first requisite of good generalship is good 
 health." Oeorge Washington, the Father of our 
 Country, was a man of wonderful strength and 
 endurance, and we read that he never thought of 
 asking his soldiers to stand the privations and 
 
INTRODUCTION xvii 
 
 hardships which he himself bore without com- 
 plaint. 
 
 7. Of Garcia Moreno, the gallant President of 
 Ecuador, was written : ^ ^ Nature had given him all 
 the eminent qualities that formed the man of ac- 
 tion. Tall and upright, with a robust constitution, 
 everything revealed a man of untiring energy. In 
 troublous times, he was on horseback from morn- 
 ing till night, and his iron constitution resisted all 
 fatigue. ' ' 
 
 8. Gladstone was the Prime Minister of Eng- 
 land at the age of eighty-four, when most men 
 are unable to do very arduous w^ork. His 
 biographer writes of him: *'He had enormous 
 driving power and physical energy. His famed 
 habits of felling trees and taking extremely long 
 walks are pointed out as causes of his rare staying 
 power and surpassing accomplishments.'' 
 
 9. These are but a few of many examples that 
 might be cited to show that the leaders among 
 men and women have been, generally speaking, 
 those whose health of body equalled that of the 
 intellect. You see, therefore, how necessary it is 
 to foster and preserve your bodies in order to do 
 your share of work in this world and help to 
 spread the kingdom of God. 
 
 10. It is quite necessary to know the right way 
 
xviii INTRODUCTION 
 
 to set about a work of such importance, and there- 
 fore we shall try to learn some of the simpler and 
 more important facts connected with the teaching 
 of bodily health, and to explain some easy methods 
 of keeping well and strong. 
 
 11. This book, however, deals with bodily, not 
 with spiritual hygiene, so that it is not to be ex- 
 pected that any formal treatment of the develop- 
 ment of the soul will be included within these 
 pages. Although every Christian knows whether 
 more care should be given to the soul or the body, 
 stress is here laid on the fact that neither should 
 be neglected. 
 
 12. In the case of the younger readers, the 
 technical terminology of the book may well be 
 omitted ; but some knowledge of physiology is ab- 
 solutely essential to proper instruction in the sub- 
 ject of hygiene. 
 
HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 Chapter I 
 THE SKELETON 
 
 "Knowest thou the nature of the human frame, 
 That world of wonders, more than we can name ? 
 Say, has thy busy, curious eye surveyed 
 The proofs of infinite wisdom here displayed?" 
 
 1. Biology is the name of the science which dis- 
 cusses living things; in botany, we learn about 
 flowers and plants; in zoology, we study the ani- 
 mals; and in anatomy and physiology, we try to 
 find out the various parts of the body and the 
 functions of these parts. The function of any one 
 of the bodily organs means the particular part it 
 plays in maintaining the life of the organism. 
 After we have obtained some idea of our bodies 
 and the working of the parts of which they are 
 made up, we shall endeavor to discover what are 
 the things we ought to know in order to keep our 
 
^ HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 bodies in a constant state of good health ; and this 
 is what is meant by the science of Hygiene. 
 
 2. Man is called a rational or reasoning animal, 
 an animal because his body is like the body of a 
 brute animal in many respects, but rational^ be- 
 cause he has something very important which the 
 brute animals have not; namely, a mind, and 
 therefore is able to reason and judge, and to use 
 his free will, which makes man the king of all the 
 rest of creation. God made all other things for 
 man's use, and made man for His honor and 
 glory; and man wins his eternal reward by em- 
 ploying his body, his mind and his will, and all 
 other creatures, in serving and praising God. It 
 is necessary to bear this in mind, since, if we do 
 not know how to use our bodies, we shall not be 
 putting them to the use God intended when He 
 gave them to us. 
 
 3. There are three main divisions of man's 
 body; the head, the trunk and the extremities. 
 The bony part of the head is called the skull, and 
 is composed of twenty-two bones, fourteen of 
 which are in the face. There are three little bones 
 in each inner ear. The lower jaw is the most in- 
 teresting of the face bones, because it is separated 
 from all the rest, and moves up and down and side- 
 ways in the actions of talking and eating ; whereas 
 
THE SKELETON 
 
 \ 
 
 I 
 
 A Human Skull, 
 
4 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 the upper jaw is firmly fixed to the top of the skull, 
 and has no distinct movements. Attached to the 
 two jaw bones are the teeth, of which the number 
 in an adult is thirty-two, sixteen in each jaw. The 
 four front teeth of the upper and lower jaws are 
 called the incisors, and are sharp for the purpose 
 of cutting and dividing the food as it enters the 
 mouth. Next to these are the canines or cuspids, 
 one on each side of both jaws ; beside each of these 
 four teeth are two bicuspids, or eight altogether. 
 Behind them are three molars on each side, six in 
 each jaw. The last are the grinders, and they 
 reduce the food to the fine condition in which it 
 may be safely swallowed. In the child there are 
 only twenty teeth, of which the first to appear are 
 the incisors, usually the upper ones, which cut 
 through the gum when the baby is about one year 
 old. The teeth require daily attention, and should 
 be cared for by a dentist at least once a year. 
 
 4. The bones of the skull are generally broad 
 and flat, as also are the ribs and the breastbone. 
 Look at the picture of the skeleton, and notice the 
 different shapes of the bones to suit particular pur- 
 poses of the various parts of the body. Some 
 people are frightened at the sight of a skeleton, 
 but if they had no bones under their flesh, they 
 could not walk or move. Besides, the skeleton 
 
THE SKELETON 5 
 
 protects and guards from injury the brain and 
 spinal cord, the heart and lungs, and other organs 
 necessary to life, which we shall study later. 
 
 5. All the four-footed animals, called quadru- 
 peds, the birds and the fishes, are like man in hav- 
 ing a long backbone, which is called the spinal 
 column. This is not one bone, but is made up of 
 a number of small bones, called vertebrae, and it 
 is on this account that man and all animals that 
 have this backbone are named vertebrates. As 
 you see in the picture, there is a big hole in each 
 vertebra, through which runs the spinal cord, and 
 this cord connects with the brain through a hole 
 in the bottom of the skull. 
 
 6. In the old mythology of the Greeks, the earth 
 was supposed to be held in space by a giant whose 
 name was Atlas ; and so the top vertebra, on which 
 the skull rests, is called the atlas. The second one 
 is named the axis, because it is on this one that 
 the head and the atlas rotate. The spinal column 
 is divided into several parts, according to the loca- 
 tion in the body. The upper part is called the cer- 
 vical part; since it is in the neck. Between the 
 shoulders is the dorsal part; below that is the 
 lumbar, and underneath is the sacral. All the 
 vertebrae are strongly bound together by liga- 
 ments, which are composed of thick fibrous tissue ; 
 
6 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 and by this means they are able to move on each 
 other. If the spine were one bone only, we should 
 not be able to bend our backs, and should have 
 great difficulty in walking and moving about. 
 
 7. The back of the chest is formed by the dorsal 
 part of the spine, and is composed of twelve ver- 
 tebrae, to which the ribs are joined. In front, 
 seven ribs are joined to the breastbone, and these 
 are called true ribs. The lower five ribs are called 
 false ribs, because they are not directly connected 
 to the breastbone, but each to the one above it, by 
 ligaments. 
 
 8. The shoulder is formed by the collar-bone in 
 front, and the shoulder-blade behind. The collar- 
 bones are the nearest to the surface of the body, 
 and therefore are often broken in games, such as 
 football, unless they are protected by thick pads. 
 
 9. Between the head and the chest there is a 
 small bone, shaped like the letter U, which can be 
 felt on each side of the throat, and to which the 
 tongue is attached. There are thirty bones in each 
 extremity. From shoulder to elbow is one bone; 
 from elbow to wrist, two bones; the wrist has 
 eight; and the hand, including the fingers, nine- 
 teen. On account of the number and location of 
 the bones in the hand, it is capable of almost un- 
 limited motions. Just think of the movements 
 
THE SKELETON 
 
 made In playing the piano or any other musical 
 instrument. The hand has been called, ' ^ the only 
 machine truly godlike." There is no piece of 
 apparatus made by the most skilful mechanic that 
 can in any way perform the actions of even the 
 smallest hand which has been de- 
 signed by God. 
 
 10. The thigh is one bone, and 
 is the largest in the body. From 
 the knee to the ankle are two 
 bones, the ankle and foot have 
 twenty-six bones. There is also 
 a round bone in front between 
 the thigh and the leg, which is 
 the knee-cap. The ligament in 
 which this bone is sheathed is 
 stretched when we genuflect. 
 The hip bones are very irreg- 
 ular in shape, and were called 
 nameless by the old anatomists. 
 They are joined together in front 
 by a very strong ligament, but in the back 
 they are separated by the sacrum. Enclosed 
 between the hip bones is a cavity called the pelvis, 
 which contains the lowest part of the abdominal 
 organs. 
 
 Arm Bones. 
 
 A, Humerus; B, Ra- 
 dius; C, Ulnar; D, 
 Wrist Bones; E, 
 Thumd; F, Fingers. 
 
S HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 THE STKUCTUKE OF THE BONES 
 
 11. We are so accustomed to see dead bones, 
 which are dull white in appearance, that we are 
 apt to forget that within the living body the bones 
 are filled with blood vessels and nerves. If we cut 
 a dead bone open we find the center is hollow, but 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^':^^ 
 
 
 itT^^^-.^xl 
 
 
 -.^,- 
 
 
 Portion of Long Bone Near its Head. 
 
 A, Compact Bone; B, Cancellous Bone. 
 
 in life this is filled with marrow, which is a source 
 of nourishment when the body is deprived of other 
 food. The hardness of the bone comes from min- 
 eral substances, principally phosphate of lime. 
 We can burn out the animal matter and leave the 
 mineral matter, so that the bone becomes brittle 
 and porous, but it keeps its shape. If, however. 
 
THE SKELETON 9 
 
 we put the bone in acid for some time, the mineral 
 matter is dissolved out, and the remaining animal 
 matter can be tied in a knot. When bones break 
 easily, as in the case of old people, it shows that 
 they have too much mineral matter. Children's 
 bones, on the contrary, have an abundant supply 
 of animal matter, and, therefore, bend more easily 
 than they break. In the condition of rickets, 
 which is a disease occurring in poorly nourished 
 children, there is so small an amount of mineral 
 matter in the bones that they are soft and yield to 
 the least pressure, with the result that deformities 
 occur. 
 
 12. During one's younger years, the bones are 
 assuming the shape which they will bear all 
 through life, and, therefore, it is wise to avoid all 
 habits of attitude or attire which will tend to cause 
 interference with the appearance of the body 
 which the great Designer had in mind when He 
 planned the best shape for man. Consequently, 
 we should not sit or stand with the shoulders bent 
 forward or the back curved. We should try to 
 keep the spine straight, and not act as if it were 
 made of rubber. We should keep the knees stiff 
 when standing; otherwise a slouching attitude is 
 acquired. The body should be free in every part, 
 and all clothing which binds the waist or chest is 
 to be avoided. The most abused member of the 
 
10 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 body is the foot. We wonder at some of the 
 Oriental nations, on account of the manner in 
 which they destroy the shape of the foot by bind- 
 ing it np ; and yet many supposedly fully civilized 
 people in this country treat their feet in a worse 
 fashion, by wearing shoes that are too short or too 
 tight. This causes corns on the toes, bunions at 
 the joints and ingrowing nails. The heel of the 
 shoe should be broad and low and under the heel 
 of the foot. The sole should be broader and longer 
 than the foot itself. A national campaign should 
 be started against the modern high heels of 
 women's shoes, which are responsible for many of 
 the physical ills which women endure. In the 
 selection of your footwear let nature rather than 
 fashion be your guide, and you will save yourself 
 much pain and trouble later in life. 
 
 THE JOINTS 
 
 13. A joint is any region of the skeleton where 
 motion is possible. There are three kinds of joints 
 in the body ; viz., ball-and-socket, hinge and irreg- 
 ular. 
 
 14. The hinge joint permits motion in one direc- 
 tion only, as in the elbow. The ball-and-socket 
 joint allows motion in all directions, forward, 
 backward and rotary, as in the shoulder. The 
 irregular joint is one in which the end of one bone 
 
THE SKELETON 11 
 
 is received into the small groove of another, or of 
 others, as in the wrist. 
 
 15. Between the ends of the bones there are 
 pads of cartilage which serve as cushions, and 
 these are bathed in a fluid, which prevents friction. 
 The joints of all other machines require constant 
 greasing by the mechanician. But the wonderful 
 Mechanic, who fashioned ours, made them in such 
 a way that they furnish their own grease by this 
 fluid, whenever it is needed. Joints may become 
 enlarged and stiff ened from injury or disease, and 
 then they are very painful. 
 
 16. Holding the ends of the bones together are 
 strong bands of tissue, called ligaments. A dis- 
 location occurs when the ends of bones are forced 
 apart at the joint. Usually this causes some tear- 
 ing of the ligaments also, and a pouring out of the 
 fluid into the surrounding tissues. 
 
 17. Contortionists are people who are able to 
 bend their joints in almost any manner. They 
 have acquired this facility by stretching the liga- 
 ments gradually, while they were young. Many 
 foolish young people, however, injure themselves 
 permanently by trying to imitate their perform- 
 ances. 
 
 18. A sprain means the twisting or tearing of 
 the ligaments in the region of a joint, without any 
 
 Lslocation of the bones. 
 
 dislocation of the bones. 
 
12 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 19. A fracture is a break of a bone; the most 
 common ones are of the collar-bone, the wrist or 
 the ankle. Those who play baseball frequently 
 break some of the bones of the hand. 
 
 THE BONES OF THE BODY 
 
 20. Number of bones in the skeleton 206 
 
 Head 
 
 28 
 
 Trunk 
 52 
 
 Shoulders 
 4 
 
 Upper 
 
 Extremities 
 
 60 
 
 Lower 
 
 Extremities 
 
 60 
 
 Skull 8 
 
 Face 14 
 
 Ears (3 in each) 6 
 
 Neck (to which tongue is attached) 
 
 Spine 
 
 Ribs 
 
 Breastbone 
 
 1 
 
 26 
 24 
 
 1 
 
 Hips 
 2 
 
 Shoulder-blades ( Scapula) 2 
 
 Collar-bones (Clavicle) 2 
 
 Upper arm — each one 2 
 
 Forearm — each two 4 
 
 Wrist — each eight 16 
 
 Hand — each five 10 
 
 Fingers — each fourteen 28 
 
 Thigh — each one 2 
 
 Leg — each two 4 
 
 Knee-cap — each one 2 
 
 Ankle — each seven 14 
 
 Foot — each five 10 
 
 Toes — each fourteen 28 
 
 Hips — each one 2 
 
 206 
 
THE SKELETON 
 
 13 
 
 The Skeleton. 
 
14 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 (The thigh is the part of the body from the hip 
 to the knee. The leg extends from the knee to the 
 ankle. Each hip is really composed of three bones, 
 but as they are firmly welded together, they are 
 counted as one.) 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. Define biology, botany, zoology, anatomy, physiology. 
 What is meant by the "function" of an organ? 
 What is Hygiene? 
 
 2. Why is man called a "rational animal"? 
 How is man to win an eternal reward? 
 
 3. What are the main divisions of the body? 
 How many bones are in the head? In the ear? 
 What is peculiar about the lower jaw? 
 
 How many teeth are there in the mouth of an adult? 
 What are the incisors? the molars? the cuspids? the 
 bicuspids ? 
 
 4. What is the shape of the bones? 
 
 Of what importance is the bony part of the body? 
 
 5. What is the name of the backbone? 
 Of what is it composed? 
 
 What name is given to animals with a backbone? Why? 
 
 6. Name the top bone of the backbone, and why is it so called? 
 What is the second bone? Why so called? 
 
 Of what advantage is it to have the spinal column made 
 
 up of a number of bones? What is that number? 
 Name the various parts of the spinal column. 
 
 7. What forms the chest? 
 
 How are true ribs distinguished from false ribs? 
 
 8. What forms the shoulder? 
 
 Which shoulder bone is often broken and why? . 
 
 9. How many bones are in the arm? the hand? the fingers?^ 
 10. Where is the thigh? How many bones has it? Compare 
 
 its size to other bones in the body. 
 
THE SKELETON 15 
 
 How many bones are in the leg? 
 What bone moves when we genuflect? 
 Describe the hip bones. 
 
 11. Of what is bone made? 
 
 What does it signify when bones break, easily ? 
 
 12. Why should we be careful of the position of the body dur- 
 
 ing our younger years? 
 What have you to say about shoes? 
 
 13. What is a joint? 
 
 How many kinds of joints are there? 
 
 14. Describe the various kinds of joints. 
 
 15. Of what use is cartilage? Where is it found? 
 
 16. What is a ligament? a dislocation? 
 
 17. What is to be said about contortionists? 
 
 18. What is a sprain? 
 
 19. What is a fracture? 
 
 20. What is the number of bones in the head, trunk, extrem- 
 
 ities, hips? 
 
Chapter II 
 THE MUSCLES 
 
 1. The bony framework serves to give shape 
 and firmness of outline to the body, and to protect 
 the vital organs from injury. We have learned 
 that motion occurs at the joints, where bones are 
 hinged together by ligaments. But if we had 
 nothing more than bones and ligaments, we could 
 not move; and so God provided muscles, which 
 cover the bones and are attached to them. There 
 are over five hundred muscles in the body. Every 
 kind of movement that we make is due to them, as 
 well as our erect posture, which is one of the 
 things that separate us from the brute beasts. 
 
 2. Look at the picture and you will see that 
 muscles are of all shapes. Some are flat, like the 
 ones which cover the back. Some are very short, 
 as thqse attached to the fingers. Some are round 
 and fat, others are long and thin. The longest 
 muscle we have is the sartorius, or tailor muscle, 
 in the thigh, which is about two feet long. The 
 shortest is in the ear, and is called the stapedius. 
 
 16 
 
THE MUSCLES 
 
 It 
 
 3. The diaphragm is a broad muscle which runs 
 right through the body from front to back, and is 
 attached to the lowest ribs. It thus divides the 
 trunk into two cavities. The upper one is the 
 chest ; the lower is called the abdomen. We know 
 that the chest is enclosed 
 
 by bones. But the abdo- 
 men is not, in order that 
 we may bend our bodies. 
 Besides, if there were a 
 bony cage around that 
 part, we should feel very 
 uncomfortable after 
 meals. 
 
 4. The body has been 
 compared to a ship. The 
 bones are like the masts 
 and the spars, and the 
 muscles are like the sails 
 and ropes. It has also 
 
 been compared to a machine, in which the bones 
 and joints are like the columns and pulleys, and 
 the muscles take the place of the belts and springs 
 and cords. 
 
 5. You have not, perhaps, realized that the meat 
 you eat at table is nothing but some portion of 
 the muscular system of an animal, and is called 
 
 Muscles of the Trunk. 
 
18 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 beef or pork or mutton, according to the kind of 
 animal from which it has come. (Only a cannibal 
 eats human flesh.) The same muscles which help 
 the animal to move and work serve as food for 
 us, after it is killed. But is it right to kill animals 
 so that we may eat? Yes, indeed; that is one of 
 the wise purposes which God had in view when 
 He made the animals. He made them for our help 
 and needs. 
 
 6. Foolish people who refuse to admit the exist- 
 ence of God and of our souls, and who say that the 
 life in us is the same life as the animals and the 
 plants have, would refrain from eating, if they 
 were consistent, unless they admit the wrong prin- 
 ciple that ^^ might makes right." The fact is that 
 the muscles of most of the animals are much big- 
 ger than ours, and the animals themselves very 
 much stronger; so that unless we had an intelli- 
 gence which God placed as a faculty in the human 
 soul we should never be able to force them to serve 
 our needs and obey our commands. 
 
 7. In general, there are two kinds of muscles, 
 voluntary and involuntary. The first kind are 
 those we know best, and are on the outside of the 
 body. These act when we desire them to act, 
 though on account of the habit we have acquired, 
 we do not need to think directly of them at the 
 
THE MUSCLES 
 
 19 
 
 time. For instance, when you walk, yon rest your 
 weight on one leg, and the muscles of the other 
 thigh shorten and lift the foot from the ground, 
 carrying it forward until it rests on the ground 
 in advance of the other. Then the muscles of the 
 calf of the leg, which is behind, shorten and lift 
 that heel from the ground, 
 and the weight of the body is 
 thrown forward on the foot 
 ahead. Then the muscles of 
 the backward thigh contract 
 and lift the foot up, when it 
 swings forward, just like a 
 pendulum, till it again strikes 
 the ground ahead of the other. 
 Now you do not have to con- 
 sider all these motions every 
 time you start to walk; they 
 follow your impulse without 
 further deliberate intention, 
 after you have once acquired 
 the ability to walk. 
 
 8. We sometimes stand in 
 wonder before a splendid statue of a horse rearing 
 away back on his hind legs, and marvel at the 
 skill of the sculptor who could make the charger 
 rear so far, without letting him fall over back- 
 
 Leg Bones. 
 
 A, Thigh (Femur) ; B, Tibia 
 (Shinbone); C, Fibula; 
 
 D, Patella (Kneecap) ; 
 
 E, Heelbone; F, Ankle- 
 bone; G, Instep; H,Toes. 
 
20 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 wards. It is really astonishing, and takes onr 
 breath away. Yet it is not nearly so wonderful 
 as the act of walking. But we are so accnstomed 
 to this action that it fails to make any impression. 
 To step forward, backward, to the right, to the 
 left, to run, to hop, to jump, to dance, yet preserve 
 our balance, and not even be mindful of the work- 
 ing of the various muscles called into action, — all 
 this implies a power given by God to man, which 
 immeasurably surpasses any changeless pose 
 given to a statue by a sculptor. 
 
 9. There are other muscles over which you 
 never acquire any control whatever, and these are 
 called involuntary muscles. Examples of these 
 are the heart and the muscles which assist in the 
 digestion of food. Your heart begins to beat long 
 before you are capable of thinking about it; it 
 works all through the night while you are asleep ; 
 and no matter how much you might desire, you 
 could never stop its steady beating. In the same 
 way, after you have once swallowed your food, it 
 is acted upon and moved along by the involuntary 
 muscles, without any necessity of your bothering 
 about it in the least. We can exist without using 
 the voluntary muscles, but if the involuntary ones 
 stopped working, we could not live; and on this 
 account our Father in heaven arranged to have 
 
THE MUSCLES 21 
 
 them do their work under His wise direction with- 
 out troubling us with the care of them. It gives 
 us some idea of the magnificent providence of 
 God to remember that the operations of the body, 
 on which our life depends, are due to His constant 
 and loving assistance, and not to us. 
 
 10. The muscles constitute forty-one per cent 
 of the entire weight of the body; and in them is 
 found one-quarter of all the blood. In the old 
 Roman Empire, magistrates used to be preceded, 
 when they went about, by servants who bore on 
 their shoulders bundles of rods called fasces. 
 These rods indicated the power of the magistrates 
 to punish any persons who failed to observe the 
 law. Many of the early Christians were flogged 
 with these rods when they refused to adore the 
 pagan idols. Now if we should examine muscles 
 under the microscope, we should find that they 
 are made up of bundles of small fibres. On ac- 
 count of a fancied resemblance between them and 
 the Roman sign of authority, these fibres are 
 called fasciculi, or little fasces. 
 
 11. Most muscles end in a strong, tough, white 
 band of tissue, called a tendon, by which the 
 muscle is attached to the bone. You have all 
 probably seen tendons on Thanksgiving Day in 
 the drumstick of the family turkey. You can feel 
 
22 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 them in your own wrists by closing your fists. 
 The largest tendon in the body is the tendon of 
 Achilles, which is the end of the calf muscle, and 
 is inserted into the heel. When the calf shortens, 
 the tendon is pulled up, and this lifts the heel. 
 It got its name from a fabled Greek warrior, 
 whose mother dipped him in the mythical river 
 Styx. This was the stream supposed to flow be- 
 tween time and eternity, and it was said that any 
 mortal who was dipped in its waters would be 
 rendered proof against all wounds. The mother 
 held her child by this tendon while she immersed 
 his body, and thus her hand prevented the water 
 from touching that part; and that was the very 
 place where he received a wound which proved 
 fatal to him. Of course it is only a fable, but it 
 gave rise to the name. The names of most of the 
 muscles and tendons are derived from Greek and 
 Latin words, which are too long for us to try to 
 remember. 
 
 12. Every boy, however, is familiar with the 
 biceps muscle on the front of the upper arm, which 
 is so called because it arises from two heads. The 
 tendon of this muscle is inserted into the bones of 
 the fore-arm, and when the muscle is shortened, it 
 forces the tendon to lift these bones, and thus the 
 elbow is bent. 
 
THE MUSCLES 
 
 23 
 
 13. The process by which the muscle is short- 
 ened is exceedingly interesting. When we look 
 at a piece of meat, we notice that the flesh is firm 
 and solid, but the muscle in the living body is not 
 solid. Most of its substance is semi-fluid, and 
 is held in its position by innum- 
 erable tiny strands of delicate 
 tissue. ^ All muscles are supplied 
 with nerves, and when the mes- 
 sage travels along the nerve from 
 the brain (where we form the 
 wish to make some movement), 
 it causes the muscle to contract, 
 or in other words, to shorten and 
 thicken. 
 
 14. But also, apart from the 
 contraction, which is due to the 
 nerves, there is an elastic power 
 Some Aem Muscles, in the muscles themselves. This 
 \^^TeSdorS' ^coTS'] extraordluary power is called its 
 
 d', Ligament. . . -, -tx i i i? 'j. 
 
 irritability, and by means oi it 
 the muscle may contract even when the nerve is 
 severed. After death occurs, the muscles become 
 rigid and opaque, due to the fact that the semi- 
 fluid part solidifies; and this condition of the 
 corpse is known as rigor mortis. 
 
U HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. Of what use are the bones'? the muscles? 
 
 2. Of what shape are the muscles'? 
 
 Which is the longest muscle, and why is it so named? 
 Which is the shortest muscle, and why is it so called? 
 
 3. Where is the diaphragm? How does it divide the trunk? 
 
 4. Compare the body to (a) a ship; (5) a machine. 
 
 5. What is meat? Who eats human flesh? 
 Why is it right to kill animals for foodt 
 
 6. Why should those who deny the existence of God refrain 
 
 from eating? 
 
 7. How, in general, are muscles divided? 
 Describe the voluntary part of walking. 
 
 8. Compare the act of walking with an equestrian statue. 
 
 9. What are the involuntary muscles? Which are the more 
 
 important, the voluntary or the involuntary? Why? 
 
 10. How much of the body is muscular? 
 How much blood is found in the muscles? 
 What are the fasciculi? 
 
 11. Describe a tendon. Where can tendons be felt? 
 Why is the tendon of Achilles so called? 
 
 12. How do you bend your elbow? 
 
 13. Is a muscle solid? How does it shorten? 
 
 14. What is rigor mortis f 
 
Chapter III 
 
 WHAT EXERCISE DOES 
 
 1. God always has some definite end in view 
 when He makes anything. Otherwise He would 
 not be the infinitely wise God He is. Bnt the only 
 way that anything may obtain its end is by doing 
 the work planned for it by its Maker. Otherwise 
 it becomes abnormal, which means unhealthy, and 
 dwindles away further and further from its real 
 goal till failure and ruin overtake it. This is true 
 of the man who neglects the end for which he was 
 placed on this earth, and uses the means, which 
 were given to him by God to help him reach his 
 end, for the sake of this world, or for his own 
 pleasure. It is true also of each part of the body 
 of man that it must do its allotted work in order 
 to be healthy. Each part is living, and therefore 
 it cannot remain idle and inactive, as if it were 
 a part of a marble statue. Life implies action and 
 motion; and consequently the brain must have 
 images, the lungs must expand with fresh air, the 
 stomach must digest food, and the muscles must 
 have exercise, if they are to remain alive. 
 
 25 
 
26 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 2. This law, which is universal, applies espe- 
 cially to young people. When full growth is 
 reached, and the body has become strong, it can 
 stand lack of care better than in the growing 
 period. But even then, if a leg is broken and 
 forced to remain still and bandaged up, after a 
 little time it will be found to be a good deal smaller 
 than its fellow. The same thing is seen in children 
 who stay much in the house, and who play very 
 little. They are pale and thin and look unhealthy, 
 in comparison to those who spend a large amount 
 of time in the open air, romping and running 
 about. 
 
 3. The muscles are penetrated everywhere by 
 blood vessels, and exercise helps the circulation in 
 this way. When the muscle contracts, the fibres 
 shut down on the veins so that the blood cannot 
 flow forward. At the same time there are valves 
 in the veins which prevent the backward flow ; and 
 as the heart is always pumping the blood onward^ 
 the veins become swollen and distended. Now as 
 soon as the muscle ceases to contract, the pent-up 
 blood rushes on, just like a river breaking through 
 a dam. When an action takes place which re- 
 quires the use of many muscles in rapid succes- 
 sion, the whole circulation is affected. This makes 
 the heart work faster in order to supply the blood 
 
WHAT EXERCISE DOES ^7 
 
 demanded by the exercising muscles. It makes the 
 lungs work more quickly in order to supply the 
 oxygen needed by the greater quantity of blood 
 sent to them. For you must know that it is the 
 oxygen in the blood which supplies the muscle with 
 the energy needed for the work it performs. 
 
 4. Muscles are warmer when they are working 
 than when they are quiet. This comes from the 
 fact that the muscular contraction always causes 
 the combustion, or burning up, of the food supply 
 which is stored up in the semi-fluid part of the 
 muscles. This is why a person looks and feels 
 hot after any vigorous exercise. 
 
 5. Why do you suppose that a person gets out 
 of breath from taking exercise, as playing base- 
 ball, or football! Well, it is due to the fact that 
 the tightening and loosening of the muscles during 
 exercise force into the blood, which is flowing 
 through them, a quantity of carbonic acid gas. 
 This gas is formed in the process of the combus- 
 tion of which we were just speaking, and would be 
 a poison to the body, if it were allowed to remain. 
 So the blood carries it as quickly as possible to the 
 lungs, and they hasten to get rid of it by working 
 as fast as they can. We shall see how they work 
 later on. 
 
 6. Another interesting question is why we get 
 
^8 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 tired wlien we exercise, or use our muscles. The 
 answer to this has been found in the physio- 
 logical laboratory, where the muscles of an animal 
 or a frog are studied. The muscle of a frog keeps 
 its vitality for some time after it has been removed 
 from the frog's body. So first it is dissected, then 
 
 Knocking a High Fly. ^ 
 
 placed on a glass plate, and connected with a 
 smoked paper by slender electric wires. When 
 contractions occur in the muscle, the wires make 
 marks on the paper, and in this way the slightest 
 change is recorded and can be observed. 
 
 7. When an electric current is applied to such 
 a dissected muscle, it is found that while the first 
 
WHAT EXERCISE DOES 29 
 
 contractions show increased strength up to a cer- 
 tain point, after a while they begin to decrease, 
 and gradually slow down until they stop alto- 
 gether. When this happens, if such a muscle is 
 washed with some blood (or with a salt solution, 
 which is the equivalent of the blood), it regains 
 its power of contraction almost at once. 
 
 8. It is also noticed that if the washings from 
 the muscle which has lost its power to work are at 
 once injected into a fresh muscle, this muscle also 
 loses its ability to perform any work. This fact 
 demonstrates that some poisonous things have 
 been produced by, the exercise ; that is, that some 
 change has occurred in the materials that were in 
 the muscular tissue when it was at rest, and which 
 were required in order that the muscle might 
 w^ork. 
 
 9. The muscle is like a machine which carries its 
 own supply of fuel. The fuel of the muscle is a 
 substance called glycogen, which is animal starch, 
 and this gradually is changed to sugar. During 
 exercise, this sugar is converted into other sub- 
 stances called lactic acid and carbon dioxide, which 
 are poison for the body; and as more and more 
 work is done, these two poisons are heaped up and 
 hinder the muscular fibres from stirring as they 
 should in response to the stimulation. The stim- 
 
30 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 ulation continues, and the muscle is not able to 
 respond; this causes the feeling which we call 
 "fatigue.'' It is like the situation that would 
 occur in an automobile which was forced to run 
 Avhile its engine was being choked with dust and 
 dirt. 
 
 10. Work may be continued until death is the 
 result, as when slaves were made to run long dis- 
 tances, or soldiers fought on for days without any 
 periods of rest. Horses have dropped dead at 
 the end of a day's hard journey; and carrier 
 pigeons sometimes drop down to the earth during 
 a flight. In all such cases, death is usually caused 
 by the overpowering amount of poisons heaped up 
 in the body, which are formed so quickly that the 
 blood has not the time to get rid of them. This 
 explains also why exercising merely one part for 
 a long time causes the whole body t^feel fatigued. 
 It makes clear the danger of over-exercising, and 
 that is an important thing to bear in mind. Exer- 
 cise is very necessary, as iias been said, to keep 
 the muscles healthy and to help our growth, but 
 it is prudent to use caution, and to exercise under 
 direction, as otherwise much harm may be done. 
 
 11. The voluntary muscles are, for the most 
 part, arranged in pairs, which have an antago- 
 nistic effect. Otherwise, when one muscle con- 
 
WHAT EXERCISE DOES 
 
 31 
 
 tracted, and thus moved a bone at a joint, there 
 would not be anything to straighten the joint out 
 again. For instance, the biceps pulls up the fore- 
 
 Wide World Photos 
 
 A Close Race. 
 
 arm at the elbow when it shortens, but it cannot 
 replace it in position. It has to be pulled back by 
 another muscle, the action of which just opposes 
 that of the biceps. After you have bent your arm. 
 
32 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 put your other hand on the back of the upper arm 
 while you make it straight again. You will feel 
 a muscle tighten, which is called the triceps. It 
 gets its name from the fact that it arises from 
 three heads, just as the biceps arises from two. 
 The triceps is inserted into the back of the arm 
 bones, and so when it contracts, it pulls them to- 
 gether in a straight line. This is an example of 
 what happens in all parts of the body, all the 
 muscles acting always in the order given them by 
 the Master-worker, Avhose knowledge is without 
 measure. 
 
 12. After hard work or exercise, it is natural to 
 feel tired, and one needs to take a rest. The 
 harder the work, the longer is the rest required. 
 The rest provides the opportunity for the blood to 
 wash out the accumulation of poisonous materials 
 from the tissues, and to replace them with the 
 necessary oxygen and glycogen. Fatigue is there- 
 fore recovered from sooner in a room where there 
 is a good supply of fresh air than in a stuffy place. 
 Why? 
 
 13. A hot bath also usually helps to make one 
 feel rested after laborious exercise, by increasing 
 the circulation and thus removing the waste mat- 
 ters more quickly. Sometimes a quick cold shower 
 may have the same good effect. It is also possible 
 
WHAT EXERCISE DOES 33 
 
 to ward off fatigue to some extent by taking a cool 
 shower before beginning to exercise. 
 
 14. After unusual exercise, especially if pro- 
 longed, one will find the muscles somewhat stiff 
 and sore. In some cases, this feeling does not 
 arise until some hours after the exercise is fin- 
 ished. But do not be dismayed by this nor pre- 
 vented from ever again attempting that form of 
 exercise. Far from being a bad sign, it is really 
 an indication that the body is preparing for such 
 work in the future, by increasing the strength of 
 the muscles and storing up in them a greater 
 amount of energy. 
 
 15. Thus all the various muscles work together 
 and help each other, and all the blood vessels and 
 nerves and the organs of the entire body cooper- 
 ate with the most unremitting constancy and faith- 
 fulness to assist the muscles in their work of 
 carrying out our will. If we reflect on this it will 
 teach us that, in like manner, we should all work 
 together too, and try to help each other, since we 
 are all members of the mystical body of Christ, 
 our Lord, and loyally and steadily strive with all 
 our power for the accomplishment of the holy will 
 of Grod, and for the establishment of the kingdom 
 of His Divine Son here on earth. 
 
S4 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. What does life imply'? Why must each part of the body 
 
 have some exercise? 
 
 2. What happens to bodies, or parts of bodies, which have 
 
 no exercise ? 
 
 3. Why do the heart and lungs work harder when muscles 
 
 are contracting? 
 
 4. Why- do we get hot when exercising? 
 
 5. Why do we get out of breath? 
 
 6. Why do we feel tired? 
 
 7. What happens to a tired muscle when treated with salt 
 
 solution ? 
 
 8. How is it shown that exercise has produced a poison in 
 
 the muscle? 
 
 9. What is the fuel of the muscle? What happens to the 
 
 fuel during exercise? 
 
 10. How does death result from over-exercising? What cau- 
 
 tion should be used? 
 
 11. What is meant by saying that muscles are antagonistic? 
 
 Give examples. ^_ 
 
 12. What is the best way to recover from fatigue? 
 
 13. How does a hot bath help? 
 
 14. Is stiffness or soreness a good sign, or a bad one? Why? 
 
 15. What may we learn from the mutual cooperation of the 
 
 different parts of the body? 
 
Chapter IV 
 HOW TO EXERCISE 
 
 1. In the matter of exercise, there are two ex- 
 tremes to be avoided ; too little and too much. One 
 is quite as bad as the other. But we have seen 
 that some exercise is necessary, as otherwise the 
 muscles cannot grow, and the whole body cannot 
 remain healthy and strong. Exercise that is 
 looked upon as a task or a hardship will not pro- 
 duce half the benefit as will the same exercise re- 
 garded as a game. It is like what happens in 
 regard to eating. If a child sits down to dinner 
 with a frown on his face, and grumbles at the lamb 
 because he wanted beef, his food will not do him 
 half the good received by his brother and sister, 
 who ask God's blessing before they take their 
 place at table, and remember thankfully that God 
 has provided it for them out of His bountiful 
 mercy. 
 
 2. In the same way, the boy who runs to the 
 store on an errand for his mother with a merry 
 whistle on his lips, will get the same, or even more 
 
 35 
 
36 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 beneficial exercise, as if he ran a race at school 
 amid the plaudits of his companions. For a girl, 
 the same thing holds true. If she wears a cheerful 
 smile, and looks upon her work as a privilege, 
 when helping in her mother 's household cares, she 
 is doing at least the same amount of good for her 
 body, and probably much more for her soul, than 
 
 Wide World Photos 
 
 A Marathon Race. 
 
 if she were skipping the rope or dancing. 
 General housework, as it is called, furnishes 
 the best kind of exercise, as it brings into action 
 almost all the muscles of the body. Just contrast 
 the appearance of the average housemaid, who 
 really likes her place, with a shop-girl who stands 
 behind a counter all day in a stuffy store. Boys 
 who enter heartily into their share of the work 
 
HOW TO EXERCISE 37 
 
 around the house, and are glad to be called upon 
 when coal is needed from the bin, or wood has to 
 be chopped, or apples or cherries are to be picked, 
 are not only gaining strength bj invigorating 
 exercise, but are making themselves beloved by 
 all at home, and also are piling up treasures in 
 heaven. 
 
 3. We have said that oxygen is necessary for 
 muscular energy, and therefore working in the 
 fresh air is of much more benefit than working in 
 air that is not fresh. Outdoor exercise brings 
 better results than exercise taken in a gymnasium. 
 When playing baseball one exercises a very large 
 number of muscles — while throwing to home plate 
 from left field, stooping to catch a grounder, jump- 
 ing to reach a high fly or swinging the bat and 
 knocking a home run. At the same time, the player 
 is training himself in precision and coolness and 
 obedience. If those who play ball will only avoid 
 the use of improper language, and refuse to have 
 anything to do with gambling, the game will do 
 much to make them men in every sense of the 
 word. 
 
 4. Swimming is another splendid form of exer- 
 cise ; moreover, it is an accomplishment that every 
 boy and girl should possess. It is not hard to 
 learn when one is young ;■ once acquired the art is 
 
38 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 never lost. Knowing liow to swim may mean the 
 saving of yonr life some day, or the life of some 
 one else, which you prize dearer than yonr own. 
 The breast stroke is the one most frequently used ; 
 it consists simply in lying on the front of the body 
 in the water, bringing the hands together and 
 then separating them as far as possible with a 
 backward and downward motion; at the same 
 time, the legs are drawn np to the body and then 
 thro\\m back and away from it. The main point 
 is to get accustomed to the feel of the water in the 
 face, and not to become alarmed at a little splash- 
 ing. Some never learn to swim, because they are 
 afraid when a wave dashes some spray over their 
 heads, even though they do not feel any fear when 
 they fling the water all over themselves and the 
 floor at their morning ablutions. Remember that 
 the water will hold you up, if you just lie quietly 
 on your back with your arms stretched out. Once 
 you acquire confidence, the rest will be easy. How- 
 ever, do not be reckless. Do not jump into deep 
 water before you have really learned the art, and 
 never go in swimming alone. Do not stay in the 
 water until you are chilled, and come out when 
 you are tired. Otherwise you may get a cramp. 
 A cramp means that a muscle has contracted and 
 refuses to relax. Even if that should happen, do 
 
HOW TO EXERCISE 39 
 
 not get frightened. "When it does occur, remember 
 that you can still float on the back by simply keep- 
 ing quiet; whereas if you lose your presence of 
 mind and jump and toss about, you will only suc- 
 ceed in getting your head under the water. When 
 you get ashore, rub the muscle until it relaxes. 
 
 5. Confidence and calmness, then, are two essen- 
 tials for successful swimming. Almost equally, if 
 not more important, is natural and deep breath- 
 ing. Do not try to hold the breath. That would 
 tire you very soon, and the lungs need to be sup- 
 plied constantly with fresh air, which mainly sup- 
 ports your weight in the water. Lying out as flat 
 as possible is also a great help in floating, as well 
 as keeping the feet under, and the nose out of the 
 water. If you have not yet learned to swim, take 
 advantage of the very first opportunity to do so. 
 After a swim, do not sit around in a wet suit, 
 unless the day is very warm; use a rough towel 
 and rub vigorously before dressing. 
 
 6. Wrestling is another good form of exercise, 
 as also is boxing ; the latter is a very useful accom- 
 plishment for a boy to have. While football pro- 
 vides vigorous exercise, it is rather too strenuous 
 for little folks, and severe injuries are often re- 
 ceived in that game. 
 
 7. In the winter, the cold snappy air causes one 
 
40 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 to take some sort of exercise, consequently cli- 
 mates that have cold weather at some time during 
 the year are generally much more healthful than 
 those where the temperature never approaches 
 the freezing point. The winter is a glorious sea- 
 son for such sports as skating, coasting, building 
 
 A Football Game. 
 
 snow-forts and having sham battles. Skating is 
 another art everyone should strive to acquire ; for, 
 like swimming, once learned, it is never lost. 
 
 8. There is one reason or another why this game 
 or that, or this form of exercise or that, fails to 
 attract various people. It may be the season of 
 the year, it may be the weather, it may be the place 
 or the crowd. But there is one exercise which can 
 
HOW TO EXERCISE 41 
 
 be relished by all, by old as well as young, at 
 nearly all times, and in nearly all places. It com- 
 bines in itself almost all the good points which are 
 to be found in all other games. The number en- 
 joying this exercise may be small or quite large, 
 or the individual may indulge in it alone. It is 
 the very first thing taught to the baby, and the 
 oldest old lady never forgets it. Have you guessed 
 it? Of course; it is walking. But to get real 
 results, one must ivalh. A good, lively stride at a 
 fairly rapid pace on a cool, bracing day is worth 
 ever so much more than a mere stroll, or lazy 
 saunter. It helps also to have some definite ob- 
 jective towards which you walk, rather than to 
 walk nowhere in particular. The youth who gets 
 up in the morning of a beautiful autumn day, 
 takes a brisk walk to church, then back after Mass 
 and Holy Communion, will have a much better 
 appetite at table, as well as a much better start 
 for the day, than one who is dragged from the 
 pillow at the very last call for breakfast. 
 
 9. For walking, as for all other forms of exer- 
 cise, the clothing must be loose and comfortable. 
 Shoes in particular must be of the proper size; 
 high heels and narrow toes, no matter how fash- 
 ionable they may appear, are always to be avoided. 
 It is a fact that serious internal injuries, as well 
 
42 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 as interference with many muscles of the thigh 
 and the leg and changes in the shape of the foot 
 are often dne directly to footgear which is abso- 
 lutely ill-suited to the anatomy of the unfortunate 
 foot, whose welfare is sacrificed to the vanity of 
 the wearer. 
 
 10. Another important thing connected with the 
 muscles is the poise or bearing of the body. It is 
 evident, on a little observation, that a great many 
 people do not know how to carry their own bodies. 
 They do not stand, they do not sit, they do not 
 walk correctly. The abdomen is allowed to sag 
 forward, the shoulders are permitted to droop, the 
 head hangs down on the chest, the knees are 
 loosely bent, the chest is flat, the spine is curved 
 or twisted. One, and sometimes all, of these de- 
 formities are not uncommon. It is a good thing 
 to remember that your height may be affected by 
 your habitual pose of body. Just look around you 
 and observe how various people stand and sit, and 
 then ask a candid friend how you hold yourself. 
 As will be seen from the illustration, the face, the 
 chest and the toes should be in a line when stand- 
 ing; the heels should be separated by the length 
 of the foot, and the toes turned slightly outward. 
 That same attitude should, as far as possible, be 
 sustained while walking, swinging the arms at the 
 
HOW TO EXERCISE 4gl 
 
 ^^^- 
 
 i- ^, 
 
 Which is Standing Correctly? 
 
44 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 sides, and taking an average stride. Naturally tlie 
 girl will cultivate a shorter step than the boy, but 
 it should not be a mincing gait. The former wil- 
 lowy glide has changed for the more athletic pace 
 to the improvement in the health, as well as the 
 appearance, of the gentler sex. 
 
 11. We live in an age of such a constant state of 
 rush that we try to cover distances in the shortest 
 space of time, and, consequently, jump on a car 
 when we should walk, use the elevator when the 
 climbing of stairs is just what we need, and gen- 
 erally we strive to avoid all unnecessary exertion. 
 Climbing steps is only second best to climbing 
 hills; and the trolley, and especially the auto- 
 mobile, are largely responsible for faulty attitudes 
 and shiftless poses. 
 
 12. In order to develop the body equally on both 
 sides, be on your guard against using right-handed 
 movements only. A physician whose practice was 
 very large, and who could ill afford any long 
 period of idleness, got a bad wound in his right 
 hand. He had always worked with it and his 
 practice suffered considerably and his own health 
 deteriorated from worry and inaction, before he 
 had acquired any proficiency in using the left arm 
 and hand. The same caution is, of course, needed 
 
HOW TO EXERCISE 45 
 
 for those who are left-handed; this is something 
 that they should immediately remedy. 
 
 13. As a supplement to activity in the open air, 
 and when the state of the weather renders this 
 inadvisable, some form of indoor gymnastic exer- 
 cise may be undertaken with profit. But this 
 should be done always under the direction of an 
 instructor, who will prevent strain in the first 
 bursts of enthusiasm, and make the training sym- 
 metrical. The question of an instructor is an im- 
 portant one. There are instructors who do not 
 know the rudiments of gymnastics as well as their 
 pupils. The daily drill, which is a matter of rou- 
 tine in many classes, is often a pathetic sight ; it is 
 worse than a waste of time. To be of any benefit, 
 there must be a feeling of exhilaration during the 
 calisthenics, combined with an intelligent realiza- 
 tion of what the exercise is intended to produce. 
 Attention must be paid to correct position and 
 deep breathing, and real earnestness should be 
 put into each movement. 
 
 14. Formal exercises are for the purpose of 
 bringing into play the muscles which our ordinary 
 actions do not employ. People whose occupations 
 are of such a nature that they commonly make use 
 of all their muscles do not need any other exercise 
 than their work. But only professional acrobats 
 
46 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 fulfil this condition. However, the main thing is 
 not the exercise Itself, but the management of the 
 body between the times for the exercise. The 
 effect of a daily drill is nullified if before and after 
 it no attempt is made to hold oneself correctly 
 when sitting and standing. 
 
 15. A few general hints in regard to exercise : 
 
 1. A little each day is better than much one day 
 
 followed by none for several days. 
 
 2. Correctness in position is of utmost impor- 
 
 tance during exercise and after it. 
 
 3. Exercise will do more for the appearance and 
 
 beauty of the body than any amount of face- 
 washes and creams. 
 
 4. Exercise is just as necessary for girls as for 
 
 boys. 
 
 5. It should never be taken immediately after 
 
 meals. The digestive organs need an extra 
 supply of blood at that time. 
 
 6. All parts of the body were made to be used; 
 
 therefore none should be left without exer- 
 cise. 
 
 7. Clothing should be loose and comfortable. 
 
 8. Shoes must be large enough, with broad toes 
 
 and low heels. 
 
HOW TO EXERCISE 47 
 
 9. Avoid excesses. Do not try things above yonr 
 strength. 
 10. Exercise ont of doors as much as possible. 
 
 16. There are very important muscles in the 
 face, Avhich are constantly being used. Every 
 word, every thought writes its impress there. Our 
 inmost feelings are reflected in the facial expres- 
 sion. Sorrow causes one set of muscles to con- 
 tract, joy another. This is so natural that it is 
 very difficult to conceal from an observer what is 
 passing in one 's mind. We learn the character of 
 the person from looking at the face. If we desire 
 to have a cheerful and happy expression, we must 
 banish from our hearts all habitual ill-will, and 
 anything that is opposed to kindliness and genial- 
 ity. 
 
 17. So strongly are our facial muscles influ- 
 enced by our thoughts and feelings, that people 
 who are not blood relations acquire a striking 
 resemblance, if they have a strong affection for 
 each other. This is often seen in the case of a 
 loving husband and wife, who have borne the trials 
 and shared the joys of a long domestic life with 
 ever-increasing mutual love. Since this rule is 
 universal, it must also apply to our relations with 
 our Blessed Lord; and those who love Him very 
 much, and try to imitate Him as much as possible 
 
48 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 here on earth, will be surprised, when they reach 
 their true home in heaven, to find how much like 
 Him they have become. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. Why is exercise necessary? 
 What caution is to be obseri^ed*? 
 
 2. Is the spirit in which exercise is taken of any importance? 
 Does housework provide good exercise? 
 
 3. Why is outdoor exercise of more benefit than indoor ? 
 What is your opinion of baseball? 
 
 4. What do you think of swimming as a form of exercise? 
 How may it be learned ? What is meant by a cramp ? 
 
 5. What qualities are needed by a swimmer? 
 Why is it best not to hold the breath? 
 
 6. What are some good forms of exercise? Name the good 
 
 points of each. 
 
 7. What kind of climate is the most healthful? 
 
 8. What is the exercise which all may take with profit? 
 How is it best performed? 
 
 9. What are the requirements in regard to apparel? 
 
 10. Apart from the matter of exercise, of how much importance 
 
 are the muscles? 
 
 11. What is largely responsible for improper positions of the 
 
 body? 
 
 12. What precautions are to be taken in the matter of bodily 
 
 development ? 
 
 13. When outdoor exercise is inadvisable, what may serve as 
 
 a substitute? How should this be done? 
 
 14. How is the effect of exercise destroyed? 
 
 15. Name a few hints in regard to exercise. 
 
 16. How do muscles affect facial expression? 
 
 17. Apply this to our Blessed Lord, 
 
Chapter V 
 THE COVERING OF THE BODY 
 
 THE SKIN 
 
 1. The skin is not a mnscle, bnt on account of the 
 muscles attached to it, it is capable of contracting 
 and relaxing. It is not a single covering, but is 
 composed of two coats. The upper one is the 
 epidermis, the lower is the dermis. You may have 
 burned your finger at some time, and a blister 
 formed, containing fluid, or serum, as it is called. 
 The part of the blister over the serum was the epi- 
 dermis; when it broke, and the fluid was drained 
 away, the muscle was not exposed (unless the burn 
 was very severe) ; but you saw a thin pink tissue, 
 the dermis. In the dermis are the nerves, the 
 blood vessels, and the glands. The blood vessels 
 bring the necessary nourishment to the skin. 
 Through the nerves we have the sense of touch, 
 which is so wonderful a gift of Grod, that through 
 it alone, children who are born blind and deaf and 
 dumb, may acquire a knowledge of literature, and 
 
 49 
 
50 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 a skill in music, that some children who are blessed 
 with all five senses never obtain. The most re- 
 markable examples of this in recent years are 
 Tommy Stringer and Helen Keller. 
 
 Section Through the Skin, from Model. 
 
 A, Epidermis; B to B', Dermis or True Skin; C, Papillae; D, Sweat Glands; 
 E, Duct from Sweat Gland; F, Hair; G, Sebaceous Gland; H, Hair Fol- 
 licle; K, Fat Globules; L, Small Blood Vessels. 
 
 2. The blood vessels break up into such fine 
 divisions, and are distributed so generally through 
 the skin that no matter where a cut is made, blood 
 
THE COVERING OF THE BODY 51 
 
 will flow. If one is healthy, and the hlood is pure, 
 almost as soon as a wound occurs, repair begins, 
 and in a very short time, the skin is healed by the 
 formation of new tissue. 
 
 3. The epidermis is intended to afford protec- 
 tion to the delicate parts beneath ; consequently it 
 is thickest where there is apt to be most pressure, 
 for instance, in the palm of the hands and on the 
 soles of the feet. Undue pressure at any spot 
 causes a great increase of epidermal cells there; 
 and so a corn on a toe is simply the piled up cells 
 pressing down on the sensitive nerves in the 
 dermis below. Removal of the growth does not 
 cure the corn, unless the pressure is also removed 
 by changing the shape of the shoe. Calluses on 
 the hands come from the same cause, and are due 
 to the demands of one's employment, or arise in 
 the course of some sport. Every boy who plays 
 baseball finds them on his palms after he indulges 
 in a few games. 
 
 THE NAn.S 
 
 4. The nails are for the purpose of protecting 
 the surfaces over which they grow. They also in- 
 crease the delicacy of the sense of touch, and help- 
 the fingers in picking up things. They grow from 
 folds of the skin. Can you tell the parts of ani- 
 
52 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 mals and birds which bear some resemblance to 
 our nails'? If there is a curvature in the nail, it 
 is called a parrot-back nail. If there is a depres- 
 sion, it is known as a spoon-nail. A hang-nail is 
 a shred of the epidermis at the edge of the nail, 
 and should be clipped otf, not pulled out. A felon 
 is an abscess of the structures about the nail. 
 When it forms, it should be poulticed. If ne- 
 glected it may become deep-seated and involve the 
 finger-bone. 
 
 5. Great care should be given to the nails and 
 they must receive daily attention, if they are to 
 look neat. Biting them ruins their shape and 
 appearance ; and it generally shows an undesirable 
 nervousness. They should be filed, rather than 
 cut; a knife must never be used on them. The 
 nails on the toes should always be cut, or better, 
 filed, straight across, not rounded at the corners. 
 If this simple rule is followed, ingrowing nails will 
 be avoided. 
 
 THE HAIR 
 
 6. The hair is to man what fur is to animals, or 
 feathers to birds. Animals and birds need their 
 covering in order to keep warm. We do not need 
 hair for this purpose, for God has endowed us 
 with the intelligence which enables us to provide 
 
THE COVERING OF THE BODY 
 
 53 
 
54 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 ourselves with other means of- warmth. On the 
 greater portion of the body, the hairs are short 
 and very fine. In the picture (p. 50) you can see the 
 root of a hair, as the microscope shows it. It lies 
 in the dermis, at the bottom of a tube called a hair 
 follicle. Around this follicle is a tiny muscle, and 
 when this contracts, it pulls up the skin all around 
 the hair, making it project. An external influence, 
 like cold, may make these follicle-muscles con- 
 tract; or an internal influence, like fear, has the 
 same effect. This is what happens when the hair 
 stands on end, the flesh creeps, and goose-flesh 
 arises. 
 
 7. How often we must wash the hair depends on 
 how often it gets dirty. It is impossible to avoid 
 dirt and dust from flying into the scalp, especially 
 in the city; therefore these should be removed 
 by a plentiful use of warm water and soap. Begin 
 the process by brushing the hair well, and use your 
 fingers which have been dipped in water, to knead 
 the scalp in a rotary fashion. It is better to make 
 a lather with the hand than to rub the soap di- 
 rectly into the hair. Afterwards, wash the soap 
 out well with several rinsings before drying. 
 
 8. The hair needs air and sunshine, and there- 
 fore it is wise not to keep it too much covered. 
 However, caution is required in winter weather in 
 
THE COVERING OF THE BODY 55 
 
 order to avoid colds. Not only the liair, but hair- 
 brushes also require attention; they should be 
 kept covered and away from the dust. An easy 
 way to clean them is to dip them in a bowl of 
 warm water, into which a little ammonia has been 
 poured. Have only enough water in the bowl so 
 that the bristles may strike the bottom vigorously 
 without wetting the back of the brush. 
 
 9. Besides the hair follicles, there are two kinds 
 of glands in the skin, which are constantly pouring 
 out secretions. These are sweat glands and oil 
 glands. The latter are also called sebaceous 
 glands, and lie beside the hair follicles. They pro- 
 duce an oily substance, consisting chiefly of fatty 
 acids, which protect the skin and keep it supple. 
 It also gives a gloss to the hair, which becomes 
 dry and brittle when the glands do not function 
 properly. When the tiny muscle at the base of the 
 hair follicle contracts, it squeezes out some of the 
 oil upon the surface of the skin. 
 
 10. Sweat is a clear, colorless fluid, composed 
 almost entirely of water. We do not see any mois- 
 ture on the skin when we are not hot, but never- 
 theless some is always being poured out from the 
 sweat glands, of which there are two and a half 
 millions in the body. In the palm of the hand 
 there are twenty-eight hundred in each square 
 
56 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 inch. As soon as the fluid strikes the air, it evap- 
 orates, and so is called insensible perspiration. 
 As much as from a pint up to two quarts may in 
 this way be lost from the body every day. Heat 
 or exercise may increase the amount so that it may 
 be seen and felt, in which case it is called sensible 
 perspiration, or sweat. 
 
 11. The chief effect of the perspiration is the 
 cooling of the body, and keeping it at an even tem- 
 perature. On account of the combustion always 
 taking place in the body and the energy being pro- 
 duced, the heat resulting would become so great 
 as to destroy the tissues, unless there was some 
 process to regulate it. This is what the evapora- 
 tion of the moisture does. When the skin is cold 
 and clammy, and perspiration is scanty, the heat 
 is lost through the lungs by rapid breathing. Dogs 
 which have thick furry coats, and therefore few 
 sweat glands, lose heat by panting when they are 
 too hot. 
 
 12. The sweat glands have also the duty of dis- 
 charging through their pores some of the waste 
 products of the body. When the watery part 
 evaporates, the waste matter remains on the sur- 
 face and becomes mixed with the excretion of the 
 oil glands. If this is allowed to remain, it creates 
 a bad odor, and interferes with the perspiratory 
 
THE COVERING OF THE BODY 
 
 57 
 
 work. Therefore, it should be removed by friction 
 and by bathing. Besides being unpleasant, it is 
 also dangerous to permit it to remain, as it would 
 become thicker all the time, and would attract dust 
 and germs which are always in the air. If the 
 person is not in good physical condition, the germs 
 
 Iniernalional 
 
 Who Wins? 
 
 would multiply and choke up the glands and fol- 
 licles, producing boils, abscesses and pimples. 
 
 13. Bathing, then, is a necessity as well as a 
 luxury, and should be indulged in by every one 
 every day. For removing dirt and dust, warm 
 water is the most efficacious agent. Soap is also 
 needed as well as a flesh brush for the hands and 
 nails. One should not be niggardly in regard to 
 the number of times for bathing, but should per- 
 
58 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 form the function whenever it is necessary. The 
 hands should always be washed before meals. 
 
 14. A cold bath is an excellent tonic, as it drives 
 the blood away from the surface of the body 
 towards the brain and internal organs, thus help- 
 ing to give them fresh energy and vigor. Cold 
 water also strengthens the skin, and makes one 
 less liable to take ^^cold." Bathing the neck and 
 chest with cold water, the first thing in the morn- 
 ing, may keep one free from respiratory diffi- 
 culties all through the winter. It is not necessary 
 to have any expensive apparatus in order to get 
 all the good effects of a cool shower. A large 
 bowl, filled with water, and a couple of large 
 coarse towels, will be all that is needed. Wring 
 one of the towels nearly dry, and use it on the back 
 and other parts, where it is impossible to reach 
 with the hands. It is best to wet, and then dry, one 
 area of the body, before proceeding to another. 
 Do the face and hands first. 
 
 15. There are a few points to bear in mind about 
 the cold bath : 
 
 1. Never bathe when chilly. The cold bath is, 
 
 therefore, best when one rises from a warm 
 bed. 
 
 2. The room in which one bathes should be warm. 
 
THE COVERING OF THE BODY 59 
 
 3. A cold or cool bath should be short, always fol- 
 
 lowed by a brisk rub. 
 
 4. If you feel cold after a bath, it is a sign that it 
 
 was too long ; or the water was too cool. Ex- 
 ercise vigorously until you get warm, and 
 take a hot drink. 
 
 5. Do not bathe directly after eating. 
 
 6. Do not take a cold bath when overheated from 
 
 play. Wait until you become cooler. 
 
 7. If it should be impossible to take a cold water 
 
 bath, exposure of portions of the body to the 
 cold air is advised. If the sun is pouring 
 into the room, stand in the sunshine for a few 
 minutes, and then rub each part of the body 
 vigorously and thoroughly with a rough towel 
 until the skin glows. Indians are able to 
 bear much exposure to the cold on account of 
 their custom of not overburdening the body 
 with too much clothing. You may have heard 
 the story of the white man, who shivered un- 
 der his heavy coat, staring in amazement at 
 the Indian, who seemed quite warm, though 
 he was working on a winter day without any 
 more covering than a loose pair of panta- 
 loons. '^Why,'' said the white man, ''are 
 you not freezing 1 ' ' The Indian grunted and 
 
60 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 shook Ms head. ''Is your face frozen? No? 
 Well, an Indian's body is all face/' 
 
 16. There are various cautions about the warm 
 bath also which should be borne in mind : 
 
 1. Bathe the whole body in warm soapy water two 
 
 or three times a week, even in cold weather. 
 
 2. The best time for such a bath is just at bedtime. 
 
 3. The water should not be too hot; i.e., over 100°. 
 
 4. Do not remain in the bath long, as the warmth 
 
 is weakening and makes the skin sensitive. 
 
 5. At the end of a warm bath, always use a spray 
 
 or shower of cold water, unless one is going 
 directly to bed. 
 
 6. An incipient cold may be cut short often by im- 
 
 mersing the legs up to the knees in a hot 
 mustard bath for ten minutes. Cover the 
 rest of the body with a big, warm blanket, 
 and get into bed immediately afterwards. 
 Sometimes it is helpful to remain wholly 
 immersed in a hot bath for ten minutes, and 
 then, without drying, put on a thick flannel 
 nightrobe and jump into bed. This also has 
 the effect of stopping a cold at the very be- 
 ginning. 
 
THE COVERING OF THE BODY 61 
 
 17. Do not use towels that any others, have used 
 at school or elsewhere. If paper towels are not 
 provided, it is better to bring your towel from 
 home. Diseases are sometimes taken from towels 
 used by others in public places. It is important 
 to bear this in mind. 
 
 18. If the whole body of an animal were to be 
 coated with paint, it could not live long, as the 
 paint w^ould prevent the skin from doing its work, 
 which is necessary for life. Putting paint and 
 powder on the face is wrong and foolish, therefore, 
 as it interferes with nature's processes. Some 
 girls think that they are making themselves at- 
 tractive by turning themselves into good imita- 
 tions of china dolls. But what they are really 
 doing is ruining their skin, while giving public 
 manifestation of their coquetry and vanity. Fresh 
 air and sunshine and the frequent application of 
 cold water will do more for their complexion than 
 any artificial cosmetics. Nature is not to be 
 trifled with, and if abused, will inevitably demand 
 her revenge. 
 
 19. Cleanliness, therefore, is absolutely neces- 
 sary for the health and beauty of the skin; and 
 cleanliness is just as necessary for the health and 
 beauty of the soul. One is often an index of the 
 other. A blotched, diseased skin only too fre- 
 
62 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 quently covers a foul, sin-stained soul, while a 
 shining soul makes the face positively glow. 
 '' Cleanliness is next to godliness"; and unless one 
 keeps the soul clean, God cannot take up His abode 
 in the heart. Doctors have found, by frequent 
 experience in dealing with patients, how greatly 
 the spiritual influences the physical part of man, 
 and, therefore, try to effect a moral improvement 
 before they begin a medical treatment. A good 
 confession is sometimes a startling preliminary to 
 a person's rapid restoration to health. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. Of what is the skin composed? 
 
 Of what purpose is the upper? What is contained in the 
 lower? 
 
 2. How generally are the blood vessels distributed in the skin ? 
 
 3. What happens to the upper skin when there is any pres- 
 
 sure ? Examples. 
 
 4. Of what use are the nails? Name a few curious kinds. 
 What is a felon, and how should it be treated? 
 
 5. How do you care for the nails? 
 
 6. Of what use is the hair? How does it grow? What is 
 
 goose-flesh ? 
 
 7. How do you take care of the hair? 
 
 8. What do you know about hair-brushes? 
 
 9. What are the glands in the skin? Of what use are they? 
 
 10. How many sweat glands are there in the skin? the palm? 
 
 How much sweat is evaporated from the skin each day? 
 
 11. Of what use is perspiration? 
 
 12. How are its ill effects removed? 
 
THE COVERING OF THE BODY 63 
 
 13. Give some rules for bathing. 
 
 14. Name some good effects of cold baths. 
 
 15. What precautions are to be taken in regard to bathing? 
 
 16. What precautions are to be taken in regard to warm baths 1 
 
 17. What precautions are to be taken in regard to towels'? 
 
 18. What is to be said about putting paint and powder on the 
 
 face? 
 
 19. Contrast cleanliness of skin and soul. 
 
Chapter VI 
 THE CIRCULATION 
 
 1. The trunk is divided into two main parts by 
 the diaphragm, which is sometimes called the mid- 
 riff. The upper division is the chest, called the 
 thorax, the lower is the abdomen. The chest is 
 enclosed by the ribs and the dorsal portion of the 
 spinal column. In the chest are the heart, the 
 lungs, the trachea or windpipe, the esophagus, 
 blood vessels, entering and leaving the heart, and 
 important nerves. 
 
 2. The more we know about the human body the 
 greater is our admiring reverence for the power 
 and wisdom of its great Constructor. All its parts 
 are so ingeniously contrived, each one so well fit- 
 ted to do its work, and all w^orking so harmoni- 
 ously together, that there is nothing like it to be 
 found anywhere on the earth with which it can be 
 compared. For the most part, it is bilateral, its 
 two sides being perfectly symmetrical. Thus we 
 have two arms, two legs, two eyes, two ears, two 
 lungs, two kidneys, etc., one of which is the exact 
 
 64 
 
THE cmcUIATlON 
 
 65 
 
 counterpart of its mate; and where there is only 
 one thing of its kind, its two halves are generally 
 reproductions of each other. This state of things 
 has this tremendous advantage, that if a thing on 
 one side happens to be injured, its work is taken 
 
 The Heart from a Model. 
 
 A, Vena Cava; B, Arch of Aorta; C, Pulmonary Artery; D, Auricles; ^, Apex 
 
 up by its partner ; and if it cannot do the work of 
 both as it is, it begins to develop in size so that 
 alone it can attempt the task previously done by 
 the two. 
 
 But there is only one heart, which is the organ 
 of circulation, whereby the blood is distributed 
 through the body. An organ may have meant to 
 
Q6 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 most of us a wind instrument, consisting of a col- 
 lection of pipes, which thrills us when played by 
 a skilful musician in church. But the word is also 
 used to designate any part of the body that has a 
 special task. The smallest unit in the body is the 
 cell. This is a very small, more or less enclosed 
 body, containing a substance called protoplasm. 
 By a tissue is meant a group of similar cells that 
 do a similar work. An organ is a group of tissues 
 that perform a similar function, so that the func- 
 tion of an organ is the particular part the organ 
 plays in maintaining the life of the whole body. 
 
 4. If any one of the various organs can be said 
 to have the most necessary or important function, 
 that privilege certainly can be claimed by the 
 heart. It is the first one that begins to function- 
 ate, and when it stops, all others must cease activ- 
 ity also. The others have periods of partial tran- 
 quillity, but the heart never can rest for even a few 
 minutes. The actual labor of others varies from 
 time to time ; but the heart goes on its way stead- 
 ily, ceaselessly, unwaveringly, from the time God 
 places it in our body, until we are finally worn out 
 by the service of a well spent life, striving stead- 
 ily, ceaselessly, unwearyingly to ^4ove the Lord, 
 our God, with our whole heart, and our whole soul, 
 and our whole mind, and all our strength,'' and 
 
THE CIRCULATION 67 
 
 then at last when the faithful heart-beats pause, 
 we close our eyes in death, and go to heaven to 
 receive the reward of that service. 
 
 5. In studying the muscles, we have learned that 
 there are two kinds of muscular tissue in the body, 
 the voluntary and involuntary. The voluntary are 
 also called striped muscles, on account of the ap- 
 pearance of the fibres. What is called a muscle is 
 an organ, composed of thousands of muscular 
 fibres, which are bound together by connective 
 tissue and surrounded by a sheath of the same 
 tissue. Each fibre is a complete structure in itself ; 
 a very minute, fine end of a nerve comes to it, 
 causing the fibre to contract when we send the ex- 
 pression of our will down along the nerve from 
 our brain. The amount of contraction of these 
 muscles depends upon ourselves; we can move 
 them as much or as little as we desire. 
 
 6. The heart is an organ made up of cross- 
 striped fibres, but it has these striking differences 
 from all the other striped muscles of the body. 
 We had nothing to do with starting it in motion. 
 It does not stop beating because we will that it 
 should. It contracts and relaxes regularly with- 
 out any desire on our part. When it contracts, it 
 does so to its fullest extent : in scientific language 
 we would say of it, ^ ' The contractions of the heart 
 
68 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 muscle are always maximal." In all other mus- 
 cles the amount of contraction depends on the 
 amount of the stimulus; and we realize varying 
 degrees in the strength of the contractions. But 
 this is not the case with the heart. Whenever it 
 contracts, it does so to the greatest extent of the 
 power of its muscle at the time. This does not 
 mean, of course, that the heart-beats never vary. 
 They do vary frequently, depending upon the con- 
 dition of the body, whether the individual is young 
 or old, in good health or ill, well fed or poorly 
 nourished, exercising or in a state of rest. But 
 at the moment it is beating, it could not be made 
 to contract more strongly by any stimulus. 
 
 7. In the case of the other muscles, if a mild 
 stimulus is applied, they contract somewhat. If 
 a stronger stimulus is used, they contract still 
 more. But if a stimulus is applied to the heart 
 when it is already in a state of contraction it pro- 
 duces absolutely no effect. This is called the re- 
 fractory period of the heart-beat. 
 
 8. But the chief thing that distinguishes the 
 heart from all other muscular tissue is the fact that 
 it is automatic ; that is, that its contractions arise 
 from a stimulus within the tissue itself, and are 
 not brought to it through extrinsic nerves. This 
 stimulus is called the inner stimulus, and although 
 
THE CIRCULATION 69 
 
 various theories have been given from time to 
 time to explain its mysterious power, there is no 
 adequate explanation to be found, except in the 
 infinite power of the One from whom alone all 
 power comes. Since He is infinite, men must real- 
 ize that He can make things, the composition of 
 which they cannot fully understand, and endow 
 things with wondrous qualities, which are finite 
 reflexes of His wondrous infinity. 
 
 9. So deeply is this automatic rhythm implanted 
 in the heart muscle that in the case of the frog, for 
 example, the heart may be made to contract for 
 several hours even when removed from the body, 
 by being kept moist with the proper kind of salt 
 solution. 
 
 10. Everyone is familiar with the conical shape 
 of the heart. It is about the size of the fist, and 
 is divided into four compartments. The two up- 
 per ones are called auricles, from the fancied re- 
 semblance to a dog's ears; the blood is received 
 into these. The two lower ones, which are much 
 the larger, are called ventricles; they pump 
 the blood out. As in all pumps, there are valves 
 which prevent the blood from coming back, when 
 it has once been pumped through any of the com- 
 partments. Generally, when people are said to 
 have heart trouble, it means that one of the valves 
 
70 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 does not shut tight, and the blood trickles back, 
 thus causing disturbance to the circulation. 
 
 11. The blood comes from the body to the right 
 upper compartment, or the right auricle. It passes 
 through a valve into the right ventricle. This 
 
 Heart from Model, Showing the Lower Valves. 
 
 A, Vena Cava; B, Aorta; C, Pulmonary Artery; D, Right Auricle; E, Left 
 Auricle; F, Right Ventricle; G, Tricuspid Valve; H, Left Ventricle; 
 K, Mitral Valve. 
 
 valve is called the tricuspid valve, because it has 
 three pockets. From the right ventricle, the blood 
 goes to the lungs to be purified by the air there. 
 From the lungs it returns to the heart, entering 
 the left auricle. From there it enters the left ven- 
 tricle through the mitral valve, so called because 
 
THE CIRCULATION 71 
 
 it looks like the mitre of a bishop; and thence it 
 flows out through the body. 
 
 12. The circulation of the blood is an uninter- 
 rupted flow through a chain of vessels which are 
 continuous. The vessels which bring the blood 
 from the heart are called arteries. Those which 
 return the blood to the heart are called veins. The 
 two are connected by smaller vessels which are 
 called capillaries. 
 
 13. The biggest artery is the one which carries 
 the blood out from the left ventricle; it is called 
 the aorta. Over the heart it forms a loop which is 
 called the arch, and then descends along the spinal 
 column. On a level with the hip bones, it divides 
 into two branches which supply the lower limbs. 
 In the thigh, these two are called the femoral 
 arteries; in the leg, they are called the tibial ar- 
 teries. From the arch branch the arteries which 
 bring the blood to the head and arms. Those 
 going to the head pass up on each side of the neck, 
 and their throbbing can sometimes be seen and 
 felt. These are the carotid arteries. 
 
 14. The brachial arteries run from the shoulder 
 to the elbow, where they are divided into the radial 
 and the ulnar. The radial runs down the thumb- 
 side of the forearm, and is the one where the pulse 
 is usually taken as it passes along the wrist. The 
 
n HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 ulnar passes down the little finger side. The heart 
 beats about seventy-two times a minute in an 
 adult, rather oftener in a child. 
 
 15. The large arteries lie very deep in the flesh. 
 The veins are nearer the skin, and can be traced 
 for a considerable distance. The blood flows fast- 
 est in the big arteries; less quickly in the veins; 
 and least rapidly of all in the capillaries, which 
 join the arteries and the veins. But nowhere can 
 the flow be called slow, since a volume of blood 
 passes through the heart every minute which is 
 equal to twice the amount contained in the whole 
 body. This amount is about six quarts in a healthy 
 man. 
 
 16. If a condition in the body is just what it 
 should be, it is called normal. If an organ behaves 
 in the manner best suited for the health of the 
 whole body, it is said to be acting normally. If 
 anything is out of order it is called abnormal ; that 
 is, not normal, not as it should be. To have, then, 
 the normal rhythm of the heart-beat, is to have 
 the auricles contract first and force the blood into 
 the ventricles ; then, when the ventricles are filled, 
 to have these contract, and force the blood from 
 the right side to the lungs, and from the left side 
 into the aorta. While the ventricles are expelling 
 the blood, the auricles are being refilled. If you 
 
THE CIRCULATION 73 
 
 should put your ear to the chest of someone at 
 about the fifth rib, to the left of the breastbone, 
 you could hear the noise which the heart makes 
 when it contracts. It sounds something like this, 
 ^'lub-dub, lub-dub.'^ By listening to the sounds, 
 the doctor can determine whether the condition of 
 the heart is normal or not ; if not, just where the 
 trouble lies. 
 
 17. The life of the muscles, the nerves, the 
 bones, all the various parts of the body, depends 
 on their receiving a constant supply of blood, 
 which conveys to them a proper amount of food 
 material and oxygen, and at the same time re- 
 moves from them all the waste products and poi- 
 sonous or worn-out matters. In order to have this 
 important function carried out properly, the heart 
 and the blood vessels furnish the pump and the 
 channels by means of which the circulation is kept 
 up ; and the central nervous system acts as a con- 
 trol over the activities of the blood vessels, so that 
 the ever-changing demands of the body as a whole, 
 or of its many parts, may be attended to on the 
 instant. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. How is the trunk divided? What is contained in each 
 
 division ? 
 
 2. What is the general arrangement of the bodily structures? 
 
74 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 3. What is meant by an organ of the body? a cell? a tissue? 
 What is the function of an organ? 
 
 4. What is the most important organ? Why? 
 
 5. Describe the structure of a muscle. 
 
 6. Tell the different ways in which the heart is distinguished 
 
 from the muscles. 
 
 7. Name some other differences. 
 
 8. What is the chief difference? How is it explained? 
 
 9. How can a heart be made to beat when separated from 
 
 the body? 
 
 10. Describe the shape, the size and the divisions of the heart. 
 
 11. How does the blood flow through the heart? 
 
 12. What are the various kinds of blood vessels? 
 
 13. What is the biggest artery in the body? What are its 
 
 divisions? 
 
 14. What arteries are in the arm? 
 
 15. What is the difference between arteries and veins? 
 
 16. What does "normal" mean? Describe the normal rhythm 
 
 of the heart. 
 
 17. How are the various parts of the body kept in good con- 
 
 dition? 
 
Chapter VII 
 
 THE BLOOD 
 
 1. The heart is made of muscles, as has been 
 said; there is muscular tissue in the walls of the 
 blood vessels, a great deal in the arteries, less in 
 the veins and very little in the capillaries. These 
 last are hardly anything more than single layers 
 of cells, through which the dissolved food may 
 easily pass out into the surrounding tissues. On 
 account of the thickness of the arterial walls, the 
 arteries retain their shape when they are cut open ; 
 and when this occurs in the living body, the blood 
 spurts from them in jets which correspond to the 
 beats of the heart. The veins are much thinner 
 and contain less elastic tissue, so that they col- 
 lapse when cut; and consequently the blood oozes 
 from them in a steady stream. This is a means 
 of distinguishing between an injured artery and 
 a vein, when blood flows after an accident. Also, 
 the arterial blood is red; the venous blood is 
 purple. Since the artery is bringing blood from 
 the heart, the way to stop the bleeding is to tie a 
 
 75 
 
76 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 bandage above the cut, wlien the blood issues forth 
 in spurts, below the cut, when the fact that a vein 
 is damaged is shown by the oozing of purplish 
 blood. The treatment is to wash the wound in 
 clear cold water and cover it, when the bleeding 
 stops, with the inside of a freshly laundered hand- 
 kerchief. 
 
 2. The fact that the blood is not merely a 
 watery fluid is seen when the bleeding stops, by 
 the formation of a clot. This clot is composed 
 of little round bodies, which are red blood cells 
 and white blood cells. These cells are caught and 
 entangled in string-like material called fibrin, 
 which forms a meshwork of spidery threads, as 
 soon as the blood leaves the blood vessel. The 
 formation of the clot is the means of saving a 
 person from bleeding to death. If blood had not 
 this property, we should be staring death con- 
 stantly in the face, and it would not be safe to 
 have even a tooth extracted, no matter how much 
 it ached. 
 
 3. But why does not the blood clot in the blood 
 vessels, just as well as outside? Scientists cannot 
 tell exactly; the air has something to do with it, 
 but we know that the real reason is because God 
 is our Preserver, and being infinitely wise, is able 
 
THE BLOOD 77 
 
 to bestow upon blood that quality so necessary 
 for the existence of ns all. 
 
 4. The watery part constitutes about four-fifths 
 of the blood, and is called plasma. It carries dis- 
 solved in it the nourishment which has been di- 
 gested in the alimentary canal and passes out 
 through the thin walls of the capillaries into the 
 needy tissues. 
 
 5. Besides food for rebuilding tissue, every 
 smallest part of the body needs oxygen. The red 
 blood cells pick this up when the blood leaves the 
 right side of the heart and goes to the lungs, so 
 that they are well stored with it when they start 
 off on their trip round the body from the left side 
 of the heart. These cells are so small that we 
 cannot see them except through the microscope, 
 though the blood is simply swarming with them. 
 There are several millions in every drop, and in 
 the whole body there are many millions. If the 
 red cells of a single individual boy or girl were 
 laid out in a line, they would stretch around the 
 earth over four times. This will give you some 
 idea of their number, also of the wonderful body 
 which can manufacture them; as, of course, they 
 are made in the body by its master, the soul. As 
 they are so sm.all, and are given such an impor- 
 tant work to do, they wear out very quickly, and 
 
78 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 constantly have to be replaced by new ones; so 
 that to keep the supply up to the need, over four 
 hundred million cells must be manufactured every 
 minute. Do you think any such marvellous fac- 
 tory could be built by anyone except Almighty 
 God? 
 
 The Heart from Model, Showing the Uppp:r 
 
 (Semilunar) Valves. 
 
 A, Vena Cava; B, Aorta; C, Pulmonary Artery; D, Valve to Pulmonary 
 Artery; E, Valve to Aorta. 
 
 6. The white cells are not so numerous as the 
 red, nor are they of such uniform size or shape. 
 Besides moving in the blood stream, they have 
 an independent movement of their own, which 
 they accomplish by changing their form. First 
 they stretch out a finger-like process which 
 
THE BLOOD 79 
 
 becomes bigger and bigger, nntil the whole cell 
 has gradually pushed itself into the projection. 
 In this way they squeeze through the walls of 
 capillaries without leaving any trace of an open- 
 ing. Here again, science halts before an explana- 
 tion; and we can simply say that it is another 
 proof to those who are not wilfully blind, that 
 there is some superhuman force controlling our 
 existence, and that that force can only come from 
 the One who first gave us existence. 
 
 7. These white cells are the defenders of the 
 body against disease. They are much more ex- 
 pert in detecting and warding off danger than the 
 most experienced soldiers. They never rest, but 
 are always going about, and hardly has a danger 
 threatened, than they rush to the spot and begin 
 their attack. In war, we honor the brave heroes 
 who seem to forget all fear in their eagerness to 
 slay the foe. But no hero was ever so daring as 
 these white cells, nor so eager to lay down his life. 
 Penetrating the capillaries in the vicinity of the 
 enemy, — i.e., the disease germ, they surround it and 
 try to enclose it. If they have difficulty in win- 
 ning the battle, more and more recruits arrive on 
 the scene, and many of them give up their lives 
 in defense. This causes a swelling at the place 
 of conflict, and an abscess is formed; the pus 
 
80 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 whicli comes from the abscess consists of thou- 
 sands of these white cells which have died as 
 martyrs to duty. 
 
 8. The white blood cells teach a striking lesson. 
 They fight and die to preserve life in us. 
 ^^ Greater love no one hath than this, that he lay 
 down his life for his friend. ' ' So we should fight, 
 and if need be, die too, to preserve the life in our 
 souls, which is sanctifying grace. Thus w^e follow 
 the example of One who laid down His precious 
 life for us, "becoming obedient unto death, even 
 to the death of the cross." 
 
 9. But the energy of these white cells is not 
 confined to military manoeuvres. They are also 
 builders, like ants or bees, and much resemble 
 these little creatures in their habits. As soon as 
 an injury happens anywhere, whether it be a 
 bruise, a fracture or a torn ligament, they at once 
 come swarming about the lacerated spot. First, 
 some of them engulf the broken and damaged 
 tissues and carry them away. Others then cover 
 the area with new tissue, so cunningly constructed 
 that it attracts tiny offshoots from nearby capil- 
 laries, which spread out in all directions. Very 
 soon the injury is repaired with new tissues ex- 
 actly similar to those which were damaged. This 
 is very striking, because we would like to know 
 
THE BLOOD 81 
 
 how the same kind of white cells can rebuild flesh 
 here, skin there ; can replace a fracture with new 
 bone ; can also, and even at the same time, restore 
 the cut ends of nerves and blood vessels. There 
 can only be one answer ; Catholics are able to find 
 it easily. 
 
 Arteries and Muscles of the Scalp and Face. 
 
 10. The blood supply is not always the same to 
 the same part of the body. There are no gates in 
 the arteries which can be opened or shut on de- 
 mand, but there are nerves which go to these 
 vessels and narrow or enlarge them, and thus reg- 
 ulate the blood supply within them, according to 
 the necessity of the occasion. Thus during sleep. 
 
m HEALTH AND HAPPINESS? 
 
 the blood vessels going to the brain are contracted, 
 because as large a supply of blood is not needed 
 then as when the mind is active. After a meal, 
 the vessels connected with the alimentary tract 
 are enlarged, as the digestive apparatus is then 
 in full operation. When the muscles are being 
 used, they require more blood than when they are 
 resting. The muscles that control these move- 
 ments of the blood vessels are involuntary, there- 
 fore not under the direction of the will. It is on 
 account of these same nerves, which report ex- 
 ternally all impulses in the brain, that a blush 
 follows a feeling of shame, or the face blanches 
 from fright. 
 
 11. Emotion affects as well the heart itself. 
 Anger has stopped its beating in extreme cases. 
 Joy also may quicken its rate until the person 
 feels suffocated. The expression, ^^ nearly died 
 of joy,'' is literally true. Self-control means the 
 power of the will to put the brakes on the emo- 
 tions, so that we are not overcome by them, but 
 remain masters of ourselves in any and every 
 circumstance. 
 
 12. One cannot begin too early to acquire this 
 self-control. We can never obtain complete pos- 
 session, but we can do much, if we are willing to 
 make earnest efforts, and we should try very hard. 
 
THE BLOOD 83 
 
 So much depends upon it. It is a necessary factor 
 in making any success in this world, no matter 
 where our sphere of action may be placed. This 
 is important, for no one wants to be a failure in 
 life. But much more important still, is its influ- 
 ence in combating temptation; for without it the 
 imagination yields readily to the insistence of the 
 senses, and sin is often committed by the individ- 
 ual who has failed to cultivate it, lacking, as a 
 consequence, the force of will to say, **no.'' 
 
 13. All the organs of the body are enclosed for 
 their protection in a covering, or sac. The sac 
 does not fit tightly; consequently movement is 
 possible inside it. Its lining is kept moist with a 
 fluid which it manufactures; thus friction is 
 avoided. 
 
 14. The sac which envelops the heart is called 
 the pericardium (meaning ^^ around the heart"). 
 It was most probably this sac around Our Lord's 
 Sacred Heart which was pierced by the lance of 
 Longinus, the centurion, on Calvary, after our Sa- 
 viour had died upon the cross. From the simple 
 account of that faithful eye-witness, St. John, we 
 may with all reverence, try to ascertain what was 
 the actual physical cause of our Blessed Eedeem- 
 er 's death. Of course. He died because He willed ; 
 He was a willino; victim for sin : He died in obedi- 
 
84 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 ence to the command of His heavenly Father, 
 who asked such a sacrifice as the price of our 
 eternal redemption. 
 
 15. We know that when, in the Garden of 
 Olives, the Precious Blood burst the barriers of 
 the veins, and escaped, like sweat, through the 
 pores of the skin, His agony was due to His 
 dreadful vision of the sins of men, whose brother 
 He had become, rather than to the anticipation 
 of the coming Passion. So, as He hung, nailed 
 upon the cross, the sight of the sins of the world 
 came rushing again before His mind. He saw 
 their awful malice, which He alone could compre- 
 hend, in all its enormity. He realized how much 
 He had done for men, and foreknew how many of 
 them would turn their faces towards hell, despite 
 His death of expiation. Knowing how hateful 
 sin is in God's pure sight. He understood how 
 He, God's only Son, must appear covered with 
 the sins of all mankind. Reduced in strength as 
 He Avas by all His previous torments, the vision 
 was too dreadful to be borne by flesh and blood, 
 and as the Sacred Heart broke with grief and 
 sorrow, the Precious Blood within it poured out 
 into the pericardium. 
 
 16. We know now that blood clots, when re- 
 moved from its proper channels. So the Precious 
 
THE BLOOD 85 
 
 Blood, though it was divine, followed God's laws 
 for human nature, since Christ was Man as well 
 as God; therefore, as soon as it escaped through 
 the broken heart muscle, it clotted within the 
 pericardium. When the centurion's lance pierced 
 Our Lord's Sacred Side, its point penetrated into 
 this sac, and through this opening immediately 
 flowed '^ Blood and Water," the Blood being the 
 solid elements which form the clot, the Water the 
 thin, watery fluid. 
 
 17. Of course, this is merely a point of view, 
 by no means a certain fact. But if the Sacred 
 Heart of Jesus had not broken from sorrow, and 
 had been opened by the tip of the spear it would 
 seem that the Gospel would not have stated that 
 '^One of the soldiers with a spear opened His 
 side, and immediately there came out blood and 
 water" (John xix. 34) ; but merely that blood 
 came out. Of course it might have been a miracle. 
 Some hold that it was. This explanation is, how- 
 ever, a natural and a plausible one, and may help 
 our devotion to our crucified King, now that we 
 understand something about the heart and the 
 circulation. Holy writers, moreover, teach us 
 that the Blood signified the Blessed Sacrament, 
 and the Water the Sacrament of Baptism. 
 
86 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. How can you tell whether an artery or a vein has been cuf? 
 How would you treat a wounded blood vessel? 
 
 2. What is meant by a clot? 
 
 3. Why does not the blood clot in the vessels? ' 
 
 4. What is the plasma? 
 
 5. Of what uses are the red cells? How many are there? 
 
 6. How do the white cells act? 
 
 7. Of what use are the white cells of the body? 
 
 8. W^hat is the lesson of the cells? 
 
 9. How do they repair tissue? 
 
 10. How is the blood supply limited? 
 
 11. Do emotions affect the heart? 
 
 12. Of how much use is self-control ? 
 
 13. With what is each organ covered, and why? 
 
 14. What is the name of the covering of the heart? 
 
 15. What have you to say of the death of Our Divine Lord? 
 Can you defend such a theory? 
 
Chapter VIII 
 THE ALIMENTARY TRACT 
 
 1. The alimentary tract is the canal through 
 which the food passes, and where it is digested 
 and absorbed. It is made np of the mouth, the 
 esophagus (or gullet), the stomach and the in- 
 testines. We have spoken of the use of the teeth 
 in cutting and grinding and separating the food; 
 they should be employed for this purpose. Hu- 
 man beings do not gulp their food as dogs do. The 
 human stomach was not intended by its wise 
 Maker to receive food until it had been prepared 
 for its descent from the mouth by the process 
 which is called mastication. This process includes 
 not alone the dental work, but also the mixing of 
 the food with the saliva. 
 
 2. A secretion is the separation from the blood 
 of a substance which is necessary for some one 
 of the vital processes, and is poured out on the 
 free surfaces of the body, whether internal or ex- 
 ternal. Examples of those poured out on the 
 
 87 
 
88 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 external surfaces are tears and perspiration; of 
 those on the internal surfaces, saliva and the 
 gastric juice. 
 
 3. An action occurring 
 within the body, which is ne- 
 cessary for its well-being and 
 the preservation of its life, 
 which involves something dif-- 
 ferent from any chemical, 
 physical or mechanical proc- 
 ess, is called a vital process. 
 There are seven such proc- 
 esses; viz., sensation, locomo- 
 tion, digestion, assimilation, 
 respiration, excretion, repro- 
 duction. 
 
 4. (a) Sensation is a vital 
 process by which the living 
 organism comes to know of 
 things outside itself, or of one 
 part of itself by other parts. 
 
 (b) Locomotion is a vital 
 process by which a living thing 
 moves itself, or any of its 
 parts. 
 
 (c) Digestion is a vital process by which food 
 is prepared by the body to become some part of 
 itself. 
 
 Alimentary Canal 
 
 With Appendages, 
 
 Parts Somewhat 
 
 Separated. 
 
 A, Esophagus; B, Car- 
 dia; C, Stomach; D, 
 Pylorus; E, Duode- 
 num opened (begin- 
 ning of Small Intes- 
 tine) ; F, Rest of Small 
 Intestine; G, Vermi- 
 form Appendix; H, Co- 
 lon (Large Intestine) ; 
 K, Sigmoid Flexure; 
 L, Rectum; M, Liver 
 (turned upwards) ; A'^, 
 Gall Bladder; O, Bile 
 Duct to Duodenum; 
 P, Pancreas; Q, Pan- 
 creatic Duct to Duo- 
 denum; R, Spleen. 
 
THE ALIMENTARY TRACT 89 
 
 (d) Assimilation is a vital process by which the 
 digested food is changed into body tissue. 
 
 (e) Respiration is the vital process by which 
 oxygen is drawn into the lungs, where it is ab- 
 sorbed by the blood and carried by little cells, 
 called corpuscles, through the arteries to all parts 
 of the body. 
 
 (/) Excretion is the vital process by which the 
 waste products of the body are cast off. 
 
 (g) Reproduction is the vital process by which 
 new organisms are brought into existence. 
 
 5. The vital processes are found in all living 
 things, as well as in man, and mark off life from 
 death, as they all cease when death occurs. De- 
 spite this striking fact there are some individuals, 
 whose minds, though trained in science, are so 
 filled Avith prejudice against the Catholic doc- 
 trines of a Creator who gave us a soul distinct 
 from the body, that they declare that ''the dif- 
 ferences between life and death are rapidly being 
 done away with"; and again, that ''the difference 
 between a living and a dead body is simply the 
 difference between the building-up and the break- 
 ing-down processes that are going on." Their 
 fancied wisdom, which is really folly, is an apt 
 illustration of what our divine Master warned us 
 against when He said that "unless you become 
 as little children you shall not enter into the king- 
 
90 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 dom of heaven''; and also of those who ^^ having 
 eyes to see, see not, and having ears to hear, hear 
 not; and again (in Luke x. 21): **Thou hast 
 hidden these things from the wise and prudent, 
 and hast revealed them to little ones." For the 
 truth which seems to be hidden from these re- 
 
 JusT Befoee He Caught the Ball. 
 
 nowned men of science is instinctively grasped by 
 the smallest Catholic child, who can tell at once 
 the immense difference between a living and a 
 dead dog in the streets. 
 
 6. Some of the operations of these vital proces- 
 ses may be reproduced in the laboratories of a 
 chemist, but the whole process cannot be repeated ; 
 
THE ALIMENTARY TRACT 91 
 
 and in the small part wliicli be is able to perform, 
 be deliberately takes tbe place of tbe mysterious, 
 inward principle, wbicb is our life, and wbicb does 
 tbe same work, tbat causes bim sucb time and 
 care, witbout any trouble to us, or indeed, with- 
 out our even adverting to wbat is going on witbin 
 us. 
 
 7. For example, be is able to produce changes 
 in food, wbicb are similar to tbe changes tbat 
 occur in tbe stomach during digestion. But no 
 chemist has ever been able, nor ever will be able, 
 to convert tbat changed food into flesh and blood. 
 Many have been trying to do that for years, but 
 all have failed; and the most honest, as well as 
 tbe most skilful among them, now acknowledge 
 tbat there is some wondrous agent working for 
 us in our bodies, which cannot be found in their 
 laboratories. 
 
 8. Do you ever stop to think how tbe simple 
 processes of changing food into our bodily tissues 
 show unmistakably, to those who are not wilfully 
 blind, tbe constant care of tbe master Builder, 
 whose wisdom not only made us, but ever pre- 
 serves us in existence! A great many non- 
 Catholics look upon members of tbe one Church 
 of Christ as foolish, because we believe that mira- 
 cles occur. Yet every day, in fact, every meal. 
 
92 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 they know that the food which they eat is con- 
 verted into the various tissues that compose their 
 bodies. How can men who see that their eyes, 
 their ears, their tongues, their teeth, their hair, 
 their skin, their muscles and all the rest of what 
 they fancy is themselves, are being constantly 
 built up and kept in good condition by such sub- 
 stances as meat and potatoes, due to the vital 
 processes which God alone controls, yet refuse to 
 believe that the same Wonder-worker can easily 
 restore a sick person to health, or instantly heal 
 a broken bone! It is clear that faith must be a 
 gift of God, and we, to whom that gift has been 
 given, cannot be too thankful, nor take too much 
 care not to weaken it, nor endanger it in the least. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. What is meant by the alimentary tract? Of what is it 
 
 composed? Is it necessary to chew the food well ? What 
 is the process called? 
 
 2. What is a secretion? Give examples. 
 
 3. What are vital processes? How many can you name? 
 
 4. Define each vital process. 
 
 5. What do vital processes show? Do all admit them? 
 Do all admit what they imply? 
 
 6. What difference exists between a laboratory process and 
 
 a vital process? 
 
 7. What is generally acknowledged by honest chemists? 
 
 8. What does the process of body-bviilding show? 
 
Chapter IX 
 
 DIGESTION— PART I 
 
 1. Digestion is one of the vital processes about 
 which we have been speaking; it begins in the 
 mouth, not in the stomach, as you might suppose. 
 The act of moving the jaws, while chewing food, 
 causes saliva to be squeezed out into the mouth 
 from the salivary glands. Sometimes the mere 
 thought of appetitizing food has this effect. The 
 smell of a steak broiling on the fire '^ makes the 
 mouth water." This water, or saliva, as it is 
 called, begins the change in the food, which is con- 
 tinued in the stomach, and which is necessary in 
 order that it may be assimilated, or changed into 
 our flesh. The glands from which it flows are 
 situated, one in each cheek, and two on each side 
 of the floor of the mouth, six in all. The two in 
 the cheeks are under the ears, and when they are 
 choked up and become swollen, they produce the 
 condition called ''mumps." If you should ex- 
 amine one of these glands under the microscope, 
 you would find that it is made up of bundles of 
 
94 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 little tubes, to which smaller sacs are attached, 
 looking something like a bunch of grapes. All 
 around the sacs are tiny blood vessels; and the 
 vital principle, which is our life, causes these 
 sacs to abstract the fluid part from the blood and 
 to store it up within their walls. When a supply 
 
 Transporting American Troops in French Trucks, 
 Driven by Chinese. 
 
 is needed, it flows from the sacs through the tubes 
 into larger ones, called ducts, which open directly 
 into the mouth. The saliva is flowing while we 
 talk, as well as when we eat. Otherwise the 
 mouth would become dry and speech would be 
 difficult. 
 
 2. While the food is being ground up into fine 
 pieces by our teeth, it is also being moistened 
 
DIGESTION— PART ONE 95 
 
 by the saliva, which has two effects on it; first, 
 it converts it to a soft, pulpy mass; secondly, it 
 begins to digest some of the food. We should 
 be sure to take enough time to chew our food 
 well. Later on in life, people have serious trouble 
 in the stomach, because they force it to do the 
 work that God intended to have accomplished in 
 the mouth, when He placed the teeth and the 
 salivary glands there. 
 
 3. The food being thoroughly masticated, the 
 tongue seizes it and forces it into the throat, where 
 by the contraction of the muscles it is pushed down 
 the gullet (or esophagus), into the stomach. The 
 stomach is a large pouch, capable of holding about 
 three pints. It is about twelve inches long, and 
 four or five inches wide. The food generally re- 
 mains in the stomach for some hours, thus obvi- 
 ating the necessity of eating very often. If we 
 had to do so, we should not have time for the other 
 important things in life. 
 
 4. The stomach lies in the portion of the trunk 
 called the abdomen, just under the heart and 
 lungs, and separated from them by the diaphragm. 
 On its right side, behind the ribs, lies the liver; 
 on its left, the spleen. It has two openings ; the 
 one which joins the esophagus is named the car- 
 diac orifice, since the word cardiac refers to the 
 
96 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 heart, near which this opening lies. The lower 
 opening is called the pylorus (meaning ''a gate- 
 keeper''), and joins the stomach to the bowels, or 
 the intestines. 
 
 THE WORK OF THE STOMACH 
 
 5. In the stomach, the main work of digestion 
 occurs. The stomach is composed of strong 
 muscles, and as soon as food enters, these 
 muscles contract about it and squeeze and knead 
 it thoroughly, rolling it back and forth from one 
 end to the other. The food mass has a peculiar 
 motion, travelling down from the cardiac orifice 
 along the two sides of the stomach, and when it 
 finds the pylorus closed, it goes back through the 
 middle. 
 
 6. Just as in the mouth there are glands which 
 manufacture saliva, so in the stomach there are 
 gastric glands which furnish gastric juice, which 
 is mixed with the food as it is pushed around, and 
 continues the process of digestion. It used to be 
 thought that the contact of the food with the stom- 
 ach wall mechanically caused the flow of gastric 
 juice. But in the last century, a Canadian hunter, 
 named St. Martin, was terribly wounded in the 
 abdomen, and the wound healed in such a peculiar 
 
DIGESTION— PART ONE 97 
 
 way that a hole was left in the skin into the stom- 
 ach. Through this hole food could be passed, and 
 the processes that take place within could be 
 studied. 
 
 7. Experiments have also been made on differ- 
 ent animals, in the course of which food was given 
 them, but before it reached the stomach was 
 made to pass out through an artificial opening 
 below the mouth. In these various ways, it 
 has been learned that the mere smell and sight 
 of food, and, in the case of the man, the mere 
 thought of it, when he was hungry, were quite suf- 
 ficient to start the action of the gastric glands. 
 
 8. These facts show the great value of palat- 
 able and attractively prepared food. They also 
 prove the presence of some very important factor 
 within us, which is higher and more powerful than 
 any mere mechanical or chemical stimulus to di- 
 gestion, and altogether distinct from the latter. 
 This goes by the name of the '^psychic influence," 
 and it can never be satisfactorily explained except 
 by admitting in our body the existence of a living 
 principle, which we know to be the soul. 
 
 9. When any portion of the food is properly 
 prepared, the pylorus opens to let it pass into the 
 bowels, and then shuts quickly again until another 
 portion is ready to leave. To completely empty 
 
98 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 the stomach takes four or five hours. By the 
 ^^ bowels'' is meant the intestines, which are from 
 twenty to thirty feet long, and are divided into 
 two parts, the small intestine and the large intes- 
 tine. The former is called small on account of 
 its size, not its length, as it is very much the 
 longer ; it lies coiled up in innumerable twists and 
 curves within the three divisions of the large in- 
 testine, which are called the ascending, the trans- 
 verse and the descending colon, from their posi- 
 tion in the abdomen. 
 
 10. Where the small intestine joins the large is 
 a valve, called the ileo-caecal valve, which has a 
 function for the small intestine similar to that of 
 the pylorus for the stomach. Just below this valve 
 a thin narrow pocket opens from the large intes- 
 tine. This is the ^^ appendix," the inflammation of 
 which is the cause of many operations in recent 
 years. Some people suppose that ^^appendicitis'' 
 is a modern disease. This is not the case, of 
 course. Appendicitis is simply the modern name 
 for the condition formerly called ^ * inflammation 
 of the bowels," which caused the death of many 
 people. Now that operations have become very 
 frequent, and their technique perfect, lives are 
 saved every day by means of them; hence fool- 
 ish fears of hospitals and of surgeons should be 
 
DIGESTION— PART ONE 99 
 
 set aside when the family physician makes the 
 diagnosis of appendicitis, urging an immediate 
 operation. It is quite remarkable to notice the 
 attitude of mind towards the hospital, of a child, 
 when he is brought in, shrinking and crying, and 
 to compare his timidity and repugnance at en- 
 trance with his reluctance to leave, after he has 
 been there for several weeks, being petted by doc- 
 tors and nurses and constantly receiving the kind 
 ministrations of devoted Sisters. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. What is digestion'? Where does it start? 
 
 What is saliva! Where is it made? How is it made to 
 
 flow? 
 What is mumps? Describe the salivary glands. Is the 
 
 saliva needed for any other purpose than eating? 
 
 2. How many effects does saliva produce? What are they? 
 
 3. After mastication, what occurs to food? 
 
 How big is the stomach? How long does food remain 
 there? 
 
 4. What is the position of the stomach? How many openings 
 
 has it? 
 What are they called and why? 
 
 5. What happens to food in the stomach. 
 
 6. What are gastric glands? 
 
 7. What starts the action of these glands? 
 
 8. What does this show? 
 
 9. How does the pylorus act? How long are the intestines? 
 What are its divisions? 
 
 10. What is the valve at the junction of the small and large 
 intestines? What is its function? What is appendicitis? 
 
Chapter X 
 DIGESTION— PART II 
 
 1. In the mouth the saliva has been acting upon 
 certain parts of the food. Other parts have been 
 subjected to the influence of the gastric juice in 
 the stomach. Now, in the intestine, there are three 
 other fluids which aid the digestion of the food. 
 One of these comes from glands situated in the 
 walls of the intestine itself, and this is called the 
 succus entericus, or intestinal juice. The other 
 two come from two large organs in the abdomen, 
 the liver and the pancreas. 
 
 2. The pancreas is what is called sweetbread in 
 calves. It lies across the abdomen behind the 
 stomach, and is about six or seven inches long. It 
 furnishes a secretion which is poured out through 
 a duct on to the food in the intestine. This secre- 
 tion is more important as an agent in digestion 
 than all the other digestive fluids put together. 
 Most of our knowledge about this organ comes 
 from a great French Catholic scientist, Claude 
 Bernard. 
 
 100 
 
DIGESTION— PART TWO 
 
 101 
 
 3. The wonderful way in which one part of the 
 body cooperates with the other parts is shown by 
 the pancreatic secretion. When the gastric juice 
 leaves the stomach, it strikes the walls of the first 
 portion of the small intestine and causes a certain 
 
 Right and Wrong Posture. 
 
 substance which develops there to be changed in 
 such a way that the blood may take it up and carry 
 it to the pancreas, where it at once stimulates the 
 flow of the pancreatic juice. Moreover, the action 
 of the saliva ceases as soon as the food enters the 
 stomach, but when it enters the small intestine 
 anything the saliva has left undone is set to rights 
 
102 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 by the pancreatic juice. In like manner, the gas- 
 tric juice loses its effect when the food leaves the 
 stomach, but what it may have failed to accom- 
 plish is finished by the pancreatic juice. Then it 
 assists the liver in the work of digesting fats and 
 oils. Since its task is so important and diverse in 
 the preparation of food for absorption, it may 
 readily be surmised that if it is out of order or 
 becomes diseased, serious defects ensue in the 
 proper nutrition of the body, as a result. 
 
 4. The secretions of pancreatic, as well as of 
 gastric juice, and saliva, are vital actions ; that is, 
 they are manufactured by the living force of 
 the soul and do not occur where life does not 
 exist. But the action of these different secretions 
 on the food is a chemical action which can be made 
 to take place outside the body in a glass tube, 
 almost as well as in the alimentary canal. It is 
 necessary to remember this distinction, as it is 
 lost sight of by those who speak only of the chem- 
 ical effect of these digestive fluids, not of their 
 production, thus eliminating any reference to the 
 soul. 
 
 5. The last of the five secretions which aid di- 
 gestion comes from the liver, and is called bile. 
 The liver is a large organ, situated in the abdomen 
 to the right of the stomach, just under the dia- 
 
DIGESTION— PART TWO 103 
 
 phragm, behind the lowest ribs. The functions of 
 the liver are manifold, but the one which interests 
 us here is the manufacture of bile. This liquid is 
 not only a digestive secretion, playing an impor- 
 tant part in the digestion of fats, but is also an 
 excretion carrying off some of the waste products 
 of the body. The bile is constantly being formed, 
 but until it is needed for digestion, it is stored up 
 in the gall-bladder, which is a pouch attached to 
 the under surface of the liver. The bile contains 
 salts which sometimes form crystals, these may 
 increase in size, or become very numerous, so that 
 they block up the passage leading from the gall- 
 bladder to the intestines and cause a great deal of 
 pain in trying to force their way through. These 
 are called gallstones. They are found in varying 
 numbers up to thousands, usually requiring sur- 
 gical interference for their removal. 
 
 6. The passage from the gall-bladder is called 
 the bile duct. If this becomes inflamed from any 
 cause, it becomes swollen. The swelling prevents 
 the bile from getting into the intestines and forces 
 it back into the gall-bladder, where the blood takes 
 it up and tries to get rid of it through the skin. 
 The bile contains a yellow pigment; when this is 
 deposited in the skin, it causes the condition 
 known as jaundice. 
 
104 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 7. The chief action of bile is to break up fats 
 into glycerine and fatty acids, so that they may be 
 absorbed; because fat, as such, cannot pass 
 through the membrane of the intestinal walls. 
 After passing through in this divided state, by 
 some mysterious power which is unexplainable if 
 the vital action is eliminated, the divided sub- 
 stances reunite and are deposited as fat in the 
 tissues. The bile has also a marked laxative 
 action. 
 
 8. The liver is one of the most important organs 
 of the body, so important, in fact, that one could 
 not live if it should be removed. It acts as a store- 
 house where various substances are kept until 
 they are required by the needs of the tissues. 
 All the foods, except the fats, are carried there 
 from the intestines by the blood. What is not 
 immediately needed is changed into a substance 
 called glycogen. When no food has been ingested 
 for some time and the body is craving for it, or 
 when a particular need is felt at some special 
 place, the blood travels down to the liver, picks up 
 a little glycogen and carries it where it is required 
 to supply the want. During the winter months, 
 hibernating animals, such as the bear and the frog, 
 live upon this glycogen, as well as on the fat which 
 they have stored in their bodies. Snakes also live 
 
DIGESTION— PART TWO 105 
 
 in this way. In early springtime colonies of flies 
 are sometimes found clinging to southern win- 
 dowSo They have been there from the preceding 
 summer ; the little nourishment they required dur- 
 ing the Avinter must also have been furnished by 
 the liver. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. How many fluids aid the digestion in the intestines? 
 
 2. What and where is the pancreas? 
 Who first described it? 
 
 3. How is the juice of the pancreas stimulated? What is its 
 
 action ? 
 
 4. What is the meaning of the vital and the chemical action 
 
 of the glands f 
 
 5. Where is the liver? What is bile? Where is it stored? 
 How are gall-stones formed? 
 
 6. What is jaundice? 
 
 7. What is the chief action of bile? 
 
 3.. Of how much importance is the liver? 
 
 How do .hibernating animals live in the winter? 
 
Chapter XI 
 
 ASSIMILATION OF FOOD 
 
 1. The food wMch has been eaten is now much 
 changed by the action of the ^ve digestive juices, 
 and is ready to be absorbed. This process of ab- 
 sorption is called assimilation. Very little of this 
 occurs in the mouth, though some substances, like 
 poisons, may seem to be absorbed there in a suf- 
 ficient quantity to cause death. There is not much 
 absorption in the stomach either, though alcohol 
 is absorbed there. Water, if taken alone, passes 
 directly through. The absorption of food takes 
 place mainly in the small intestine, and is effected 
 by the vital activity of the membrane that lines it. 
 It is again necessary to insist on this point, as 
 some physiologists have claimed that assimilation 
 of food within the body is due merely to the phys- 
 ical phenomena of filtration, or osmosis, or diffu- 
 sion. Filtration and osmosis both mean the 
 passage of fluids through a piece of membrane, 
 such as a parchment ; and diffusion is the tendency 
 that vapors have to spread, due to the fact that 
 
 106 
 
ASSIMILATION OF FOOD lor 
 
 the materials of which gases are composed have 
 the power of locomotion. This is observed when 
 a bottle of cologne is opened; the vapor escapes 
 and begins to penetrate all through the room, 
 showing its presence by the pleasant odor. 
 
 2. All these phenomena are paralleled by what 
 takes place during assimilation; but in this latter 
 process there is an evident selection of materials 
 to supply needs, such as is never found anywhere 
 outside the bodily membrane which is endowed 
 with life. Given the same conditions outside the 
 body; for instance, the same materials, the same 
 weight, the same heat, the same filter, etc., the 
 same results may confidently be expected. But 
 the results that occur in assimilation do not de^ 
 pend upon the conditions of the materials so much 
 as upon the bodily needs, so that now one kind 
 of food is taken up, now another, some here, some 
 there, according to whether or not the tissues 
 should be built up or repaired, in this part or that, 
 or demands arise suddenly from exercise, illness, 
 a wound or any other cause. 
 
 3. The length of the intestine is about thirty 
 feet, as has been said ; but the length of the assim^ 
 ilating surface is much increased by the fact that 
 the lining membrane is not smooth, but is filled 
 with tiny projections, which give it a velvety ap~ 
 
108 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 pearance. These projections are called villi. They 
 dip down into the digested food as its passes along 
 the food-canal, very much as roots of plants dip 
 down into the earth and suck up moisture and 
 sustenance. 
 
 4. In the centre of each villus is a small tube, 
 called the central lacteal, into which the living 
 membrane covering the villus absorbs the dis- 
 solved fatty substance. Each lacteal joins with 
 the others, forming a chain of vessels, known as 
 the lymphatic system, which terminates in a large 
 tube in the chest, called the thoracic duct. This 
 duct empties directly into a large vein which goes 
 to the heart. 
 
 5. Besides the lacteals, in each villus there are 
 also tiny blood vessels, which pick up all the rest 
 of the food materials, and send it along through 
 the abdomen until it is poured into a large vein, 
 the portal vein, Avhich brings it to the liver. To 
 this organ, therefore, is carried all the food which 
 is ingested, except the fats. As soon as the portal 
 vein enters the liver, it breaks up into innumerable 
 tiny branches, which penetrate every part of the 
 liver substance ; this at once sets to work, changing 
 the food particles still further into the form in 
 which they may later become part of the body tis- 
 sues. What is not required immediately, it stores 
 
ASSIMILATION OF FOOD 
 
 10^ 
 
 tip. Tlie remainder is sent' to the right side of 
 the heart, and is pumped into the Inngs, where it 
 probably undergoes more changes by being 
 brought in contact with the oxygen in the air. 
 From the lungs it comes back to the left side of 
 the heart ; through a big artery, called the aorta, 
 
 I nttr national 
 
 A Race in the Harvard-Yale-Oxford-Cambeidge 
 International Meet. 
 
 it is then pumped to all parts of the body, as has 
 been seen. 
 
 6. The aorta sends off many branches — up to 
 the brain, off to the arms, out to all the various 
 organs and down to the legs. Each branch divides 
 and subdivides, until no portion of the body is left 
 unprovided for. Wherever a cut is made, you 
 
110 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 know that blood oozes forth; and remember that 
 the blood has not been lying loose in the tissues, 
 but is contained in the tiny blood vessels, which 
 are called capillaries (from the Latin word, capil- 
 his, meaning hair), because they are so fine and 
 hairlike. 
 
 FOODS 
 
 7. Our food is derived from (1) the animal 
 kingdom, (2) the vegetable kingdom (plants). 
 We should desire and make an effort to obtain 
 fresh, clean and wholesome foods. Legislation 
 has done much in the past few years to improve 
 matters in this regard, but each one should be 
 vigilant in his own interests, and those of his fam- 
 ily, to ward off infection. This is much more 
 likely to come from the animal than the vegetable 
 kingdom, especially from meat and milk. 
 
 8. Food affects our health in many ways : 
 
 (1) It may itself be poisonous, as certain mush- 
 rooms, or some kinds of fish. 
 
 (2) It may contain poisons or chemical sub- 
 stances, added as adulterants; for example, lead, 
 arsenic or copper. 
 
 (3) Poison may develop in the food, either be- 
 fore eating or afterwards, as the result of the 
 action of certain germs. 
 
ASSIMILATION OF FOOD 111 
 
 (4) Food may contain worms or germs, as the 
 germs of typhoid fever in oysters. 
 
 (5) Some people are unable to digest certain 
 kinds of foods which are usually harmless to 
 others, as strawberries, eggs, tomatoes. 
 
 (6) Too much food causes diseases of the liver, 
 kidneys and heart, and obesity (which means a 
 state of being too fat). 
 
 (7) Not enough food, or not the right kind, 
 brings about ill health. 
 
 (8) Lack of certain lime salts or acids, pro- 
 duces disease of the bones, resulting in deformity. 
 
 (9) Eating when tired, or eating too fast, will 
 induce indigestion. 
 
 (10) Most people drink too little water, espe- 
 cially between meals. 
 
 (11) The chewing of gum is a most undesirable 
 habit from every possible point of view. Do not 
 indulge in it. 
 
 9. Food is the fuel for the body-engine ; oxygen 
 in the air that is breathed is the fan that makes 
 the fire flame. Active breathing of fresh air is, 
 therefore, a great aid to assimilation. Probably 
 you all have noticed how life in the open air helps 
 digestion and increases the appetite. 
 
 10. Food has two uses; viz,, (1) for growth and 
 repair of the tissue, and (2) to supply energy for 
 
112 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 motion and heat of the body. More than four- 
 fifths of the total energy, that comes from our food 
 is expended in the production of heat, less than 
 one-fifth in motion. As we are moving in some 
 way almost all the time, we can form some idea of 
 the amount of heat production that is going on in 
 the body furnace. The temperature of the body 
 ought to be about 98.6 degrees. If it rises above 
 that point, the person is said to have a fever. 
 
 11. As for exercise, so for food — too little or too 
 much may be taken. The latter fault is much the 
 more common. Gluttony is one of the seven 
 deadly sins; it causes the speedy wearing out of 
 all the organs of the digestive apparatus, also 
 serious heart trouble. Headache, weariness, dizzi- 
 ness and coated tongue sometimes spring from 
 nothing but an engorged stomach and intestines. 
 In order to keep well there should be a movement 
 of the bowels once or twice each day, and nothing 
 should be allowed to interfere with this most im- 
 portant duty. 
 
 12. One way to bring God's blessing upon our 
 food is to say grace properly before and after 
 meals. We should try to say it with reverence, 
 remembering that the food we eat has really been 
 provided for our needs out of the bounty and 
 
ASSIMILATION OF FOOD 
 
 113 
 
 watchfulness of Him to whom we pray for ''our 
 daily bread. ' ' 
 
 VITAMINES 
 
 13. Nowadays we hear a great deal of talk about 
 certain qualities of food which are spoken of as 
 
 Central News 
 
 Vincent Richards of Fordham Playing Tennis. 
 
 vitamines, meaning ''life-giving," from the Latin 
 word vita, life. They get their name from a Polish 
 chemist, Dr. Casimir Funk, who made extracts of 
 the polishings of rice, and after many trials got a 
 crystalline substance, the chemical nature of which 
 is a puzzle. Polished rice is nothing more mysteri- 
 
114 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 ous than the kind you buy at your grocer's, but 
 from which the hulls have been completely re- 
 moved. It has been found on experiment that the 
 feeding of such rice to birds causes them to suffer 
 from various nervous disorders; but the strange 
 point is that if this extract from the polishings is 
 given to the birds, they rapidly recover from their 
 disorders. 
 
 14. Following Dr. Funk, other observers noticed 
 that there was evidently some quality in the yolk 
 of egg and the fat of butter, which not only helped 
 growth, but was quite essential for any growth. 
 Other oils and fats were found not to possess this 
 quality, or if they did, not in the state useful for 
 the bird to which they were fed. Other men made 
 further experiments, until to-day we know that 
 there are at least three kinds of vitamines, which 
 are found in different foods. They are so neces- 
 sary that if absent, the food, although perfectly 
 good in every other respect, fails to nourish. 
 
 15. Despite all the investigations, not much that 
 is actually definite has yet been discovered, but it is 
 certain that all the necessary vitamines are found 
 in milk and green vegetables, so that if you only 
 drink plenty of good milk and eat some fresh salad 
 every day, you will have all the vitamines in your 
 food that you need. 
 
ASSIMILATION OF FOOD 115 
 
 16. Years ago, people thought that they knew 
 all there was to know about such simple things as 
 foodstuffs. Now they are just beginning to realize 
 that they actually know very little of the real qual- 
 ities which make foods nourishing. Yet some 
 people presume to assert that they know all about 
 such a complex array of substances as make up 
 the human body. '^ Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis 
 folly to be wise''; but one cannot help pitying 
 their blindness. The fool thinks that he knows 
 everything; the wise man realizes how extremely 
 small is the amount of his knowledge. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. What is assimilation? How is it obtained? 
 
 2. What is the difference between assimilation and other 
 
 processes ? 
 
 3. What are villi? What is their purpose? 
 
 4. Describe the lymphatic system. 
 
 5. What is the portal vein? What does it cany? 
 How does it divide? 
 
 6. W^hy does blood issue wherever a cut is made in the flesh? 
 
 7. Where do our foods come from? What is infection? 
 
 8. How may food affect health? 
 
 9. How does breathing fresh air help assimilation? 
 
 10. Of what use is food? How much is needed for heating 
 the body? 
 What is a fever? 
 IJ. What care should be taken in regard to food? 
 12, What is the importance of saying grace? 
 
116 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 13. What are vitaminesf How were they discovered? 
 
 14. How many kinds of vitamines are there? Of how much 
 
 importance are they? 
 
 15. Where are the necessary ones to be found? 
 
 16. What is the lesson they teach? 
 
Chapter XII 
 THE WONDERFUL EYE 
 
 1. The possession of a camera has become so 
 common nowadays that it is probable that many 
 readers of this chapter call one their own. Taking 
 pictures is an agreeable pastime; unless it de- 
 velops into a mania, it is a very good means of 
 preserving for us scenes and persons with whom 
 pleasant memories will always be associated. 
 
 2. There are many parts to a camera; modern 
 inventions have made them so perfect that clear 
 and distinct pictures may be taken even of rapidly 
 moving people or objects; for example, of runners, 
 or of a ball on its way towards the bat from a 
 pitcher's hands. High-priced cameras, however, 
 are often far beyond the reach of many a wistful 
 girl or boy who gazes with envy at the owners of 
 such treasures. But though the girl and boy may 
 not possess a kodak, they have for their very own, 
 as a free gift from their Creator, not merely one, 
 but two cameras, each far more wonderful than 
 any which can be purchased with money, 
 
 117 
 
118 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 Section Through the Heap, 
 
THE WONDERFUL EYE 119 
 
 3. A camera left to itself can do nothing. It 
 might face a landscape all day long without re- 
 producing a single tree. The owner must know 
 how to adjust it properly, or his pictures will be 
 blurred. He must provide it with a film or plate, 
 a new one for each picture. He must treat the 
 film later with various chemical solutions ; the re- 
 sult obtained depends upon the amount of care he 
 takes. 
 
 4. But our wondrous eyes do all these things 
 themselves, without bothering their owners at all. 
 You do not need to open or shut the pupil for a 
 distant or near object, nor for a dim or strong 
 light. You do not concern yourself about length- 
 ening or widening the lens in order to bring the 
 scene into proper focus. No care is required to 
 remove the film from the back of the eye, and to 
 put a fresh one in place for each picture. 
 
 5. Instead, then, of fretting, if you cannot have 
 an expensive camera, thank God for His gift of 
 your two eyes ; and try to learn something about 
 them, so that you may understand how to take bet- 
 ter pictures than the highest priced photographer 
 in town. Just try some experiments on yourself. 
 Shut your eyes for ten minutes, then imagine what 
 it must mean to be blind. Let someone blindfold 
 you, and after the first thrill of fun has subsided. 
 
120 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 try to walk about without bumping into things ; 
 try to eat your dinner in that condition. You will 
 find that you hardly know the way to your mouth. 
 
 6. Then suppose that, through some terrible 
 mistake, the handkerchief had been so placed 
 that it was found absolutely impossible to remove 
 it. What do you think would be your feelings when 
 you realized that never again could you see your 
 dear father and mother, your brothers and sisters, 
 your home and all its pleasant rooms? What 
 would you do if told that the sun and the stars, all 
 the glory of the winter sky, the trees, the grass, 
 the beautiful flowers, the mighty ocean, the flowing 
 rivers, the hills and mountains, all the beloved, 
 familiar sights which are the joy of your life, a 
 very big part of it — that all these things on which 
 you had been accustomed to gaze as a matter of 
 course, were to be hidden forevermore from your 
 view? 
 
 7. Eeflect for a moment how helpless you would 
 be, if you should forget all that you have learned 
 through the means of your eyes. Imagine what it 
 would actually mean never to be able to read 
 again, to be obliged to depend entirely upon your 
 other senses for all information about current 
 news, to be shut off from any further acquaintance 
 with the literature of the world ^s best authors. 
 
THE WONDERFUL EYE 121 
 
 except at the cost of the untiring devotion of your 
 friends. 
 
 8. Yet we take it so mucli for granted that these 
 twin servants, our eyes, should teach us to know 
 and enjoy all these things, without interruption, 
 without complaint or fatigue, without our thinking 
 about them in the least. We do not need to give 
 them any commands. We do not need to care that 
 they are oiled and greased when our constant use 
 of them has worn out their delicate parts. With- 
 out a word from us, without assistance from any 
 other part of the body, they repair their own 
 damages, they keep themselves in good condition, 
 if only we do not abuse them. 
 
 9. But is anybody so foolish as to abuse these 
 faithful servants'? Yes, indeed; perhaps you are 
 guilty. You abuse your eyes by rubbing them, 
 thus making them inflamed, and by pushing into 
 their outer, fine coverings dirt and germs from 
 your fingers. You also hurt them by reading in 
 a dim light, such as twilight, or when the light is 
 unsteady or flickering, as when riding on trains 
 or trolleys. You wrong your eyes by washing 
 them in a public wash basin, or by wiping them 
 with a common towel, because you may introduce 
 in this manner foreign substances which cause dis- 
 ease, that leaves the eyes weak and inflamed ever 
 
122 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 afterwards. Yon maltreat your eyes by applying 
 to them any washes or salves, except on the advice 
 of a physician. 
 
 10. Yon may strain yonr eyes by not providing 
 them with glasses, Avhen yon find that yon are 
 obliged to hold the book close to yonr face in order 
 to read, or when yon cannot see from yonr desk 
 all the writing on the blackboard. Some people 
 imagine that they will ontgrow their eye tronble 
 by refusing to get glasses; whereas, if they need 
 them, they are only increasing the tronble the 
 longer they remain without them. 
 
 11. Young people sometimes carry their head to 
 one side, or are forced into a disfiguring squint, 
 because they will not visit an oculist who would 
 correct their faulty vision. Many cases of ner- 
 vousness, indigestion and headache are cured 
 merely by wearing suitable glasses. From re- 
 peated examinations in schools, it has been esti- 
 mated that at least a quarter of a million of the 
 children of the United States ought to be wearing 
 glasses, but through ignorance or carelessness are 
 not doing so. If you hold the book nearer than 
 one foot to your face, then you need glasses to 
 correct shortsightedness. If you can read com- 
 fortably, but cannot see well at a distance, then 
 glasses are required to remedy farsightedness. 
 
THE WONDERFUL EYE 123 
 
 When objects are blurred at all distances, then 
 the outer shape of the eyes ought to be helped 
 by properly fitting glasses. 
 
 12. The lining of the back of the eye is called the 
 retina, and it is here that the image of the object 
 that we see is formed. In shortsightedness, this 
 image falls short and in front of the retina; in 
 farsightedness, it comes to a focus behind the ret- 
 ina ; in the third case, which is called astigmatism, 
 it may fall on the retina, but its outlines are not 
 clearly defined, therefore the picture is blurred. 
 
 13. The image is always upside down on the 
 retina, just as it is on the film in the camera. 
 When you have taken a picture with your kodak, 
 you must remove the film, and then wait to see 
 the result until the photographer can have it de- 
 veloped. But when the image is pictured on the 
 retina of the eye, immediately it sends a message 
 along the track of the optic nerves to the brain, 
 and you at once see the object. The development 
 is instantaneous. 
 
 14. What is really the thing that goes from the 
 object into the interior of the eye! Certainly the 
 object itself does not leave its position and pierce 
 the eye through the pupil. No, but light does. 
 Light is reflected from the object upon the retina. 
 There it starts into activity the cells, which are 
 
124 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 called, from their shape, rods and cones. These 
 cells are connected with the optic nerves, and the 
 stimnlus is flashed along their course to the back 
 of the brain, where we appreciate the colors, 
 shapes and sizes of the objects from which the 
 light was reflected. 
 
 15. Light travels very rapidly, about 186,000 
 miles per second. It gives ns some idea of the 
 enormous distance of the universe, in which the 
 almighty Creator placed our planet, to be told by 
 astronomers that the light is now travelling 
 through space towards the earth from stars which 
 have possibly ceased to exist. They also tell us 
 that some stars are so far away that the light from 
 them has not yet reached us. 
 
 16. There is a lens in every camera. There is 
 also a lens in the eye, only the latter is a living 
 substance and, therefore, can shorten and widen 
 itself in order to bring a near object to an exact 
 focus on the retina. In like manner, it can 
 lengthen and flatten itself for the same purpose, 
 if the object is at a distance. You will learn more 
 about a lens and a focus in your study of physics 
 The lens of the eye is called crystalline. It divide; 
 the eye into two chambers, the one in front being 
 very much the smaller. Each is filled with fluid, 
 
THE WONDERFUL EYE 
 
 ns 
 
 which helps the lens to focus the object properly 
 upon the retina. 
 
 17. Sometimes old people are said to have a 
 cataract. This means that the lens has lost its 
 power of shortening and lengthening and has be- 
 come opaqne. In this condi- 
 
 tion, it can no longer do its 
 work of focusing, so it is re- 
 moved through a little slit 
 which the surgeon makes in 
 the upper part of the eye. 
 After the eye becomes accus- 
 tomed to its loss, it settles 
 down to its work again with 
 the aid of very thick glasses 
 which take the place of the 
 lens. 
 
 18. The colored portion of 
 the eye is the iris, the hole in its 
 centre is the pupil, through 
 which light is reflected. The 
 iris is a muscle ; therefore it makes the pupil small 
 or big by contracting or expanding. The eyes are 
 set into a bony cavity of the skull which is called 
 the orbit. They are protected by the eyebrows, 
 the eyelids and eyelashes. They are kept free 
 from dust, while the lids are kept moist, by the 
 
 Central News 
 
 A Jump Like This 
 
 Requires Good 
 
 Sight. 
 
 (12 ft. i in.) 
 
126 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 tears. These come from a small tear * ^factory," 
 called the lachrymal glands, which are placed in 
 the outer corner of each eye, behind the upper 
 eyelid. The tears pass across the outside of the 
 eyes, and keep them moist and clear. They drain 
 into the nose through a little duct at the inner 
 corner of each eye. When we are affected by 
 emotion, the tears are manufactured in such abun- 
 dance that the ducts are unable to carry them all 
 away, and so they overflow the lids and run down 
 the cheeks. 
 
 19. Each eye is moved by six small muscles, 
 which turn the pupil in all directions. "When a 
 person squints, some of the muscles are not work- 
 ing properly. This defect should be corrected by 
 consulting a physician, who may be obliged to cut 
 one of these muscles. Sometimes it may be rem- 
 edied by wearing glasses. It may happen that a 
 foreign body, such as a small gnat or a cinder, 
 gets into your eye. In such a case, do not rub the 
 eye. Eubbing will only increase the difficulty. In- 
 stead of rubbing, if blowing the nose does not help, 
 use an eye-cup. This is a little cup, made of glass 
 in such a shape that it fits tightly over the eye. 
 Fill the cup with clean water, then open and shut 
 the eyelids, while holding the cup closely against 
 
THE WONDERFUL EYE 127 
 
 the eye. It is a good thing to have an eye-cup 
 ready for emergencies in every home. 
 
 20. Do not face a strong light when reading or 
 studying. Try to place yourself, especially when 
 writing, so that the light comes from your left 
 side, for then the shadows from the hand will not 
 fall on your work. Do not insist on sewing or 
 reading in a dark room. Use daylight for sewing 
 with any black material. When there is a choice, 
 do not choose a book which is printed on shiny, 
 glazed paper. Eemember that your eyes are one 
 of your most precious possessions. By means of 
 them you have acquired knowledge of most of the 
 things that make life worth living for you. Or- 
 dinary prudence then will suggest that you make 
 use of the hints contained in this chapter in order 
 to take care of them. Never insult the Giver of 
 them by using them for anything your conscience 
 warns you to avoid. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. How many persons of your acquaintance wear glasses? 
 Just why do they wear them? 
 
 2. Do you own any camera of your own, which was not 
 
 bought? 
 
 3. What amount of care does the usual camera require? 
 Is it expensive? 
 
 4. Compare the taking of pictures by means of a kodak with 
 
 what is required in order to see. 
 
128 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 5. Describe what your impressions would be, if blindfolded. 
 
 6. If suddenly made blind, what do you suppose would be 
 
 the state of your feelings'? 
 
 7. Can you tell some of the things your eyes have helped you 
 
 to know, and which you could not know in any other 
 way? 
 
 8. How are the repairs needed in the eye cared for? 
 
 9. How may eyes be injured? How may you rest them? 
 
 10. How can you tell when glasses are needed? Why is it 
 
 wise to consult an oculist as soon as eye difficulty is 
 noticed ? 
 
 11. What defects may be remedied by wearing glasses? 
 
 12. What is meant by the retina? What is the difference be- 
 
 tween short-sightedness and its opposite? What is' 
 astigmatism ? 
 
 13. Can you explain why the image is upside down on the 
 
 retina? How long a time does the eye picture require 
 for its development? 
 
 14. What happens when we see something? 
 
 15. Name some remarkable facts about sight. 
 
 16. Of what use is the lens? 
 
 17. What is meant by a cataract? How is it corrected? 
 
 18. What is the iris? the pupil? the orbit? Where do tears 
 
 come from? How do they leave the eyes? Of what 
 use are they? 
 
 19. How many muscles move the eye? Explain a squint. Of 
 
 what practical use is an eye-cup? 
 
 20. Give some rules for preserving good sight. 
 
 In order not to abuse the eyes, what is the most important 
 thing to avoid? 
 
Chapter XIII 
 THE MARVELLOUS EAR 
 
 1. If there is anything in the world more won- 
 derful than the eye, it is the ear. As a piece of 
 mechanism, it cannot be duplicated by anything 
 man-made. In olden cruel times, men were pun- 
 ished by having one of their ears, or in extreme 
 cases both of them, cut off. It was considered that 
 the amputation produced a great and ludicrous 
 disfigurement. Nowadays, it would not be thought 
 such a heavy penalty, as the modern young woman 
 has for some time been trying to conceal all evi- 
 dence of her ears by hiding them under ugly 
 bunches of hair. 
 
 2. The ear has three principal parts : according 
 to position, they are called the outer, the middle 
 and the inner ear. The outer ear is again divided 
 into two parts, the auditory canal and the auricle. 
 This latter is the part usually called the ear, but 
 actually it is the least important part. No matter 
 how huge the disfiguring bobs of hair which con- 
 ceal it, and even if it is really amputated, hearing 
 
 129 
 
ISO HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 is not destroyed, though it may be impaired. But 
 if anything happens to any other portion, hearing 
 is at once affected. 
 
 3. Sometimes insects find their way into the 
 auditory canal. The best and simplest manner to 
 dislodge them is to pour into the canal a teaspoon- 
 ful of warm water, which will drown them, when 
 they will float to the surface. Never poke any- 
 
 Students of the Ateneo, Manila, P. I. 
 
 thing into the auditory canal. It is an old adage, 
 which is worth observing, that nothing smaller 
 than the point of the elbow should be put into the 
 ear. Both ears should be washed thoroughly dur- 
 ing the morning and evening ablutions in order 
 to remove the dirt and wax, then dried with a 
 corner of the towel. But neither pin nor tooth- 
 pick should ever be inserted, as these have often 
 caused much trouble by tearing the delicate skin 
 
THE MARVELLOUS EAR 131 
 
 within the ear, thus opening the path to an infec- 
 tion, or by piercing the eardrum, thus incurring 
 the danger of resulting deafness. 
 
 4. The eardrum is at the inner end of the audi- 
 tory canal. The latter is about an inch long, some- 
 what curved. The drum is a thin, tense membrane, 
 placed between the outer and the middle ear. By 
 vibrating, it sets in motion the three little bones 
 of the middle ear which, in turn, transmit the 
 vibrations to the inner ear, where the ends of the 
 auditory nerves are. The names of the three little 
 bones are the hammer, the anvil and the stirrup, 
 on account of their resemblance to these articles. 
 
 5. When the eardrum is damaged, the injury 
 usually affects the middle ear also ; or, at least, an 
 entrance is forced, through which germs may in- 
 trude and set up an infection. This is what occurs 
 in many cases of so-called abscess of the ear. The 
 drum may be ruptured by violent coughing, as in 
 whooping cough, and also by a blow on the head. 
 Parents given to anger should remember this fact, 
 and refrain from such a form of expressing their 
 wrath. It may be injured during any of the chil- 
 dren's diseases, such as measles or scarlet fever. 
 
 6. The middle ear is connected with the throat 
 by a small canal, called the Eustachian tube. This 
 allows air to enter, thus keeping the pressure the 
 
132 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 same on both sides of the eardrum. It also drains 
 off the moisture from the lining membrane of the 
 middle ear. When your head feels ^'stuffy,'' it 
 is because this tube has become clogged. Yawning 
 and swallowing, and gargling especially, tend to 
 open up this tube and relieve the discomfort. The 
 most common cause of earache is the inability of 
 this moisture to escape from the middle ear. 
 Sometimes it becomes necessary for the doctor to 
 make a tiny puncture in the eardrum, through 
 which the gathering moisture may find an escape 
 into the auditory canal. When the gathering has 
 drained off, the tiny hole heals with scar tissue, 
 just like a wound anywhere in the skin. 
 
 7. Do not put oil or laudanum or anything else 
 into the ear, except on the advice of your physi- 
 cian. Do not try any patent medicines. Some- 
 times a remedy is recommended by a friend, who 
 credits it with a cure, simply because it happened 
 to be the last thing tried. The ear is too impor- 
 tant to trifle with. ^'Safety first" will save you 
 from unwise experiments. 
 
 8. Some children are classed as mental de- 
 fectives, Avhen the real reason why they are behind 
 their classmates is because they are deprived, by 
 unnoticed deafness, of one of the most helpful 
 sources of information. Their ears are at fault, 
 
THE MARVELLOUS EAR 133 
 
 not their minds. Sometimes the cause is nothing 
 more serions than adenoids, which choke the 
 throat end of the Eustachian tubes. When the 
 adenoids are removed, the deafness disappears 
 and the mental condition at once improves. There 
 is usually no cure for complete loss of hearing, as 
 this implies interior trouble in the ear, which can- 
 not be reached except by such a destructive opera- 
 tion that ^Hhe cure would be worse than the dis- 
 ease." 
 
 9. The inner ear is placed well inside the head, 
 and consists of two parts: the cochlea, so called 
 because it is like a snail's shell; the other part is 
 the labyrinth, which has small bony spaces and 
 tubes, placed in different planes. In these tubes is 
 a fluid, one use of which is to help in preserving 
 our balance. The inside of the body labyrinth is 
 lined with a membrane, in which lie the cells which 
 are connected to the brain by the fibres of the 
 auditory nerve. 
 
 10. This is what happens when we hear any 
 sound. You have all seen a violin string vibrate 
 when the bow was drawn across it to produce a 
 thrilling note. The vibrations of the string set up 
 waves in the air, and these strike against the ear- 
 drum. The variety of vibrations for the human 
 ear range in number from sixteen to forty thou- 
 
134 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 sand per second. The more vibrations, the higher 
 the note; the fewer the vibrations, the lower the 
 note. If the vibrations are large, the note is loud ; 
 if they are small, the note is soft. 
 
 11. Anything that makes a sound in our ears 
 makes it in this way; that is, by vibrating, thus 
 setting up air currents. It is somewhat the same 
 as when you toss a pebble into the still waters of 
 
 
 
 
 
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 a pond. From the spot where the pebble enters, 
 ripples start off across the smooth surface, widen- 
 ing and enlarging until they strike the shore. 
 This is the explanation of a bell. It is true of all 
 musical instruments. It is the secret of the wire- 
 less telegraph and telephone. But all human in- 
 ventions vibrate clearly to one sound only at a time. 
 No device has ever been made which will record a 
 single tone oiit of a complex sound. The tiny 
 
THE MARVELLOUS EAR 135 
 
 drumhead at the inner end of the auditory canal, 
 however, vibrates in such a magical manner that 
 it conveys many things, near and far, to our hear- 
 ing at the same time. We are able to recognize 
 our own breathing, the voice of one reading in the 
 next room, a piano being played in the room be- 
 yond, a person walking on the floor above, a train 
 rumbling by the station at the foot of the hill, a 
 motor horn sounding warning in the street outside, 
 all in the same moment ; and we appreciate imme- 
 diately just what each sound signifies. How do we 
 do this! 
 
 12. The delicate vibrating drumhead sets in 
 motion the three little bones of the middle ear. 
 These at once pass along the vibrations to the 
 fluid of the inner ear, like the ripples in the pond, 
 and these ripples strike against the fine endings of 
 the nerves which lie among the cells of the mem- 
 branous labyrinth. Passing along the nerve fibres, 
 the stimulus reaches the brain cells, where, if these 
 are in a normal state, it is transformed for us into 
 a sensation of sound. 
 
 13. Like all our sensations, hearing is made up 
 of the sense organ, the nerves which carry the out- 
 side stimulus to the brain and the soul, which fur- 
 nishes the vital energy without which the first two 
 would be entirely useless. The sweetest music 
 
136 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 might resound in the room where a corpse lies, 
 but not a note would be heard in the absence of the 
 soul, even though the ear, the nerves and the brain 
 cells were all physically perfect. Perhaps you 
 may ask: ^'But how does the soul bridge the gap 
 from the changes in our bodily organs to the vari- 
 ous sensations which we feel I' ' That is a mys- 
 tery, which, if we could unravel it, would enable us 
 to tell the secret of life which God has not yet re- 
 vealed to man. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. What is to be said of the ear as a mechanical device? 
 What impression of its appearance is evident from current 
 
 fashion ? 
 
 2. How many parts has the ear? Which part is most prom- 
 
 inent and the least important? Which is most often 
 affected by changes in the weatljer? 
 
 3. Is it prudent to poke anything into the ear? Why? 
 What daily care should the ear receive? 
 
 4. What is the auditory canal? In what structure does it 
 
 end? How does this act? What are the bones of the 
 middle ear? 
 
 5. What is meant by an abscess of the ear? How may the 
 
 eardrum be injured? 
 
 6. What connects the ear with the throat? Of what use is 
 
 this? What occurs when this is closed? How is the 
 condition relieved? 
 
 7. Why is it unwise to put things in the ear? What sort of 
 
 things should the ear not be forced to hear? 
 
 8. What is the explanation of the condition of some children 
 
 who are mentally deficient? 
 
THE MARVELLOUS EAR 137 
 
 9. How many parts has the inner ear? What important 
 structures are in the labyrinth? What gives the cochlea 
 its name? 
 
 11. What is the difference between the eardrum and anything 
 
 else which vibrates? 
 
 12. How is the motion of the air currents passed along to the 
 
 brain? 
 
 13. What is the difference between the senses and sensation? 
 
Chapter XIV 
 THE AIR WE BREATHE 
 
 1. The air we breathe is our most important 
 concern. We exist in the air, and cannot live with- 
 out it. If we were deprived of air, we should die, 
 like people who choke to death when air is shut out 
 from their lungs. Animals and plants need air 
 too, and the marvellous way God has disposed His 
 creatures is shown by the striking fact that what 
 we cast off as harmful is just what the plants need 
 to keep them in health. 
 
 2. We cannot see the air, but we can see what 
 it does, when we stand on the seashore on a fine 
 summer day, and watch a trim sailboat scudding 
 along before a stiff breeze. We can feel it as it 
 blows inland upon our eager faces, and even taste 
 the salty brine it carries in from the ocean, as well 
 as smell the sweet odors with which it becomes 
 laden after recrossing the flower-strewn meadow. 
 
 3. Although it is invisible, it is really not a 
 spiritual substance, such as an angel or the human 
 soul, which cannot be seen by bodily eyes. It is a 
 
 138 
 
THE AIR WE BREATHE 139 
 
 material substance, like tlie matter of which the 
 earth or our bodies is composed, but in a gaseous 
 state. There are a number of gases in the air ; the 
 important ones for us are three : oxygen, nitrogen 
 and carbon dioxide. 
 
 4. Oxygen is the life-giving element; it consti- 
 tutes about one-fifth of the atmosphere. It is 
 taken into the body when we inhale, carbon dioxide 
 is given off when we exhale. Plants act in just the 
 opposite way; they retain the carbon dioxide and 
 expel the oxygen. 
 
 5. Carbon dioxide is the chemical result of the 
 various processes which go on in the body, such as 
 digestion, assimilation, combustion, breathing, 
 fermentation. Fires add to the amount, as well as 
 all decaying animal and vegetable matters. There 
 is a greater amount in the city than in the country, 
 more also in the house than outdoors; burning 
 coal gives off large amounts. The soil also pro- 
 duces a great deal, but there are usually present 
 in the atmosphere, nevertheless, only about three 
 parts in every ten thousand parts of air. When 
 ten parts to ten thousand are present, an uncom- 
 fortable feeling results, and health is injured if 
 this proportion is continued. Headache, dizzi- 
 ness, etc., come on when the amount becomes as 
 large as fifteen parts to ten thousand. 
 
140 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 6. Carbon dioxide is not, however, itself a 
 poison; but is harmful because it deprives the 
 body of the oxygen needed. Oxygen is the most 
 wonderful of all elements. Water is largely made 
 up of it, at least three-quarters of the material 
 of which our bodies are formed is composed of 
 it, and it is more than half the weight of many 
 other substances. We could live for some time 
 without food, and all our lives could be spent 
 without many of the other things for which large 
 sums of money are spent by foolish people who 
 forget that money is a gift of God, to be used for 
 His glory, not for their folly and luxury. But the 
 most precious thing of all, oxygen, is to be had 
 by all without any necessity of buying it or work- 
 ing for it, for the loving Creator would not have 
 any one of His creatures deprived of it, not the 
 poorest nor even the most wicked. 
 
 7. Nitrogen gas constitutes almost seventy- 
 nine parts, or four-fifths of the air, but is not 
 used either by animals or man. Its purpose is to 
 dilute the oxygen, so that we may breathe this in 
 the proper strength. If the proportion of oxygen 
 were too high, it would be almost impossible to 
 put out a fire when once it got started, and there 
 would be too much combustion occurring within 
 our bodies. 
 
THE AIR WE BREATHE 141 
 
 8. Some water is always present in the air, the 
 amount constantly varying, as it is being formed 
 by evaporation from the lungs and the skin of 
 man, as well as from the ocean and rivers, from 
 the leaves of trees and plants, etc. The warmer 
 the air, the greater is the amount contained in it. 
 If the heat is increased, the percentage of water 
 the air can hold is also increased. The air nearest 
 the earth is warmest; the temperature falls one 
 degree each three hundred feet above the surface. 
 
 9. If the air holds as much moisture as it can at 
 a certain degree of temperature, it is said to be 
 saturated, and evaporation cannot occur. In such 
 an atmosphere moisture from plants is deposited 
 as dew on their surface, from man and animals 
 as per&piration. Air saturated with vapor is very 
 uncomfortable, whether it be hot or cold. A 
 humid day is one on which the perspiration can- 
 not pass off into the air, resulting in a disagree- 
 able, sticky feeling. Most deaths from lung dis- 
 eases occur on a moist day, on account of the lack 
 of evaporation from the lungs, which increases, 
 consequently, the difficulty in breathing. 
 
 10. Dust is always in the air, a certain amount 
 is very necessary; otherwise we should not have 
 any rain. The clouds are simply collections of 
 dust particles to which moisture is clinging. They 
 
142 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 are able to hold only a certain amomit at a cer- 
 tain temperature; when the temperature changes 
 the moisture condenses, and the rain falls to the 
 earth. When the air is cold enough we have a 
 snowstorm. The dust is made up of organic mat- 
 ters from animals and vegetables, threads of mil- 
 dew, bits of cork, starch granules, fibres of silk, 
 cotton, linen, wool, feathers, etc. 
 
 11. ''Bad odors'' used to be considered dan- 
 gerous to health, but they, are more disagreeable 
 than harmful. Sewer gas may affect the digestive 
 tract to some extent, and cause nausea. Odors 
 in the living room come from decaying teeth, 
 bad breath, decomposing matters on skin or 
 clothes, gas from the stomach, unclean mouths, 
 sweat glands, nasal troubles. Therefore, it 
 is necessary to exercise care in the matter of 
 cleanliness, for we are social beings, not hermits, 
 and must have regard for the comfort of others. 
 
 12. Odors are perceived much more readily 
 when the air is moist than when it is dry. The 
 membrane lining of the nose, in which lie the 
 nerves of smell, must be wet in order to appreciate 
 any odor. The nerves soon tire in any case, and 
 after a while the odors are not noticed by those in 
 the room, while newcomers are at once made 
 aware of them. 
 
THE AIR WE BREATHE 
 
 143 
 
 Cross-section Through the Head and Neck. 
 
144 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 13. An unpleasant odor causes us to breathe 
 less deeply, whereas a pleasant one has the oppo- 
 site effect, just as pleasant sights and pleasant 
 sounds help us physically as well as mentally. In 
 the plan of God for His creatures, there would 
 have been nothing to hurt or harm us, all things 
 would have /^worked together unto good." But 
 sin came and marred God's scheme, bringing with 
 it a whole train of disagreeable and unpleasant 
 things. Indeed ^^the wages of sin is death." 
 
 14. Ordinary ventilation does not remove 
 vapors which have been absorbed by surfaces of 
 surrounding objects. Hence the great need of 
 opening the windows and doors frequently in 
 order to insure a wholesome stream of fresh air. 
 Most people have a very erroneous notion about 
 the dangers of draughts. They are really the 
 best thing for driving out bad odors, as well as 
 something much more dangerous ; namely, disease 
 germs, with which the air is often laden. 
 
 15. Most diseases are brought about by minute 
 organisms called germs, and they begin their ca- 
 reer of trouble as soon as they enter the body. 
 A draught will effectively blow such mischief- 
 makers out of the room. It is not, however, wise 
 to sit or sleep in a draught when one is perspiring, 
 as the rush of air causes the sweat to evaporate 
 
THE AIR WE BREATHE 145 
 
 too rapidly, thus chilling the body by lowering the 
 temperature. 
 
 16. Germs are breathed out by sick people. It 
 is not well, therefore, to come very close to them. 
 Tuberculosis, or as it is commonly called, con- 
 sumption, is a very infectious disease, which 
 means that it is contracted from some one who 
 already has it. Hence, the best manner of avoid- 
 ing it is to breathe fresh air ; that is also the best 
 way to cure the disease. In this illness some of 
 the lung tissue is damaged, and cannot, therefore, 
 do the work of supplying the blood with the 
 proper amount of oxygen. The purer the air that 
 is breathed by the rest of the lungs, therefore, the 
 larger is the amount of oxygen that will be re- 
 ceived into the tissues. 
 
 17. It is good, then, to get all the fresh air pos- 
 sible out of doors; but is also necessary to have 
 fresh air indoors. When the Indians were given 
 houses by the United States Government, a great 
 many of them developed tuberculosis, because 
 they were deprived of the fresh air to which they 
 had been accustomed. The only way to help them 
 was to let them live their own wild life. Remem- 
 ber also that this rule of ventilation is just as 
 necessary for our sleeping, as well as our waking 
 hours. 
 
146 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 18. In some tenement houses there are fre- 
 quently several rooms without any windows. There 
 should be a penalty for such a condition fixed by 
 law, serious enough to deter any landlord who 
 would force his tenants to dwell in such a place. 
 Light and cleanliness usually accompany air, 
 while misery and disease lurk where fresh air is 
 not to be found. If you put a flower in a vase, 
 but do not change the water, it will die; if you 
 put a fish in a bowl, but do not change the water, 
 it will die. If you make people live in surround- 
 ings where the air is not changed, they will die 
 also. There is a famous case in history, called 
 the ''Black Hole of Calcutta," where a hundred 
 and forty-six men w^ere in a small hut which con- 
 tained only six thousand cubic feet of air, with 
 the result that all but twenty-three of them were 
 dead when relief came. The same law holds true 
 of animals. Especial care is given to provide 
 them with plenty of fresh air in all circuses and 
 zoological parks; it has been found that they do 
 not thrive in captivity otherwise. 
 
 19. When houses used to be heated with fire- 
 places, there was always a plenteous supply of 
 fresh air, since the overheated air went rushing 
 up the chimney, while fresh air was always com- 
 ing into the room to take its place through every 
 
THE AIR WE BREATHE 147 
 
 crack. But in our modern steam-lieated houses, 
 the same stale air is being constantly raised to 
 a higher heat ; there is no chance for it to escape, 
 nor is any loophole left for fresh air to enter. 
 20. It is not necessary, however, to have fresh 
 
 
 
 
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 Racing Requires Proper Breathing. 
 
 cold air. In fact, very cold air is harmful, unless 
 one is sufficiently clothed. Fresh warm air is 
 what is best in the house, as the still, chilly air 
 of indoors predisposes to colds and coughs. Cold, 
 damp air is injurious, especially in infancy and 
 old age, where the vital forces are at a low ebb. 
 The cold dampness throws extra work on the heat 
 
148 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 mechanism of the body to preserve the proper 
 temperature, consequently the strain falls on the 
 circulation. On a cold, misty day a person will 
 shiver and his face turn blue, especially when out 
 in the wind. The reason is that the moisture in- 
 terferes with the exchange of gases in the lungs, 
 so that the breathing becomes shallow. 
 
 21. In warm moist air, both physical and mental 
 activity are reduced, because an undue supply of 
 blood is brought to the surface of the body, re- 
 sulting in a general feeling of depression. People 
 are overcome by the heat when the temperature 
 of the air is above 88 degrees, and the air then be- 
 comes saturated. In this condition the body tem- 
 perature rises rapidly, and unless precautions are 
 immediately taken, heat stroke will result. While 
 awaiting the doctor, you may help the patient by 
 applying cold water to the body, after removing 
 the clothing, and by fanning the face. Once I saw 
 a poor man who had been sunstruck, being treated 
 by misguided relatives. They had put his feet 
 into a tub of boiling water and covered him all 
 over with thick blankets. They said that the idea 
 was to draw off the heat from his body, but they 
 were only helping to raise his temperature. They 
 would have killed the victim of their ignorance, 
 if the doctor had not most opportunely arrived 
 
THE AIR WE BREATHE 149 
 
 on the scene and reversed the whole treatment, 
 afterwards berating them for their stupidity. 
 
 22. A cool, dry air in motion is the most brac- 
 ing. It causes all the bodily functions to become 
 more active, the breathing deeper and more fre- 
 quent, the circulation to be increased and the di- 
 gestion stimulated. Deodorants are things which 
 remove bad odors. Disinfectants are things 
 which kill germs. The best deodorants and the 
 best disinfectants are cleanliness, ventilation and 
 sunlight, which are at the disposal of every one. 
 
 23. God has placed the sun in the universe in 
 such a position that it furnishes us not only the 
 proper heat but also light and energy. If it were 
 nearer, we should be burned from its excessive 
 rays ; if it were further away, we should be frozen. 
 If it gave more light, we should be blinded; if it 
 furnished greater energy, we should be killed, in 
 the same way that germs are slain now. Who 
 but an all-wise Creator could have arranged this 
 planet in such a manner that everything tends to 
 our benefit! What great love for His creatures 
 is shown by such a magnificent arrangement and 
 care for each detail that concerns our well-being. 
 Even the disagreeable things that sin has brought 
 in its foul company may, if used aright, be profit- 
 able unto us in God's wondrous mercy, through 
 
150 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 the divine merits of His Son, our Lord Jesus 
 Christ. '^To those who love God, all things work 
 together unto good.'' 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. Of how great imiDortance is air? How do animals and 
 
 man differ from plants in regard to it? 
 
 2. How many senses detect the presence of air? 
 
 3. Is air spiritual? What gases does it contain? 
 
 4. What percentage of the air is oxygen? 
 
 5. What is carbon dioxide? Where is it found in greater 
 
 amount ? 
 
 6. How is carbon dioxide harmful? What have you to say 
 
 of oxygen? Where is it obtained? 
 
 7. Of what use is the nitrogen in the air? 
 
 8. Where does the water in the air come from? 
 
 9. Explain what is meant by saturation of the air. Why do 
 
 deaths from lung diseases usually occur on a damp day? 
 
 10. Is dust usually found in the air? Why? What are clouds? 
 
 Of what is the dust composed? 
 
 11. Are bad odors dangerous? 
 
 12. Why are odors perceived more readily in moist atmos- 
 
 phere ? 
 
 13. What is the effect of a bad odor? Of a good odor? 
 
 14. What do you know about "draughts"? 
 
 15. How are most diseases caused? How do these act? 
 
 16. What happens in cases of tuberculosis? 
 
 17. Is fresh air needed indoors? When sleeping? 
 
 18. Are windows necessary? Why? 
 
 19. What are the defects of steam heat? 
 
 20. Why does a person shiver on a cold, misty day? 
 
 21. What happens in warm, moist air? Why? 
 
 22. Which air is most bracing? What are the best disinfect- 
 
 ants and deodorants? 
 
 23. How is the sun placed for our comfort? 
 
Chapter XV 
 THE PATH OF THE AIR 
 
 1. Our food meclianism begins at the mouth. 
 The apparatus of the body for utilizing the air, 
 however, starts, not at the mouth, but at the nose. 
 This particular organ was specially constructed 
 by that infinite Designer, whose wisdom you must 
 by this time have recognized. He would not have 
 made it, if he had considered the same opening 
 sufficient for both food and air. There are chil- 
 dren who are called ''mouth-breathers,'' on ac- 
 count of their faulty habits of breathing; their 
 faces have a strange, characteristic expression. 
 This condition is usually due to an overgrowth of 
 tissue behind the nose, which is known as ade- 
 noids, and requires surgical interference. The op- 
 eration is not serious, however, and no one should 
 be deterred from having it performed, or post- 
 pone it any longer than is necessary. 
 
 2. The nostrils are lined with little fine hairs 
 for the purpose of catching dust before it enters 
 the lungs. You remember that the tube which 
 
 151 
 
152 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 conveys food from the back of the mouth to the 
 stomach is called the esophagus. There is an- 
 other tube to bring the air from the throat to the 
 lungs, called the trachea, or windpipe. It is 
 placed in front of the esophagus, so that the food 
 passes over it on its journey downwards. The 
 top is covered with a valve, called the epiglottis, 
 which opens to receive air, and closes as if it had 
 intelligence, whenever food is swallowed. It is 
 dangerous, as well as impolite, to try to talk and 
 eat at the same time, because if one does, the 
 valve may not be able to shut. The food will then 
 enter the wrong passage and cause choking. 
 Coughing is nature's way of freeing the air pas- 
 sages of something which does not belong there, 
 or is irritating to the membrane. 
 
 3. The upper portion of the windpipe is the 
 larynx, where the voice-box is situated. It is 
 rather wider than the rest of the trachea, and 
 projects into the throat, thus making the ^'Adam's 
 apple. '^ Across it are stretched the vocal cords, 
 which are bands of strong membrane running 
 along each side. In ordinary breathing no sound 
 is produced ; but when Ave wish to speak the throat 
 muscles tighten and loosen these cords; as air is 
 expelled from the lungs, it makes the cords vibrate 
 when passing by. The cheeks, the teeth, the 
 
THE PATH OF THE AIR 153 
 
 tongue, the lips, the nose, the throat, the larynx, 
 the trachea and the lungs all have their part to 
 play in producing sound, and a change in any one 
 of them will bring about a corresponding alter- 
 ation in the tones; but while the deficiency of 
 any of the others may be partially overcome, de- 
 fects in the vocal cords cause serious derange- 
 ment in speaking. It would be like trying to play 
 a violin with broken strings, though everything 
 else was perfect. Our voices were given to speak 
 and sing the praises of God. They should never 
 be used to tell untruths, or to use improper lan- 
 guage, or to abuse our neighbor. ^'Thou shalt 
 love thy neighbor as thyself,'' Our Divine Lord 
 told us. 
 
 4. When goods are manufactured in a factory, 
 no matter how big the factory may be, they are of 
 the same identical pattern, one is just like the 
 rest. Theologians tell us that the angels ditfer 
 from each other; though there are countless mil- 
 lions of them, each one is in a class by himself. 
 This gives us some idea of the infinite mind of 
 God, their Creator. In a similar way, you 
 must have noticed how great is the diversity in 
 human beings. They differ in appearance, tastes, 
 ideas, habits, even in their manner of walking. 
 In every school-room you are able to recognize 
 
134 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 each child from all the others. In the same 
 family, with the same parents, living under the 
 same roof, eating the same food, how distinctly 
 each member of the household is separated from 
 the rest. We know each as soon as we see him. 
 It shows ns something of the wonderful construc- 
 tion of the eye, which reports to our vision even 
 the smallest differences between people. 
 
 5. But in no way is this difference in people 
 more marked than in the tone of the voice. Before 
 we even catch a glimpse of a person, we know who 
 it is from the sound of his voice. And remember 
 that the voice depends on the vibration of some 
 very small bits of cartilaginous membrane 
 stretched along the larynx. It would seem well- 
 nigh impossible to make any diversion here where 
 the space is so tiny, the membranes all of exactly 
 the same variety of tissue, placed in exactly the 
 same way in the throat. Yet not only does one 
 voice differ from another, but in the same throat 
 high tones differ from low tones, and one high or 
 low tone from all the others, enabling man to 
 elicit the wondrous music which enraptures us 
 when listening to a great singer, like McCormack 
 or Caruso, who recently died. Is not our God, 
 who made us, wonderful and mighty beyond the 
 power of words! 
 
THE PATH OF THE AIR 155 
 
 6. All should try to become good speakers. A 
 man or woman who can talk well in public is able 
 to wield a great power for good. But everything 
 worth while costs effort. We should be willing to 
 make the effort, since so much depends upon it. 
 Do not be discouraged if you have not a pleasing 
 voice. Very much may be accomplished by proper 
 training and cultivation, both in regard to singing 
 and to speaking. Some do not take the trouble 
 to speak distinctly, as a consequence their enun- 
 ciation is always poor. Demosthenes was one of 
 the greatest orators of Greece; he became such 
 through continued efforts, despite the great hand- 
 icap of stammering, which he had as a youth. 
 
 7. Eeading aloud in school or at home is one 
 of the best ways to improve the voice, if you are 
 careful to acquire the correct pronunciation of 
 each vowel. We should all learn to breathe prop- 
 erly: ^'To breathe well is to live well, to live 
 longer and better,'' someone has said. Many 
 people never use their lung capacity, because they 
 have never been obliged to take deep and full 
 breaths. All vigorous forms of exercise help to 
 develop the chest and to enlarge the lung space, 
 and thus to increase power and endurance in 
 speaking. Swimming is said to be one of the best 
 kinds of exercise for this purpose. Running is 
 
156 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 also splendid, for all runners are forced to use 
 their ' ^ second wind, ' ' which means that all the air 
 is renewed in the lungs as they run, not merely 
 the surface air at the top of the chest, as happens 
 in the case of those who never take exercise, nor 
 even practice deep breathing. 
 
 Using Their Second Wind at Fordham "Prep." 
 
 8. Proper breathing always expands the abdo- 
 men on account of the fact that when the lungs 
 are full, the diaphragm is pressed down upon the 
 abdominal organs and pushes them out. In this 
 way it acts as a form of massage for these organs, 
 especially for the stomach and liver, and thus is 
 also an effective aid to the circulation. It is an- 
 
THE PATH OF THE AIR 157 
 
 other example of the way one part helps another, 
 and of the wonderful harmony and coordination 
 which exist everywhere in the body. 
 
 9. When we breathe, the chest is enlarged, not 
 only by the descent of the diaphragm, which forms 
 its floor, but also by the elevation of the ribs and 
 breastbone. The ribs, you will remember, are 
 joined to the vertebrae in the back, and are con- 
 nected with the breastbone in the front by cartil- 
 ages, which have the power of bending. Two sets 
 of muscles are attached to the ribs, the inspira- 
 tory and the expiratory. The inspiratory muscles 
 raise the ribs, the expiratory muscles lower them, 
 thus tending to enlarge the chest cavity during 
 inspiration, and decrease it during expiration. 
 We do not have to think about all these move- 
 ments; they take place during sleep as well as 
 when we are awake. The process of breathing is, 
 therefore, somewhat like the automatic beating of 
 the heart. 
 
 10. The trachea extends from about the fifth 
 vertebra in the neck to the fifth in the chest. It 
 has throughout its length from sixteen to twenty 
 rings of cartilage, which hold it open. These 
 rings do not join in the back, however, and so 
 furnish no obstruction to the passage of food 
 down the esophagus, which is directly behind. 
 
158 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 11. The trachea divides into two tubes, which 
 are smaller editions of itself, called bronchi. The 
 inflammation of the tubes brings about the condi- 
 tion called bronchitis. When these tubes enter the 
 lungs they divide again and again, until they end 
 in little bunches of air sacs. The tissue of the 
 lungs is itself elastic, stretching as the air enters, 
 till it fills all the space in the chest, except that oc- 
 cupied by the heart. 
 
 12. The lungs are connected to the chest-wall 
 by a double sac, the pleura, one layer of which 
 covers the lungs, the other is attached to the chest- 
 wall. The insides of these sacs produce a small 
 amount of fluid, which prevents friction between 
 the lungs and the ribs, allowing one layer to move 
 upon the other without any difficulty. Dry pleu- 
 risy is the condition in which these two layers are 
 inflamed here or there, causing pain. In wet pleu- 
 risy the fluid increases to such a degree that it 
 partially fills up the sac and prevents the expan- 
 sion of the lung. It often is drawn off by tapping, 
 when it seriously interferes with breathing. 
 
 13. There is always a certain amount of pres- 
 sure in air, just as- there is in water. If you put 
 an empty glass or bottle under water, the pressure 
 immediately fills it with the liquid. In the same 
 way, wherever there is any space, the air pres- 
 
THE PATH OF THE AIR 
 
 159 
 
 sure at once fills it with air. ^^ Nature abhors 
 a vacuum." That is how we breathe. During 
 inspiration, the chest-wall is lifted and broadened 
 and the diaphragm is flattened. Into the enlarged 
 space the air pushes the lungs, and as they are 
 elastic, they expand without difficulty. When we 
 
 Columbus Day at Fordham University. 
 
 breathe forcibly, we stretch them still more, and 
 the air penetrates into the smallest sac. 
 
 14. We have learned that the blood from the 
 right side of the heart goes to the lungs through 
 a large artery, called the pulmonary artery. Just 
 as the bronchi divide and sub-divide in the lungs, 
 so the artery branches into innumerable capil- 
 laries, and these form a fine network all over the 
 
160 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 surface of the air sacs. If you picture the trachea 
 as a mighty oak, spreading its branches in all 
 directions, you may consider the capillaries as 
 vines which climb the tree, growing around the 
 limbs and even the smallest twigs. 
 
 15. In the small sub-divisions of the lungs, the 
 tissue is thinned out to the finest degree; in the 
 same way the capillaries which cluster over them 
 are so tiny that their walls are not more than one 
 cell thick. The blood does not actually leave the 
 capillaries, but the red cells within them have 
 the powder of attracting through the walls the 
 oxygen in the air, and as this is a gas, it passes 
 through without causing any damage to the fine 
 tissue of the lung or the blood vessel. Is not that 
 power of attraction a wonderful thing! We can- 
 not even see the difference in the gases which 
 are in the air; yet the red cells would seem to be 
 more clever than we, for they are able to sub- 
 tract from the air just the amount of oxygen 
 which is needed for the repair of some part of the 
 body, while we are not even conscious of the 
 process, despite our boasted wisdom. The more 
 we know, the more we realize how small is our 
 knowledge, compared with His, whose wisdom 
 formed us from clay and keeps us ever from de- 
 struction. When Pasteur, the ' ' Father of Modern 
 
THE PATH OF THE AIR 161 
 
 Medicine,'' was an old man, he said: ^^Tlie more I 
 learn, the nearer I approach the faith of a Breton 
 peasant. If I had only studied more, I should 
 be able to approach the faith of the Breton 
 peasant's wife." 
 
 16. Eemember also, the process is never-end- 
 ing. As soon as the blood takes the life-giving 
 oxygen to some worn-out cell, it picks up what 
 the tissue gives up as useless, and hurries it back 
 through the veins to the heart, to be pumped 
 again to the lungs, there to continue without los- 
 ing a second. What should we say to those people 
 who abuse their bodies in any foolish way, forcing 
 these tireless messengers in the blood to do more 
 than their allotted share of toil, in order to ward 
 off feebleness and disease from those who really 
 do not deserve such condescension on Grod's part? 
 
 QUESTION'S 
 
 1. What are "mouth-breathers"? Why is the name given 
 
 them? 
 
 2. What is the name of the tube that brings air to the lungs'? 
 
 Where is it placed? What is the epiglottis? Why is it 
 dangerous to talk and eat at once? 
 What does a cough mean? 
 
 3. What is the larynx? What does it contain? Why were 
 
 voices given to us? For what purpose should they not 
 be used? 
 
 4. What have you noticed about differences in people? 
 
162 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 5. What have you noticed about voices? What does this 
 
 show? 
 
 6. Is it well to learn to speak? Why so? Who became a 
 
 gTeat orator, though handicapped by stammering? 
 
 7. What is a good way to improve the voice? What exer- 
 
 cises are helpful? 
 
 8. How does the diaphragm affect the abdomen? 
 
 9. Describe the movements of the chest during breathing. 
 W^hat do the inspiratory muscles effect? The expiratory? 
 
 10. What do you know about the trachea? About its rings 
 
 of cartilage? 
 
 11. What are the bronchi? How do they divide? 
 
 12. What are the pleura? Distinguish between wet and dry 
 
 pleurisy. 
 
 13. How do we breathe? 
 
 14. How do the blood vessels reach the air sacs? 
 
 15. How does the oxygen in the air get into the blood? 
 
 16. How often does this process occur in a day? 
 
Chapter XVI 
 ARTIFICIAL BREATHING 
 
 1. Resuscitation, or artificial respiration, is the 
 process of restoring breathing, when once it has 
 stopped for any reason. The reason may be 
 drowning, gas asphyxiation, drugging, an electrical 
 shock or a blow (concussion). But whatever the 
 cause, the individual ceases to draw fresh air into 
 the lungs, therefore the blood is deprived of the 
 life-giving oxygen which the tissues need. There 
 are three methods of resuscitation, in all of which 
 the procedure is just the opposite of natural 
 breathing, that is, the lungs are filled with air by 
 positive pressure. 
 
 2. The method advocated by Hall consists of 
 placing the person face downward and rolling 
 the body from side to side, at the same time press- 
 ing upon the chest with the hands. 
 
 In the Sylvester method the person is placed 
 on the back, with a small cushion or a coat under 
 the shoulders. The one who is to undertake resus- 
 citation kneels behind the patient's head, and 
 
 163 
 
164 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 grasping his arms, brings them up above the 
 head, then downward, pressing them forcibly 
 against the sides of the chest. These movements 
 should be made slowly, not more than twelve times 
 a minute. This number is important, as most 
 
 Viewing a Fordham-Georgetown Football Game. 
 
 people in their eagerness to serve, will be over- 
 anxious. 
 
 3. Another method, which seems the simplest as 
 well as the safest, is described by Schaefer: ^^It 
 consists in putting the subject on the ground face 
 downward, with a thick folded garment under- 
 neath the chest and stomach. The operator puts 
 himself athAvart or at the side of the patient^ fac- 
 
ARTIFICIAL BREATHING 165 
 
 ing his head, and places his hands on each side 
 over the lower ribs at the back. He then slowly 
 throws the weight of his body forward to bear 
 upon his own arms, and thns presses upon the 
 chest of the subject, and forces the air out of the 
 lungs. This being effected, he gradually relaxes 
 the pressure by bringing his own body up again 
 to a more erect position, but without moving his 
 hands. These movements should be repeated 
 regularly twelve or fifteen times a minute, until 
 the person begins to breathe, or the prospect of 
 restoration is abandoned. A half hour or more 
 may be required before success is obtained." 
 
 4. Do not give up too soon. People who were 
 given up for dead have been restored by a con- 
 tinuation of the process by some one else. While 
 respiration is being established, the patient should 
 be freed of his garments, if they are wet, and the 
 circulation assisted by vigorous rubbing of the 
 extremities by other assistants. After breathing 
 becomes regular, give the patient hot coffee and 
 cover him with blankets 
 
 5. If the case seems hopeless, and you are not 
 sure that the person was baptized the Sacrament 
 of Baptism should be administered by any one of 
 those present who knows the simple formula. If 
 vou do not know it, look it up in your catechism. 
 
166 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 as you may at some time or other be the means 
 of sending some sonl to heaven nnder snch cir- 
 cumstances. In any case, send for a priest, if pos- 
 sible. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. What is resuscitation'? What may cause one to attempt 
 
 it? 
 
 2. What are the methods of resuscitation? 
 
 3. What is Schaefer's method? 
 
 4. How long should it be continued? Is there any other rem- 
 
 edy? 
 
 5. What should be done, if a case seems hopeless? 
 
Chapter XVII 
 THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 
 
 1. Have you ever been in a central telephone 
 office, and watched the numerous clerks receiving 
 and sending messages near and far across the 
 wires? Have you marvelled at their speed, and 
 thought what a wizard Mr. Edison must have 
 been to perfect the telephone to such an extent 
 that we may speak from New York to a friend 
 in Chicago almost as clearly as if he were in the 
 same room at home? What a revolution in the 
 business world has been produced by the intro- 
 duction of the telephone ! How slow and strange 
 life would seem now, if we w^ere suddenly de- 
 prived of the use of this instrument! 
 
 2. But wonderful as the telephone is, there must 
 be intelligent clerks, alert at their posts, to con- 
 nect the wires before the message can be sent. A 
 large force of men must be employed to keep 
 watch and restore anything broken or frayed. 
 The smallest part of the myriad workings of this 
 vast system must be kept in order or defects and 
 
 167 
 
168 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 annoying delays will resnlt. '^ Eternal vigilance 
 is the price of success," and though money is 
 ever pouring into the cotTers of the company 
 which controls the system, it also requires the 
 constant expenditure of much money, labor and 
 thought to bring satisfaction to oAvner and user 
 of the telephone. 
 
 3. There is something like a complicated tele- 
 phone system within the bodies of all of us, only 
 it is far more amazing than the most perfect tele- 
 phone ever invented. It is called the central nerv- 
 ous system, the chief station of which is within the 
 skull. It is also known as the cerebro-spinal sys- 
 tem, because its main line is made up of the brain 
 and the spinal cord. 
 
 4. Like all the important parts of the body, the 
 brain and spinal cord are enclosed in a delicate 
 sac, which, in their case consists of a triple cov- 
 ering, called the meninges. The ending, ^4tis,'' 
 always denotes inflammation, and so spinal men- 
 ingitis means the disease in which the covering of 
 the spinal portion of the nervous system is in- 
 flamed. Cerebro-spinal meningitis includes the 
 covering of the brain also. This inflammation 
 generally is due to some germ which penetrates 
 through the body until it can attack these delicate 
 membranes. 
 
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 
 
 169 
 
 Sagittal Section Through Head from Model. 
 
 A, Scalp; B, Skull Bone; C, Right Hemisphere of Brain; D, Medulla; E, 
 Cerebellum; F, Spinal Cord; G, Spinal Vertebra; H, Spinal Process; K, 
 Cartilage Packing; L, Nerves of Smell; M, Pharynx; N, Soft Palate 
 (Uvula); O, Tooth; P, Tongue; Q, Lower Jaw Bone; E, Epiglottis; S, 
 Larynx; T. Trachea; U, Esophagus, 
 
170 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 5. When a telephone company has established 
 itself in a neighborhood, another organization 
 sometimes obtrudes itself, endeavoring to draw 
 business away from the company that was first 
 in the field. In the body there is also a second 
 nervous system, lying outside the spinal column 
 instead of inside, but it is a good friend and aux- 
 iliary to the other, rather than a rival or antago- 
 nist. This second system is the sympathetic sys- 
 tem, and, together with some branches of the 
 other (which are concerned with the heart and 
 digestive organs), is also called the autonomic 
 system, because it controls the involuntary mus- 
 cles, or those not under the control of the will. 
 
 6. The central nervous system governs the 
 organs of sense. The voluntary muscles, which 
 are generally those muscles attached to the bones 
 of the skeleton, are called skeletal muscles. When, 
 for instance, we wish to move a hand, the brain 
 flashes the signal down through the cord and out 
 along the nerve of the arm, till it reaches those 
 particular muscles which move the hand in the di- 
 rection desired. But when food is passing along 
 the alimentary tract, it is the nerves from the 
 autonomic system that assist it on its journey and 
 urge on the various parts properly to perform 
 their digestive functions. 
 
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 171 
 
 7. The brain, or cerebrum, is the organ of the 
 higher faculties and feelings, such as the intellect 
 and will, which, however, being faculties of the 
 soul, are entirely distinct from the brain, even 
 though they use it as their instrument. If the cere- 
 brum is not developed sufficiently, or if it has been 
 injured, the individual becomes foolish or idiotic, 
 cannot reason or make up his mind to do things 
 easily within his powers. Does not this seem to 
 show that there really is no soul ; because if there 
 were, it could not be damaged by any injury or 
 deformity of the brain, since we claim that it is 
 spiritual? We do indeed claim that the soul is 
 spiritual or immaterial; that is, not made of 
 matter, such as that which composes the body; 
 but we do not say that it is a pure spirit, as an 
 angel is, who in no way depends on matter. God 
 made us a compound of soul and body in such a 
 manner that the body is held in life by the soul, 
 and the soul depends on the body for its opera- 
 tions. When a part is injured, therefore, the soul 
 cannot act through it, just as a boy cannot use a 
 broken hammer to drive a nail, though he knows 
 well how to use tools ; or a girl, though an expert 
 seamstress, cannot do good work with a bent or 
 blunt needle. 
 
 8. The two halves of the brain and the spinal 
 
172 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 cord are exactly alike, and nerves cross over from 
 one side to the other, so that there is constant 
 intercommnnication between the two : one helps 
 the other ; one takes up where the other leaves 
 off; what one is unable to do, for any special 
 
 Keystone View Co. 
 
 Every Nerve in Form. 
 
 reason, the other does ; an impulse started in one 
 is transmitted through the other to a whole series 
 of connecting links. On account of this wonderful 
 system's arrangement, when endowed with life, 
 we are able to appreciate at once that the little 
 finger which is cut belongs to our body, that it is 
 our foot which has been hurt, etc. Perhaps this 
 
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 173 
 
 is the first time you have thought of this fact ; but 
 it shows us clearly that there is some principle 
 within us that is the same in all parts of the 
 body. It is that thing which makes the foot 
 something entirely different from the shoe. It 
 lets the owner of the body know clearly that the 
 hand belongs to it as an integral part of the same 
 individual, whereas the glove is merely an exterior 
 addition. We say, '^my shoe,'' ^'my glove,'' etc.; 
 but we are well aware of the enormous difference 
 that exists between what we own, and what is 
 actually part and parcel of ourselves. 
 
 9. Some of the so-called scientists of modern 
 days have claimed that there are hundreds of 
 thousands of individualities inside us; that, in 
 fact, each cell has its own personality. But they 
 are saying such things merely in order to deny 
 the unity of the soul. Their lack of faith blinds 
 them to the fact of which Catholics are so vividly 
 aware. Catholics realize and acknowledge that 
 within us there are indeed different portions of 
 the body, many diverse cells (as many as 25,000,- 
 000,000,000,000), varied moods, myriad thoughts 
 and changing physical conditions. We are quite 
 unlike a jellyfish or a microbe. But we are even 
 more certain that it is not ^ ^ a stream of conscious- 
 ness" which holds us together; nor the mere 
 
174 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 *^ proximity of parts" which makes us one; but 
 that there is a central governing force which uni- 
 fies all parts, making them one and the same, 
 individual. 
 
 10. It is the nervous system which God ar- 
 ranged should be used by the soul as its chief 
 instrument to accomplish this astonishing fact, 
 and by means of it we work out our eternal sal- 
 vation. You sometimes see the triplet: 
 
 "Sow a thought, and reap an act. 
 Sow an act, and reap a habit. 
 Sow a habit, and reap a character." 
 
 But seldom is the fourth and most important line 
 added, which funs thus: 
 
 "Sow a character, and reap a destiny." 
 
 11. Without any doubt, we do form habits by 
 the succession of acts, and we become so accus- 
 tomed to their repetition that we cease to take any 
 notice of them. Thus the beginner's perform- 
 ances on the piano consist of slow and painful 
 placing of each finger on the white and black notes 
 of the keyboard. But after long practice the 
 hands of the musician sweep from end to end of 
 the instrument, slip from one delicious chord into 
 
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 175 
 
 another, without the necessity of glancing at them, 
 or even of thinking of them. 
 
 12. In similar fashion, we perform daily acts 
 of kindness until they occur spontaneously. We 
 keep on overcoming temptation, until what was 
 difficult becomes easy and pleasant and seems the 
 natural, as well as the supernatural thing to do. 
 Sometimes we become discouraged when we think 
 of the many things we must accomplish before we 
 can reach heaven; but we ought to remember 
 that when we are well advanced on the way, it is 
 really easier to continue straight forward, than to 
 turn around and deliberately face the open jaws 
 of hell. 
 
 13. We may have envied the ability of a Saint 
 Aloysius to pray for hours without a distraction. 
 But he accomplished this by repeated efforts 
 every day, until he acquired such splendid control 
 over his nervous system, that it resisted, rather 
 than welcomed, any outside influence, while his 
 mind was fixed on God and holy things. It is 
 similar to learning to skate. You receive a fine 
 pair of skates for Christmas, and rejoice that the 
 weather is cold enough to freeze the pond nearby. 
 With your best friend you run down to the shore, 
 then sit down to put on the skates, amid an ad- 
 miring group of the neighbor's children, who look 
 
176 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 as if they wished Santa Glaus had been equally 
 generous to them. The skates are buckled on; 
 3^ou stand up, striving to conceal the unexpected 
 trembling of your heart. Your instructor tells 
 you to '^strike out." You do not dare to disobey 
 Avith all those eyes upon you. You do strike out ; 
 immediately you fall down. You are picked up 
 and told to try again. You try again ; once more 
 you assume a sitting posture. If you are cow- 
 ardly, you will then give up and retire to the 
 safe shelter of the hearth. If you have the 
 normal share of pluck, however, you are not de- 
 terred by your falls, but keep on trying until you 
 are spoken of as the most graceful skater of 
 your age by your flattering relations, who fre- 
 quently come to the scene to witness your prowess 
 on the ice. 
 
 14. In obtaining facility in spiritual things, 
 much the same tactics are pursued. We daily do 
 pious things, until we become pious. We perform 
 humble things until we become humble. We keep 
 on obeying, until we become obedient. So of other 
 things ; and having thus formed habits by repeated 
 good actions, and having moulded sterling char- 
 acters by the attainment of many good habits, 
 death finds us at last with the characteristics of 
 saints and bears us away from this earth to be 
 saints forever with God in His home in heaven. 
 
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 
 
 177 
 
 15. Though the acquirement of any habit, bod- 
 ily or spiritual, involves the daily use of the 
 nerves, and the control of at least parts of the 
 nervous system, there is this important distinc- 
 tion between what is natural and what is super- 
 natural. In the weaving of our destinies, we do 
 
 A Happy Group on May-day. 
 
 not depend wholly on our own unaided efforts. 
 We know that God is everywhere; He sees all 
 our struggles ; He knows every one of our difficul- 
 ties. He not only has made us, but constantly 
 supports us in existence. There is nothing which 
 we attempt, for which He does not supply aid. 
 We cannot so much as move a hand without His 
 assistance. But when we do good and holy things, 
 
178 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 when we strive to avoid evil and to act in the way 
 which pleases Grod, when we endeavor to cultivate 
 virtues by being kind, truthful, generous and 
 charitable, — in a word, when we try to imitate 
 our Model, who was ^'meek and humble of heart," 
 then we have not only His ordinary cooperation 
 in the nervous system which He gave us, but 
 also those special helps and favors about which 
 we are taught in our catechism classes. 
 
 ;, QUESTIONS 
 
 . 1, 2. What is necessary to make the telephone system a suc- 
 cess? 
 
 3. Is there a system within us which corresponds to the tele- 
 
 phone system ? What is its name ? 
 
 4. What is the covering of the brain called *? 
 ; What is cerebro-spinal meningitis? 
 
 , 5. What is the second nervous system? Where is it? 
 
 6. What are the differences between the two nervous systems? 
 : 7. How much do the intellect and the will depend on the 
 ' brain? Are they identified with it? If the soul is dis- 
 
 tinct from the body, how is it that our mental state 
 seems to correspond to the condition of the brain? 
 
 8. What is the arrangement of the brain and the spinal cord? 
 
 Of what help is this arrangement to us ? 
 
 9. How many cells are there in the body ? Is our life a mere 
 
 stream of consciousness? How can you tell? 
 
 10. What part of the body does the soul use chiefly? 
 
 11. How do we learn? 
 
 12. What should this method tell us? 
 
 13. Give an example of what practice can do. 
 
 14. How are habits formed? 
 
 15. Is there any distinction between acquiring what is natural 
 
 and what is supernatural? What is the meaning of 
 "supernatural" ? 
 
Chapter XVIII 
 THE CENTRAL STATION 
 
 1. In proportion to his size, man has the big- 
 gest brain known. He alone has intelligence and 
 will-power. Animals have senses, feeling and in- 
 stinct to guide them, bnt not an intelligent soul 
 with its faculties, for they are not destined by the 
 Creator for the immortal existence which He has 
 granted to us. 
 
 2. The outside of the brain is called the cortex, 
 which is divided up into many ridges and fur- 
 rows, known as fissures and convolutions. It has 
 been found by experiments on animals, also from 
 necessary operations in the case of man, that 
 various localities in the brain are concerned with 
 the movements of various parts of the head and 
 body. Thus the area included within a few con- 
 volutions or fissures on the side of the head is 
 connected with taste, those above with hearing, 
 the ones behind with seeing; the area on the top 
 of the brain is concerned with the trunk, just be- 
 
 179 
 
180 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 low tMs is the area for the legs, underneath for 
 the arms, in the centre for the face, etc., as is ob- 
 served in a paralysis. One portion may be 
 injured and a deformity result, without any defect 
 necessarily occurring in any other part. Thus the 
 blood vessels, which supply the particular place 
 
 A Striking Pose. 
 
 where the nerves which control the motions of 
 one of the fingers originate, may be diseased for 
 some reason, with the result that the blood es- 
 capes into the surrounding tissue and blocks it 
 up. This will prevent the movements of that 
 finger, but leave all the others undamaged. A 
 hand area may be involved without any injury 
 
THE CENTRAL STATION 181 
 
 to the wrist or arm. A foot area may be unsound, 
 but no other deformity necessarily follows in the 
 leg. 
 
 3. If the damage is slight, the tissue may be 
 capable of being repaired; the area may recover 
 its usefulness, if not wholly, at least to some ex- 
 tent. Sometimes curious effects follow injuries 
 to small regions. After attacks of influenza some 
 patients are unable for a time to understand the 
 meaning of words which are spoken, while they 
 readily grasp their sense if written or printed. 
 This shows that the nerves of the hearing centre 
 were disturbed, while those of the seeing area 
 remained intact. 
 
 4. We often hear that old people suffer ''shock'' 
 or a ''stroke." This signifies that the brain tis- 
 sue in some area has been injured, generally 
 by the escape of blood from some break in a 
 blood vessel. It is often called, "a clot of blood 
 on the brain." If it is the part which controls 
 movements of the arm or leg, the person loses 
 power over that extremity, and is said to be 
 paralyzed, the extent of paralysis depending upon 
 the amount of damage. 
 
 5. The injury need not be in the brain itself 
 to produce such a result. It may also occur in the 
 cord. Thus in the disease called infantile paraly- 
 
182 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 sis, only that special part of the spinal cord from 
 which the nerves run to the leg or foot is affected, 
 with consequent inability to use that member. On 
 account of the crossing of the nerves from one 
 side to the other, it is the right side of the brain 
 which controls the left side of the body. After a 
 shock it has happened that the area itself re- 
 covers, while the nerves lose some of their con- 
 necting links, and the person makes peculiar 
 slips in speech as a consequence. Thus if he 
 wishes to say a word, like ''tree," for example, 
 he may say "house," or something else far re- 
 moved from what he intended. This shows what 
 an intricate machine the nervous system is, and 
 how delicate is its adjustment. 
 
 6. The speech-controlling centre is on the left 
 side of the brain on the under surface, in a con- 
 volution called the convolution of Broca, after 
 the man who described it. Mr. Edison has lately 
 placed the location of the soul here, as if 
 talkativeness were a sign of great spirituality. 
 The interesting thing to note is that if the left 
 side is injured, and the person is, therefore, un- 
 able to speak as a result, after a while the right 
 side takes up the duty, restoring the power of 
 speech. 
 
 7. Another interesting fact, which helps to re- 
 fute the doctrine of those who hold that man is 
 
THE CENTRAL STATION 183 
 
 descended from the monkey, is that in the mon- 
 key's brain there is a convolntion just like the 
 convolution of Broca; yet the monkey has never 
 been able to say one word, though men have 
 wasted years trying to teach it. On the other 
 hand, the cortex of the parrot's brain is quite 
 smooth, without a vestige of this convolution, yet 
 it can be taught to pronounce words. 
 
 8. The theory which Darwin taught, of man's 
 descent from apedom, is being discarded now- 
 adays, and other follies are substituted. For ex- 
 ample, a gorilla died recently in a circus in New 
 York; the following is taken from one of the ac- 
 counts of his death, written by a writer usually 
 very sagacious on other matters: ''You will be 
 told that his brain is like that of man in structure 
 and operation. For every bone in the human 
 skeleton, the gorilla's skeleton will show a bone 
 almost exactly similar. Some will say that this 
 proves that man descended from a monkey. But 
 it does not. Man grew up alongside the monkey, 
 and passed the monkey. He is constructed like 
 the monkey, because both had to fight the law of 
 gravitation." (But if man grew up .with the 
 monkey and both had the same laws to fight, why 
 should man surpass the monkey?) The writer 
 makes the statement, but offers no proof to sup- 
 port it. It is a sample of the absurd assertions 
 
184 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 made without any foundation by those who reject 
 the Biblical account of creation which, even from 
 the mere viewpoint of history, stands as sound 
 evidence. The article continues to scatter more 
 of the same kind of valueless foolishness. ^^Your 
 ear was once the gill on a fish, letting out the 
 water. Your five fingers come from the five-toed 
 foot of the salamander that lived millions of years 
 ago under the fern trees that produced the coal 
 beds." (And we are counted behind the times if 
 we refuse to accept this sort of wisdom which 
 has not a shred of proof to support it, preferring 
 to believe the inspired Word of God and the teach- 
 ing of His infallible Church. It only proves that 
 faith is a gift of God, and fortunate are we to 
 whom that gift has been given.) 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. What are some differences between man and animals? 
 
 2. What is the cortex, and into what is it divided? 
 
 Name a few areas of movement. If an injury occurs in 
 the brain, what is the usual result? 
 
 3. Give an example of the results of brain damage. 
 
 4. What is a shock or stroke? 
 
 5. For deformity, need the injury exist in the brain? 
 
 6. What is the convolution of Broca? What does Edison 
 
 attribute to it ? 
 
 7. What can be cited as a refutation of the theory of man's 
 
 descent from a monkey? 
 
 8. What do you think of the average proofs which are given 
 
 to throw discredit upon the Biblical account of creation? 
 
Chapter XIX 
 THE CARE OF THE NERVES 
 
 1. A very important part of the nervous sys- 
 tem is that which connects the brain and the spinal 
 cord. This is the medulla oblongata, where some 
 of the vital functions are centred. It is this spot 
 which the toreador strives to pierce with his 
 rapier when he delivers the death-blow to the poor 
 animal at the end of a bull-fight. Instant death 
 results from any injury to it. On the other hand, 
 large portions of brain or cord tissue may be 
 damaged without loss of life or even serious dis- 
 figurement. In the museum of a certain medical 
 school i^ exhibited the skull of a man, which shows 
 where a crowbar passed through from front to 
 back. The brain necessarily must have been ter- 
 ribly injured, but the man lived for some time 
 afterward. 
 
 2. When a man falls from a height and breaks 
 his neck, the vertebrae are fractured to such an 
 extent that the spinal cord is severed. This does 
 not produce death at once, but paralysis occurs 
 
 185 
 
186 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 / 
 
 / 
 1 
 
 ..-— 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 -' 
 
 \ 
 \ 
 
 ?/ ' 
 
 \ 
 \ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 / 
 
 <; 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 \ 
 
 ' 
 
 
 -1 
 
 / 
 
 / 
 
 / 
 
 * 
 
 The Cerebro-Spinal and Sympathetic Nervous Systems. 
 
THE CARE OF THE NERVES 187 
 
 below the point of injury. No messages can 
 travel from brain to arms or legs, consequently 
 the person cannot move them when he wishes. 
 
 3. There are twelve principal pairs of nerves 
 which come out from the brain. These are con- 
 nected with the senses and the chief organs in 
 the chest and abdomen. From the spinal cord 
 thirty-one pairs of nerves run out to all parts of 
 the body. The nerves are, for the most part, 
 made up of two fibres, one sensory and one motor. 
 Sensation travels in along the sensory track from 
 some place on the outside of the body, and the 
 answering impulse flies back along the other fibre 
 and produces motion. 
 
 4. We learned that the flesh everywhere is filled 
 with tiny branches of the arteries. The nerve 
 endings likewise are so fine and so universally 
 distributed that there is no spot anywhere in the 
 body which you can touch without pressing on a 
 nerve. 
 
 5. The nerve fibres are white, shining cords, 
 varying in size, from those which can be seen only 
 with the aid of a microscope to the large nerve 
 which runs down the leg from the hip to the ankle, 
 called the sciatic nerve, which is about a half inch 
 wide. When this nerve is inflamed it gives rise 
 to that extremely painful form of rheumatism 
 
188 HEAT.TH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 called sciatica. Everyone sooner or later strikes 
 at the elbow the place called the funny bone, or 
 the crazy bone, from the peculiar sensation 
 produced when it is hit. It is not the striking of 
 the bone there which causes the feeling, but the 
 irritation of the nerve which is close to the sur- 
 face at that point. This nerve is called the ulnar 
 nerve, because it follows along the ulnar bone, 
 which you will remember is one of the bones in 
 the forearm. Is it on the thumb, or the little 
 finger side? 
 
 6. The nerve fibres are covered by a thin 
 sheath. When the covering of one of the larger 
 nerves is attacked by some form of inflammation 
 we have the trouble known as neuritis. Neuralgia 
 is the word used to express irritation of finer bun- 
 dles of nerves in certain regions or areas. By 
 the common term, nervousness, is usually meant 
 that state of the nerves in which trifles upset too 
 easily that restful poise which most people pos- 
 sess, or that condition in which the ordinary 
 amount of self-control is lost. The individual al- 
 lows the imagination to have too great sway over 
 the actions, so that he is ruled by feeling and emo- 
 tion. This is more frequently the fault of the 
 female sex; when it occurs in the sterner sex, 
 the effects are more pronounced. 
 
THE CARE OF THE NERVES 
 
 189 
 
 7. If you are naturally nervous, you should 
 train yourself to overcome that habit while you 
 are young, or it will be a difficulty all through life. 
 It may be impossible to get rid of it completely, 
 but do what you can to work against it on all oc- 
 casions. If you will not try a thing just because 
 
 American Officers Coming from Church at 
 MoREuiL EN Dole. 
 
 you feel afraid, you will never accomplish much 
 for yourself or for God in this world, nor will 
 you have a harvest of good deeds to bear to the 
 next. Useless worries and needless fears are the 
 only things which deter a great many people from 
 making a success of life. If they had only made 
 proper use of their opportunities they might have 
 become great in the eyes of their fellows, they 
 
190 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 might have done heroic things for the spread of 
 Christ's kingdom on earth, and reached a high 
 plane of holiness for themselves; instead they 
 spend their days in idle inaction and fruitless 
 desires. The real reason of their failure is that 
 they have never acquired the amount of self-con- 
 trol that would have enabled them to act in spite 
 of their fears. Strength, courage, endurance may 
 come more easily to some than to others; but 
 unsuspected depths of these virtues are at the 
 disposal of any boy or girl who may wish to 
 mould them into their characters by repeated acts 
 until their nerves have acquired them as habits. 
 Do what you know is right, no matter how you 
 feel, or what you fear, and your life will be a 
 constant ascent in happiness as well as in holi- 
 ness. 
 
 8. Neurasthenia is the long word used to ex- 
 press a number of symptoms which indicate a seri- 
 ous breaking down of the force and energy which 
 should naturally accompany the normal working 
 of the nervous system. There is a break here or 
 there, a lack of continuity, an interruption in the 
 communication of the various branches of one 
 system; or the two main systems, the cerebro- 
 spinal and the autonomic, have lost their accus- 
 tomed harmony and cooperation. Neurasthenia 
 
THE CARE OF THE NERVES 
 
 191 
 
 means the depression of the nerves, just as debil- 
 ity means physical depression. It is usually the 
 result of living at too rapid a rate, *'of burning 
 the candle at both ends,'' of striving too strenu- 
 ously for things which are beyond one's mental 
 or physical resources. Be on your guard against 
 
 Peactice Gets the Nerves under Control. 
 
 it! It is a serious illness, known as the Ameri- 
 can disease, because in this, our country, life is 
 lived by many at such a rapid pace that the nerves 
 are not able to stand the strain. Have high ideals 
 and strive to live up to noble standards, but not 
 at the expense of the necessary share of sleep, 
 food and recreation. 
 
192 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 9. '' Health is above riches.'' Therefore do not 
 work too long; do not study too hard! Modera- 
 tion should be practised in everything. You can- 
 not have all the parts of the body working at top 
 speed at the same time. After meals you should 
 not try to study or to use the mind, because the 
 nerves of the alimentary tract are then busy pass- 
 ing the food along and stirring up the digestive 
 juices, while the blood is being sent to the same 
 regions to assist the nerves in doing their duty. 
 That means that the arteries going to the brain 
 have not the full amount of blood; therefore the 
 brain cells should not be called on to their utmost 
 working capacity. 
 
 10. Sleep is needed to reconstruct the worn-out 
 nerves, which are tired from the day's demands, 
 and require rest and quiet. Of course, as we 
 know, the heart goes on beating and the lungs 
 continue to do their work, even in the soundest 
 sleep ; that means that some of the nerves are then 
 vigilant. But with most of the body in repose, 
 without too much effort the blood can show more 
 care of the guardians of these vital functions, 
 and take the opportunities between beats and be- 
 tween breaths to furnish nourishment and repair 
 damages for these particular branches of the 
 nervous tissue. 
 
THE CARE OF THE NERVES 19S 
 
 11. The amount of sleep required varies with 
 age and with occupation. The young need more 
 than the old. The infant does little more than 
 wake up to be fed, to go to sleep again immedi- 
 ately. The growing child requires nine or ten 
 hours' sleep; an adult should have at least six, 
 better, seven or eight. 
 
 " Early to bed, early to rise, 
 Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise," 
 
 is an old adage, and contains advice much needed 
 nowadays, when the ^'children's hour" has been 
 put so far back that their parties and entertain- 
 ments rival their elders' in unhealthy excitement 
 and lateness in closing. Of course, those who do 
 not go to bed until midnight or after, find it hard, 
 or impossible, to get up for Mass in the morn- 
 ing. As a result their Holy Communions be- 
 come infrequent, and their devotion toward the 
 Blessed Sacrament gradually grows tepid and 
 cold. They wear out their nerves in a whirl of 
 gaiety, until there is nothing left in life by the 
 time they reach the age when they should really 
 enjoy it to the utmost. 
 
 12. Most leaders of men come from what is 
 called the middle class, for this reason. The chil- 
 dren of the rich have no incentive to labor, the 
 
104 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
THE CARE OF THE NERVES 195 
 
 brain and the nerves rust and lose their force 
 through disuse. How often do we hear of a man 
 who dies after a life of hard work, leaving an 
 honorable name, as well as a large fortune, to his 
 sons, whose brains and whose bodies have never 
 been trained to endurance, so that their unearned 
 wealth soon departs, and their health is also 
 wasted in spending it. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. What is the medulla oblongata ? Why is it of importance ? 
 
 2. What happens when a man breaks his neck? 
 
 3. What nerves come from the brain? from the spinal cord? 
 
 4. How widely distributed are the nerves? 
 
 5. Describe the appearance of nerves. How big are they? 
 What is the "crazy bone"? 
 
 6. What is neuritis? neuralgia? nervousness? 
 
 7. What usually causes nervousness? How can one get rid 
 
 of it? 
 
 8. What is neurasthenia? What causes this condition? 
 
 9. What precautions are to be taken in order to keep healthy? 
 
 10. What happens during sleep? 
 
 11. How much sleep is required? 
 
 12. Why do leaders usually come from the ''middle class''? 
 
Chapter XX 
 HOW DO NERVES ACT? 
 
 1. Precisely what the nature of a nervous im- 
 pulse is, has always been a subject of discussion. 
 This is naturally accounted for by what has been 
 said, for we know now that the nervous system is 
 the instrument for the expression of all the mani- 
 festations of life within us, but that God has not 
 yet explained fully to man what life really is. 
 
 2. Before men knew much about the construc- 
 tion of the body, it used to be thought that the 
 nerves were hollow tubes, through which flowed 
 animal spirits in the form of a gas. There were 
 four kinds of these spirits. The temperament or 
 disposition of an individual depended upon the 
 particular variety floAving through the fibres of 
 the nervous system. The four spirits described 
 were these: 
 
 1. Phlegmatic, i.e., even-tempered, gentle, cool. 
 
 2. Melancholic, i.e., sad, pessimistic, gloomy. 
 
 3. Irascible, i.e., irritable, sensitive, impatient. 
 
 4. Sanguine, i.e., ardent, optimistic, hopeful. 
 
 196 
 
HOW DO NERVES ACT? 
 
 197 
 
 Can you pick your own character from such a 
 list? When you do, you know that it does not 
 come from any spirits in the nerves, though the 
 nerves have much to do with character. 
 
 3. According to other writers, the nerve force 
 was a fluid, somew^hat similar to water. Later, 
 
 FoEDHAM University Campus on July Fourth. 
 
 when electricity was discovered, many scientists 
 held that it was of exactly the same nature as 
 the nerve impulse. A noted French physiologist 
 wrote a book, in which he expanded this view 
 into a theory which was adopted by nearly all 
 outside the infallible Church. Nowadays most 
 scientific people have rejected this opinion, and 
 have given up the attempt to solve the difficulty. 
 
198 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 just as they have learned how to make use of 
 electricity, without discovering what its nature is. 
 
 4. It would seem equally, or even more impos- 
 sible to analyze the nerve impulse. Study a re- 
 flex action, for example. A reflex action is the 
 nervous impulse which travels along a sensory 
 flbre to some station inside the body, where it is 
 transferred back along the motor fibre, causing 
 motion, without any desire or even consciousness 
 on our part. Such a station may be compared to 
 a sub-station of the telephone system. The mind 
 is located in the brain, the principal station; but 
 Ave do not have to call on it to have mere local 
 calls sent. 
 
 5. Suppose you should accidentally put your 
 hand in the steam from a kettle, merrily boiling 
 on a red-hot stove. You do not need to look at 
 the stove to observe that it is hot and that steam 
 is coming from the kettle ; then gaze at your hand, 
 remark that it is being burned and decide to 
 remove yourself from the vicinity of the fire be- 
 fore further injury occurs. If you were obliged 
 to go through this process, serious damage, even 
 loss of life, would often happen. Instead, the 
 sensation caused by the heat travels along one 
 nerve into the nearest sub-station; the answering 
 impulse along its mate jerks the hand away from 
 
HOW DO NERVES ACT? 190 
 
 the danger before you have any time to think 
 about it. 
 
 6. Imagine this case: A window cleaner is 
 standing on the ledge outside a window of the 
 twentieth floor of a high building, using both 
 hands at his work. Suddenly a puff of wind blows 
 his cap off. He reaches for the cap, loses his 
 
 Column Right. 
 
 balance on the ledge and falls off, as one hand 
 grabs the cap; but the other grasps the edge of 
 the ledge, preventing his fall to the ground. How 
 many reflex actions occur in such a situation, do 
 you think? Do you suppose his guardian angel 
 had anything to do with saving his life ? 
 
 *^He hath given His angels charge over thee 
 . . . lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. (Ps. 
 xc. 11, 12). 
 
 7. Place yourself in this situation: you are 
 
200 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 crossing a thoroughfare ; suddenly a horn shrieks 
 and a chauffeur shouts at you, as you jump back 
 out of the way of a motor car which flies past. 
 As you jump, you turn your face tpwards the 
 car with a look of mingled alarm and annoyance, 
 which changes into a smile as you recognize the 
 occupants, and your hand waves in return to their 
 bow of friendly greeting, before you start forward 
 again. How many reflex actions can you count 
 here? 
 
 8. It is reflex action that accounts for digestion, 
 circulation, respiration, winking, coughing, sneez- 
 ing. Some acts begin as voluntary ones, and 
 therefore originate in the brain; later, when the 
 parts acquire the habit, lower sub-stations take 
 care of them without troubling the higher cen- 
 tres. In this way occur such actions as walking, 
 skating, swimming, dancing, bicycling, motoring, 
 playing any game or instrument, in fact, most of 
 the bodily movements that we are making contin- 
 ually every day. 
 
 9. The only explanation of all such actions can 
 be the living principle which animates the body 
 and which uses the nerves as its instrument. You 
 may take a dead body, with all the structures per- 
 fectly preserved, and place it in any situa- 
 tion, but nothing happens. The only reason can 
 
HOW DO NERVES ACT? 
 
 201 
 
202 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 be because life is absent. Now life is simply the 
 manifestation of the soul, from which all vital 
 actions proceed. We cannot, indeed, perceive the 
 soul with any of the ^ve senses, because the soul 
 is spiritual; therefore, while we can see what it 
 does, we cannot see hoiv it acts. Those who deny 
 the existence of the soul can offer no sufficient ex- 
 planation for the many and varied acts with 
 which our days are filled. Life implies action, 
 self-orginating action betokens life, the acts of 
 life show forth the soul. 
 
 PAIN 
 
 10. Pain is caused by the irritation of some 
 nerve. Most people fear pain and try to escape 
 it in every manner possible. Yet pain is a great 
 benefit. Some of those who have done most for 
 mankind, leaders in every sphere of life, have 
 been sufferers in one form or another. Of the 
 writers, there are Keats and Robert Louis Steven- 
 son, both of whom were consumptive ; Sir Walter 
 Scott, who suffered for years from agonizing 
 cramps ; George Eliot, who was ill off and on dur- 
 ing her entire life; Boyle, Descartes and Male- 
 branche. There were Kepler, Saunderson, D'Al- 
 embert, all great scientists, though also great 
 
HOW DO NERVES ACT? 203 
 
 sufferers from pain. Among the artists were 
 Watteau, Beardsley, Navarette ; of the musicians 
 Chopin, Schubert, Beethoven, Schumann; of the 
 physicians there were many, who, though them- 
 selves invalids, worked for the health of others, 
 of whom the greatest was Louis Pasteur. So 
 the list runs through every branch and pro- 
 fession. 
 
 11. We naturally expect to find many among 
 the saints, and are not disappointed in our search. 
 In fact, it is hard to find a saint who does not seem 
 to desire to ''suffer or to die," the daily prayer 
 of St. Teresa. You will also remember St. Cath- 
 erine, to whom was given the choice between two 
 crowns, one of roses, the other of thorns, the 
 latter of which she freely chose. Why! 
 
 12. Physically, pain helps us, by warning us of 
 what would otherwise harm us. It is like a red 
 flag, or an alarm bell, indicating danger. Morally, 
 it is also good for us, as it supplies opportunities 
 for cultivating virtues which can be developed in 
 no other way. A person who never has any hard 
 things to bear, remains weak, soft and unstable. 
 Most of all, it provides a chance to resemble our 
 Blessed Lord, who ennobled pain and glorified it 
 forever, by the painful shedding of His Precious 
 Blood as the price of our salvation. 
 
204 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. Why is the nature of the nerve impulse a subject of fre- 
 
 quent discussion? 
 
 2. What used to be thought of the nerves? 
 
 How many spirits were thought to be in the body? De- 
 scribe the various kinds. 
 
 3. What later views were held of the nerves? 
 
 4. What is a reflex action? 
 
 5. How important is such an action? Give some examples. 
 
 6. Cite some cases of reflex actions. 
 
 8. What other acts are explained in this way? 
 
 9. What is life? Why cannot the soul be perceived by the 
 
 senses ? How can we know it exists, if we cannot see it ? 
 
 10. What is pain? Of what use? Name some sufferers who 
 
 accomplished something noteworthy in spite of afflictions. 
 
 11. What is the practice of saints in this regard ? 
 
 12. How does pain help us, physically and spiritually? 
 
Chapter XXI 
 OVERWORKING THE NERVES 
 
 1. There are certain things which overstimu- 
 late the nerves and canse them to be overworked. 
 Moderation is best in everything, in food, in cloth- 
 ing, in play, in study, in conversation, in work. 
 Too much food is as bad as too little. The former 
 taxes the digestive system beyond its capabilities, 
 the latter starves it into uselessness. Excess in 
 the matter of dress partakes of the spirit of 
 paganism and detracts from Christian humility 
 and modesty. It would be amusing, if it were not 
 sad, to consider that the present feminine style 
 of bunching the hair above each cheek came from 
 a notorious Parisian dancer, who covered her ears 
 in order to conceal their deformity. 
 
 2. If there is too much play, nothing is ever 
 accomplished. Too much study results in ill- 
 health. Too great prominence in conversation 
 makes the talker undesirably conspicuous; and 
 the continual interjection of slang phrases shows 
 
 205 
 
206 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 a lamentable acquaintance with good language 
 and grammar. 
 
 "All work and no play, 
 Makes Jack a dull boy," 
 
 is an axiom that explains itself. 
 
 Keystone View Co. 
 
 Over the Top. 
 
 3. So it is with the nerves. Lack of exercise 
 makes them feeble. Overstimulation wears them 
 out. Muscular exercise does not do this, because 
 the sense of fatigue makes one stop and rest. But 
 there are certain things which give a false sense 
 of well-being, while actually causing degeneration. 
 Such are alcohol, tobacco and drugs. 
 
 4. Alcohol is not a food, but a poison. Some- 
 
OVERWORKING THE NERVES 207 
 
 times poisons are needed, as strychnine, when the 
 heart is weak ; but we do not take poison through 
 choice. Over and over again, it has been proved 
 that men are much stronger and able to do better 
 work when they do not drink. 
 
 This does not mean that the use of wine in it- 
 self is sinful. It is wise to have clear ideas on this 
 point. We know that at the marriage feast of 
 Cana, our Blessed Lord changed water into wine 
 for the pleasure of the guests. At 'Hhe Last, 
 sad Supper with His own," He instituted the 
 wondrous Sacrament of the Blessed Eucharist by 
 changing bread into His Sacred Body and wine 
 into His Precious Blood. Every morning's Mass, 
 which is a commemoration of that stupendous 
 event, and an unbloody repetition of the supreme 
 sacrifice of the cross, requires the presence of 
 both substances, wine as well as bread. 
 
 Moreover, alcoholic beverages are useful, even 
 necessary, in cases of ill-health; so that many 
 physicians deplore the pernicious results to the 
 sick which prohibition has produced and are try- 
 ing to bring about some modification in the legis- 
 lation. 
 
 It is, however, undoubtedly true that the prac- 
 tice of excessive drinking has been productive of 
 untold misery, and that, generally, people are 
 
208 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 much better off when they do not use liquor in 
 any form as a beverage. It is to guard against 
 its possible evil effects, and to show what great 
 harm it may produce in the opinion of some noted 
 men. that the quotations following are cited. 
 
 The Junior Campus at Georgetown University. 
 
 5. Mr. Taft, the former President, present 
 Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United 
 States, stated on one occasion: ''He who drinks 
 is disqualifying himself for any advancement in 
 life. I refuse to take such a risk, and therefore 
 do not drink.'' In the great European War re- 
 cently, it was found that drinking impeded the 
 efficiency of the soldiers very much, and so pro- 
 
OVERWORKING THE NERVES 209 
 
 hibition became imperative in all onr armies. A 
 Doctor Williams, who made a careful investiga- 
 tion of this subject, has this to say to all those 
 who use alcohol in any form: ^'I am bound to be- 
 lieve in the light of what science has revealed: 
 
 (1) That you are threatening the physical 
 structures of your stomach, your liver, your kid- 
 neys, your heart, your blood vessels, your nerves, 
 your brain; 
 
 (2) That you are decreasing your capacity for 
 Yv^ork in any field, be it physical, intellectual, or 
 artistic ; 
 
 (3) That you are in some measure lowering the 
 grade of your mind, dulling your higher aesthetic 
 sense, and taking the finer edge off your morals ; 
 
 (4) That you are distinctly lessening your 
 chances of maintaining health and attaining lon- 
 gevity; and 
 
 (5) That you may be entailing upon your de- 
 scendants yet unborn a burden of incalculable 
 misery." 
 
 6. Almost every boy, as soon as he reaches his 
 teens, is apt to think it would be smart to smoke, 
 w^hereas he would prove his real worth by refus- 
 ing to do what he knows is wrong for him, and he 
 shows his cowardice when he yields weakly to the 
 ridicule of others. Judge Lindsey of the Juvenile 
 
^10 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 Court of Colorado, Avho is known as the ^' Boys' 
 Friend/' makes this remarkable statement about 
 smoking: "I have been in the Juvenile Court 
 nearly ten years, and in that time I have had to 
 deal with thousands and thousands of boys who 
 have disgraced their parents and themselves, and 
 brought sorrow and misery into their lives; and 
 I do not know of any one habit that is more re- 
 sponsible for the troubles of these boys than the 
 vile cigarette habit.'' These are strong words, 
 but they should be weighed well by every boy, and 
 brought to mind when tempted to smoke or to 
 drink by some companion who is foolish or 
 vicious. 
 
 7. Wait until you are twenty-one before you 
 begin to smoke, and then you are not so liable 
 to develop ''smoker's heart," which is a very 
 serious affection of the heart, due to tobacco. Ask 
 the men who have succeeded in breaking off the 
 habit of years whether or not they would go back, 
 and you will find in every instance that they feel 
 like free men at last. 
 
 8. It certainly seems strange to say a word to 
 girls on the subject of smoking, but unfortunately 
 it is a practice which is becoming rather common 
 among them. Just because some men smoke is no 
 reason why women should. Men do many things 
 
OVERWORKING THE NERVES 211 
 
 Wide World Photos 
 
 A Flying Leap With Every Nerve Taut. 
 
212 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 whieh women do not do, just as women do many 
 things which men do not. Remember that a gen- 
 tleman regards a woman as belonging to an order 
 higher than his own, and loses all respect for her, 
 if she insists on losing her womanly charm by 
 adopting the manners of the ^^fast set." Tobacco 
 has an etTect even worse on women than on men, 
 and in most cases leads sooner or later to the 
 adoption of the alcohol or the drug habit. 
 
 9. The drug habit is almost the worst thing pos- 
 sible that can happen to anyone. More than any- 
 thing else, drugs destroy brain power, make the 
 nerves unsteady and unreliable, weaken the heart 
 and reduce the strength. But most of all, they 
 kill all higher feelings and ruin the moral char- 
 acter. The drug addict will lie, steal and commit 
 any crime, in order to obtain the drug for which 
 his nervous system is clamoring. Many of the. 
 most hardened criminals admit that their down- 
 fall in life was due to the practice of taking drugs. 
 Morphine, opium, heroin, cocaine, — these are the 
 drugs usually taken; but of late years, heroin is 
 the chief one used. Vile men will give this drug 
 to boys until they acquire the craving, when they 
 make the boys buy it at fabulous prices. 
 
 10. Some people acquire this dreadful habit 
 through taking patent medicines, which contain 
 
OVERWORKING THE NERVES 213 
 
 alcohol or some drug. Morphine fiends are some- 
 times the direct outcome of the prescription of 
 the drug by a physician for some illness ; the pa- 
 tient continues its use after he has recovered. 
 Beware of all patent medicines. Remember that 
 those who manufacture them are doing so in order 
 to make money, not because they have such a love 
 of their fellow men as their advertisements would 
 lead one to suppose. 
 
 11. It may seem strange to class tea and coffee 
 under the heading of drugs, but that is really 
 where they belong. They both contain a drug 
 which stimulates the nerves, and although grown 
 people may take it without apparent harm, it is 
 very inadvisable to give it to children, as it pro- 
 duces nervousness, irritability and frequently 
 headaches. The drug has an effect similar to that 
 of the whip upon a tired horse, and those who 
 constantly whip their horses must expect them to 
 become useless in a short time. Milk is the safest 
 and most nourishing beverage for all young 
 people. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. Why is moderation in all things the best policy? 
 
 2. Give examples of moderation. 
 
 , 3, Why does not muscular exercise wear out the nerves? 
 
214 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 4. What substances cause degeneration of the nerves'? 
 
 5. Give your opinion of the use of alcohol. 
 State the views of prominent men. 
 
 6. What do you think of smoking? Should the average boy 
 
 or girl indulge in it? Why? 
 
 7. Is the drug habit harmful? Why? 
 
 8. How is it often acquired? What do you know of patent 
 
 medicines ? 
 
 9. Are tea and coffee safe beverages for all? 
 
Chapter XXII 
 THE MASTERY OF THE NERVES 
 
 1. Nerve tissue is found in two forms, nerve 
 fibres and nerve cells. The cells are like bodies 
 from which the fibres run off like long, slender 
 branches or arms, to a muscle or some other 
 bodily structure. They frequently connect with 
 the arms from other cells, and while they do not 
 join the latter, come so close that the impulse 
 travels from one to the other, almost as the spark 
 jumps from one electric wire to another. 
 
 2. A cell with its branches is called a neuron. 
 It consists of a clear, jelly-like substance, which 
 is the most wonderful substance known. Proto- 
 plasm is its name ; it looks simple, but it really is 
 so complex that it cannot be analyzed by the most 
 expert chemist. Nothing like it has ever been, 
 and probably never will be, made by man. 
 
 3. If a fibre is cut, the part no longer connected 
 with the cell begins to degenerate, and the muscle 
 to which it ran cannot move. This clearly shows 
 that it is the nerve through which the motive 
 
 215 
 
216 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 power is supplied, as everything else, — the skin, 
 the muscular tissue, the blood vessels, all remain 
 the same as before. If the two cut ends of the 
 fibre are joined at once, they will usually grow 
 together again. This may be seen at times in a 
 bad cut in the wrist, in which the nerves going to 
 the fingers are severed. All motion of the fingers 
 is immediately lost; but if the surgeon is skilful, 
 he may reunite the fragments and hold them in 
 place with sutures. Then the tiny blood vessels 
 begin their work of healing, and motion is soon 
 restored. It has happened, after such an accident, 
 that a careless surgeon has brought together the 
 wrong ends of the fibres, with the result that after 
 the cut has healed, the person may wish to move 
 the little finger, for example; but the impulse 
 travels down from the brain and out along the 
 fibre to the place of union, then to the other finger 
 to which the cut end has been joined by mistake, 
 so that this is the finger moved, instead of the one 
 desired. 
 
 4. A somewhat similar thing occurs not infre- 
 quently after one of the extremities has been re- 
 moved in an accident or an operation. All the 
 nerves have been cut, but the upper portions go- 
 ing to the spinal cord, have not, of course, been 
 removed. The cut ends may become caught in the 
 
THE MASTERY OF THE NERVES 217 
 
 healing of the scar, and the irritation causes the 
 same sensation to the person which he formerly 
 experienced when the amputated part was actu- 
 ally touched; so that he now thinks the pain is in 
 his foot or arm, as the case may be, and he asks 
 to have that part made comfortable, when it is 
 no longer there. 
 
 5. Doctors made use of this fact after the Great 
 
 Perfect Form. 
 
 War in restoring usefulness to crippled soldiers. 
 A soldier came to one of the big New York hos- 
 pitals with his arm all shattered by a shell. It 
 was absolutely useless and had to be removed. 
 The only sound thing left was four inches of the 
 bone, with the shoulder muscles covering it. An 
 artificial arm was fitted to the stump in such a 
 way that wires were put through holes made in 
 the muscle, and connected to the artificial fingers. 
 
218 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 The upper ends of the nerves which formerly had 
 gone down the arm to the man's fingers had not all 
 degenerated nor atrophied entirely, but were still 
 in the cut muscles. These muscles are voluntary; 
 when the soldier wished, the impulse traveled 
 along the nerves to make the muscle fibres con- 
 tract, and the contraction pulled upon the wires 
 which connected with the fingers, making them 
 move also. After some months of practice, the 
 man was able to control these artificial fingers to 
 such an extent that he could use a hammer and 
 drive a nail. Many similar, amazing things were 
 done in the various reconstruction hospitals, so 
 that even those terribly maimed and mutilated 
 were able to become self-supporting, in many in- 
 stances. 
 
 6. This should give us an idea of how much we 
 can accomplish, even if Grod has asked us to be- 
 come like Him, ^^who having joy set before him, 
 endured the cross, despising the shame'' (Heb. 
 xii. 2), and has visited us with some affliction. 
 It is remarkable how much can be done, once we 
 really make an effort. Some of us may have seen 
 people who were deprived of both hands yet 
 learned to play the violin and to paint and do 
 other things, by training the nerves of the feet. 
 
 7. It also shows quite clearly how much is ex- 
 
THE MASTERY OF THE NERVES 219 
 
 pected from those who are physically and men- 
 tally perfect. You remember the parable in 
 Scripture, where our Divine Lord speaks of the 
 stewards to whom were confided different num- 
 bers of talents. ^ ^ To whom much has been given, 
 much is expected. ' ' Unless we use all our gifts of 
 mind and body for God, the evil one will help us 
 to put them to a wrong use, for it is an old saying 
 that ^ ^ The devil finds work for idle hands to do. ' ' 
 
 8. To accomplish anything well, we must learn 
 to concentrate. That means the ability to fasten 
 the attention on one thing at a time, and thus pre- 
 vent dissipation of nervous energy by scattering 
 it uselessly in many directions. We do this un- 
 consciously when we become interested in any- 
 thing. When, for example, we are absorbed in the 
 fascinating plot of a story, the noises outside in 
 the street, the ringing of bells, the chatter of 
 voices, even the imperious demands of hunger, 
 may be altogether unnoticed. At such a time, 
 however, there is nothing wrong with the nerves 
 of the stomach or of the ears, but we have with- 
 drawn our attention from them completely, so that 
 we pay no heed to their stimulation. 
 
 9. In the same way, we may be able to hear one 
 of the many instruments in an orchestra by ne- 
 glecting the music of all the others. The proper 
 
220 
 
 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 way to use the microscope is not to close one eye, 
 and squint with the other, as most beginners do, 
 but leaving both eyes wide open, to concentrate 
 the interest so jfirmly on what the eye beholds in 
 the field of the microscope, that what the other eye 
 
 X-Ray of a Hand. 
 
 records from outside is absolutely disregarded. 
 In like manner, we may hear but one voice in a 
 large choir, we may see but one face in a crowd, 
 we may scent the sweet fragrance of one favorite 
 flower in a bouquet. 
 
 10. Such concentration is practised by all suc- 
 cessful men and women to a greater or less ex- 
 tent. It is necessary for the acquirement of any- 
 
THE MASTERY OP THE NERVES £^1 
 
 thing worth Avhile. It enables, a boy or girl who 
 really wants to learn, to perform the assigned 
 lessons, no matter how insistently the outdoors 
 may clamor in the springtime, no matter how 
 many voices are engaging others in the class- 
 room, no matter how interesting are the story- 
 books lying in the immediate vicinity. It is a 
 good thing to practise it while young, so as to be 
 able to use it well in later life. ^^ Practice makes 
 perfect,'' and ^4f at first you don't succeed, try, 
 try again." 
 
 11. It is mastery of this quality that enables 
 the nun, kneeling in prayer before the Blessed 
 Sacrament, to banish all the distractions of earth 
 and breathe the very atmosphere of heaven. By 
 the possession of this most valuable habit, and 
 with the aid of God's grace, which He will never 
 deny, you will be able to conquer all temptation, 
 and remain calm and unruffled in the very midst 
 of a surging sea of difficulties. 
 
 12. How is such a gift obtained? What does it 
 mean! It consists of nerve control. The higher 
 faculties rule, the lower are constrained to obey. 
 The soul is master, as it should be; the body is 
 the servant. Sense allurement, the siren's sug- 
 gestions, the inducements of false friends, worldly 
 advantage, feelings, hopes, ambitions, imagina- 
 
222 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 tion 's vivid play, — one and all are dominated and 
 held in check by the nerves, which are directed 
 and guided by the intellect and will, like reins in 
 the hands of a man who drives a team of superb 
 horses, harnessed to his fragile chariot, carefully, 
 fearlessly, unerringly. 
 
 13. This is, of course, the ideal, and was real- 
 ized perfectly in the case of our dear Lord, Jesus 
 Christ. Our Blessed Lady was the only one who 
 resembled her divine Son in this absolute domin- 
 ion over self; but we all should do what we can 
 by never-ending attempts and by daily prayers 
 to approach that ideal as nearly as possible. If 
 we have won the victory on our deathbeds, we 
 shall thank God for all eternity. 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. In what forms is nerve tissue found? 
 
 2. What is a neuron? What is protoplasm? 
 
 3. What happens to a nerve fibre when it is cut? to the 
 
 muscle to w^hich it went? Can the cut ends be joined? 
 What may happen when joining the ends? 
 
 4. What often hapjpens after an amputation? 
 
 5. What can be done after amputation? 
 
 6. What lesson does this bear for all of us? 
 
 7. Why must we try to do our best? 
 
 8. What is concentration? How obtained? 
 
 9. Give examples of it. 
 
 10. Is concentration necessary? Why? 
 
 11. What can you say about temptation? 
 
 12. What does the possession of concentration imply? 
 
Chapter XXIII 
 THE END AND THE BEGINNING 
 
 1. In an ordinary book on Hygiene it is not 
 nsual to treat of the subject of death, but we may 
 be allowed to say a few words about it here, since 
 for Catholics ^^ right living'^ is merely the prep- 
 aration for the great moment of our departure 
 from this world, and ' ' right dying ' ^ is a matter of 
 supreme importance to us, for we know that our 
 whole eternity depends upon it. 
 
 2. To many a modern scientist death is simply 
 the cessation of all bodily activity, the complete 
 stopping of the physical and chemical processes 
 which are called life. The scientist's interest 
 ceases at that point, which for him, who recog- 
 nizes not the soul, means oblivion, annihilation, — 
 the end of everything. 
 
 3. But for us death means the beginning of 
 everything; it is the goal towards which all our 
 endeavors in life have led. It is the end of a 
 shadowy life, but the beginning of real life with 
 
 223 
 
224 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 our God, ''whom here we see but as in a glass 
 darkly, but there face to face.'' 
 
 4. Death is the separation of the body from the 
 soul which inhabited it, and which gave it life. 
 Without the soul, the body was helpless and could 
 do nothing; when the soul leaves it and thus de- 
 prives it of all sustaining and vital powers, it 
 ceases to be a body and becomes a corpse. A 
 corpse is merely a collection of various bony, 
 muscular and nervous tissues and cells, held to- 
 gether for a time by the force of the position 
 w^hich the soul had stamped upon them, and by 
 the chemical and physical laws which the Author 
 of nature has arranged. But shortly these yield 
 to the inevitable law of all matter, and the vari- 
 ous organs and structures fall apart, decay and 
 return to the earth from which they were made. 
 
 5. When the priest puts the ashes upon your 
 forehead on Ash Wednesday morning, he says 
 ''Eemember, man, that dust thou art, and unto 
 dust, thou shalt return." As soon as life departs 
 with the soul, therefore, the corpse begins to 
 corrupt ; and soon it has to be buried in the earth, 
 there to await the trumpet-call of the Archangel 
 on the last day of the world, when all bodies shall 
 rise and be again united to the souls. The bodies 
 of the just shall be glorious and shining with 
 
THE END AND THE BEGINNING 
 
 ^^5 
 
 light, and shall stand in the splendor of the right 
 side of the Judge; the bodies of the wicked shall 
 be frightful and hideous, and shall shrink to their 
 place in the dark shadow of the left. 
 
 6. Cremation means the burning of the corpse. 
 Crematories are frequently found attached to 
 
 Death on the Field of Honor. 
 
 Protestant cemeteries. Never are they found in 
 Catholic grave-yards, which in olden times were 
 always grouped around the church, and called af- 
 fectionately "God's Acre.'' During life the 
 church has been the strength of those whose bodies 
 are lying there. It would be their protection after 
 death, and a guarantee of respect and veneration 
 for them. The practice of cremation has not been 
 
HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 tolerated by the Catholic Church, as it considers 
 such a practice an unworthy method of treating 
 the former habitation of the soul, which was 
 stamped with the Precious Blood of Christ, and 
 so often was the recipient of His sacraments. 
 The Sacred Body of our Lord was also buried in 
 the earth, and we place our dead there in imitation 
 of His burial. 
 
 7. Without the body the soul could not act dur- 
 ing life. The body was the instrument by which 
 it worked out its salvation, or brought it to repro- 
 bation. The soul was not created with ideas and 
 thoughts, but was endowed with intellect, memory 
 and will, which had to be gradually developed by 
 the use of the senses which belonged to the body. 
 ''It is appointed unto man once to die, and after 
 death, judgment'^ ; when the proper time comes, 
 therefore, the soul leaves the companion of its 
 earthly pilgrimage, and goes alone to render an 
 account of the use it has made of that companion 
 to the supreme Judge, ''who can neither deceive 
 nor be deceived.'' 
 
 8. The exact instant when the soul departs is 
 one of the secrets God keeps to Himself. It 
 seems as if the two partners could not bear to 
 be torn apart. The soul clings to the innermost 
 embraces of the body until it is forcibly driven 
 
THE END AND THE BEGINNING 227 
 
 forth. The external surfaces, the sense impres- 
 sions, visible breathing and the circulation of 
 blood, — all may indicate apparent death, but at 
 times persons in such a condition have been re- 
 vived, showing that the soul had done nothing 
 more than withdraw the usual outward manifes- 
 tations of its presence. This is a point to bear 
 in mind, and in all cases of sudden and unexpected 
 death, the priest should be called to administer 
 Extreme Unction, for if the soul is still present, 
 the sacrament may mean its salvation. 
 
 9. Some ill informed Catholics think that 
 '^ anointing" means that death will surely follow, 
 and so delay to send for the priest until the person 
 is dying. Such people do not understand that this 
 sacrament has a twofold effect. By their foolish 
 delay they deprive the patient of the ^'health and 
 strength of the body," which Extreme Unction is 
 intended to produce, for the anointing might have 
 been the very means of saving life instead of has- 
 tening death. When, by waiting too long, the 
 person is actually dead on the arrival of the 
 priest, the sacrament cannot have any effect. 
 
 10. Do not be afraid of death. The devil will be 
 on hand at our dying hour to make use of any ad- 
 vantage which our fear may give him. If we have 
 received the Viaticum, we are sure that our Lord 
 
228 HEALTH AND HAPPINESS 
 
 will be there too; our guardian angel will have 
 summoned our Blessed Mother, the Mother of 
 Mercy, and all our patron saints, who will form 
 a guard about us, and ward off all harm and 
 danger. Have no fear therefore. Death means 
 simply the going home to God, who is waiting to 
 reward us for everything Ave have done for Him. 
 Think of it often during life, prepare for it every 
 night as you kneel beside your bed, then, when it 
 comes, you will face it calmly and without any 
 other longing than ''to be dissolved, and be with 
 Christ.'^ 
 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 1. Why is it right to speak of death in a book on Hygiene? 
 
 2. Of what interest is death to the average scientist? 
 
 3. What does it mean to Catholics? 
 
 4. What is death? What is a corpse? 
 
 5. What happens to the body after death? 
 
 6. What is cremation? How does the Catholic Church regard 
 
 it? Why does the Church take this stand? 
 
 7. How much does the soul depend on the body during life? 
 
 8. When does death occur? What follows it? How should 
 
 we act, if a person dies without the last sacraments? 
 
 9. Why is such a practice recommended? 
 10. How should we prepare for a good death? 
 
INDEX 
 
 Abdomen, 95. 
 Abnormal, 25, 72. 
 .Abscess, 79. 
 Absorption, 89, 106. 
 Abuse of eyes, 121. 
 Adam's apple, 152. 
 Adenoids, 133, 151. 
 -Esophagus, 152. 
 Air, 138. 
 
 Air passages, 152. 
 Alcohol, 206. 
 Alimentation, 87. 
 Anatomy, 1. 
 Animal, man an, 2. 
 Anointing, 227. 
 Aorta, 71, 109. 
 Appendicitis, 98. 
 Artery, 71. 
 
 Artificial respiration, 163. 
 Assimilation, 89, 106. 
 Atlas, 5. 
 
 Atmosphere, 141. 
 Attention to teeth, 4. 
 Auditory canal, 129. 
 Auricles of heart, 69. 
 Automaticity of heart, 68. 
 
 Bacteria, 111, 114, 149. 
 Bandage, 26. 
 
 Baptism, when to give, 165. 
 Bath, 32, 57, 58, 60, 142 
 Bernard, Claude, 100. 
 Biceps, 22. 
 Bile, 102. 
 Biology, 1. 
 Blind, 119. 
 Blood, 72, 75. 
 Blurring of vision, 123. 
 Bone, of body, 12. 
 back, 5. 
 ghoulder, 6. 
 skull, 4. 
 
 structure of, 8. 
 
 thigh, 7. 
 Botany, what is, 1. 
 Bowels, 98. 
 Brain, 168, 180. 
 Breathing, 27, 156. 
 Broca, convolution of, 182. 
 Bronchus, 158. 
 Bruise, 51. 
 Burn, 49. 
 
 Calcutta, Black Hole of, 146. 
 Calisthenics, 45. 
 Callus, 51. 
 Calvary, 83. 
 Camera, 117. 
 
 229 
 
230 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Cana, marriage at, 207. 
 Cannibal, 18. 
 Carbon dioxide, 139. 
 Cartilage, 11. 
 Cataract of eye, 125. 
 Cell, 66, 77, 173 
 Cerebro-spinal meningitis, 168. 
 Character, 47, 174. 
 Chest, 6. 
 
 Chewing gum. 111. 
 Circulation, 26. 
 Clot, 76. 
 
 Cochlea of ear, 133. 
 Coffee, 213. 
 Cold, 55, 58, 60, 147. 
 Collar-bone, 6. 
 Combustion, 27. 
 Concentration, 219. 
 Confession, 62. 
 Confidence, 39. 
 
 Consciousness, stream of, 173. 
 Consumption, 145. 
 Contortionist, 11. 
 Contraction, of muscle, 23, 67. 
 
 of heart, 68. 
 Corpuscles of blood, 77. 
 Cremation, 225. 
 
 Death, of our Lord, 84. 
 ourselves, 223. 
 Deformity, 42 
 Deodorant, 149. 
 Dermis, 49, 50. 
 Diaphragm, 17, 156. 
 Diffusion, 106. 
 Digestion, 88, 93. 
 Disinfectant, 149. 
 
 Dislocation, 11. 
 
 Distraction, 221. 
 
 Doll, appearance of, 61. 
 
 Dorsal vertebrae, 5. 
 
 Draught, 144. 
 
 Drowning, 163. 
 
 Drugs, 212. 
 
 Dust, 141. 
 
 Dwight, Dr. Thomas, xv. 
 
 Ear, 129. 
 Eardrum, 131. 
 Emotion, 82. 
 Energy, 111. 
 Epidermis, 50, 51. 
 Epiglottis, 152. 
 Esophagus, 152. 
 Eustachian tube, 131. 
 Excretion, 89. 
 Exercise, 35, 46. 
 Extremities, 2. 
 Eye, 117. 
 Eye-cup, 126. 
 Eye-strain, 122. 
 
 Face, washing the, 57. 
 Fasces, 21. 
 
 Fasciculi of muscle, 21. 
 Fatigue, 30. 
 Filtration, 106. 
 Fish, 5. 
 
 Focus, 123, 124. 
 Food, 97, 110. 
 Foot, 10. 
 Fracture, 12. 
 Funk, Dr. C, 113. 
 Function, 1. 
 
INDEX 
 
 231 
 
 Garden of Olives, 84. 
 Germs, 111, 114, 149. 
 Glycogen, 29. 
 Grace at meals, 112. 
 Gymnasium, 45. 
 
 Habit, 174. 
 Hair, 52. 
 Hair-brush, 55. 
 Hand, 6. 
 Happiness, xv. 
 Heart, 65. 
 
 auricles, 69. 
 
 valves, 69. 
 
 rhythm, 68. 
 Heroin, 212. 
 Hip, 7. 
 
 Hospital, fear of, 98. 
 Hygiene, 2. 
 
 Ileo-csecal valve, 98. 
 
 Incisor, 4. 
 
 Indian and cold, 59. 
 
 Infantile paralysis, 181. 
 
 Intelligence, 179. 
 
 Intestinal juice, 100. 
 
 Iris, 125. 
 
 Irritability of muscle, 23. 
 
 Jaw, 2. 
 
 Joint, 10. 
 
 Judgment, general, 224. 
 
 Knee, 7. 
 
 Labyrinth of ear, 133. 
 Lachrymal gland, 126. 
 
 Lacteal, 108. 
 Larynx, 152. 
 Lens, 124. 
 Life, 25. 
 Ligament, 11. 
 Light, 124. 
 Lime, 8. 
 Liver, 104. 
 Locomotion, 88. 
 Lungs, 158. 
 
 Mastication, 93. 
 
 Measles, 131. 
 
 Meat, 17. 
 
 Medulla oblongata, 185. 
 
 Meninges, 168. 
 
 Mental defective, 133. 
 
 Microcosm, xiii. 
 
 Midriff, 64. 
 
 Molar, 4. 
 
 Morphine, 212. 
 
 Muscle, 16. 
 
 involuntary, 20. 
 
 voluntary, 18. 
 Mushroom, 110. 
 
 Nails, 51. 
 
 Nervous system, 167. 
 Nervousness, 188. 
 Neuralgia, 188. 
 Neurasthenia, 190. 
 Neuron, 215. 
 Nitrogen, 139, 140. 
 Normal, 72. 
 Nose, 151. 
 Nostrils, 151. 
 
232 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Odors, 142. 
 Osmosis, 106. 
 Oxygen, 139. 
 
 Pain, 202. 
 Paint, on face, 61. 
 Pancreas, 101. 
 Paralysis, 181, 187. 
 Pasteur, Louis, 160. 
 Patent medicines, 212. 
 Pelvis, 7. 
 Pericardium, 83. 
 Perspiration, 56. 
 Physiology, 1. 
 Plasma, 77. 
 Pleura, 158. 
 Poison, 29, 110. 
 Precision, 37. 
 Providence, 21. 
 Pulmonary, 159. 
 Pupil of eye, 125. 
 Pylorus, 96, 97. 
 
 Reading, 127. 
 
 Reflex action, 198. 
 
 Reproduction, 89. 
 
 Respiration, 89. 
 
 Resuscitation, 163 
 
 Retina, 123. 
 
 Rib, 6. 
 
 Rice, as food, 33. 
 
 Rickets, 9. 
 
 Rigor mortis, 23. 
 
 Roman Empire, days of, 21. 
 
 Sac, 83. 
 
 Sacral vertebrse, 5. 
 
 Saint, how to be a, 176. 
 Saliva, 93. 
 Sartorius, 16. 
 Saturation, 141. 
 Secretion, 87. 
 Self-control, 82. 
 Sensation, 88, 135. 
 Shock, 181. 
 Shoe, shape of, 10. 
 Shoulder, 6. 
 Shower bath, 32. 
 Skating, 40, 175. 
 Skeleton, 1, 13. 
 Skin, 49. 
 Skull, 2. 
 Sleep, 192. 
 Smoking, 209. 
 Soul, 177, 200, 226. 
 Sound, 134. 
 Speaking, 152, 155. 
 Spirit, 196. 
 Sprain, 11. 
 Stapedius, 16. 
 
 Stimulus, inner, of heart, 68. 
 Stomach, 96. 
 Strain of eye, 122. 
 Strychnine, 207. 
 Sun, 149. 
 Sweat, 55. 
 Swimming, 37, 155. 
 Sylvester's method of resus- 
 citation, 163. 
 
 Tea, 213. 
 Teeth, 4. 
 Telephone, 167. 
 Temperament, 196. 
 
INDEX 
 
 233 
 
 Temptation, 221. 
 Tendon, 21. 
 Teresa, St., 203. 
 Thigh, 7. 
 Tired, 28, 32. 
 Towel, 61. 
 Trachea, 157. 
 Tricuspid, 70. 
 Trunk, 2, 64. 
 Tuberculosis, 145. 
 
 Valve, 26, 69. 
 
 Vein, 71. 
 Ventilation, 144. 
 Vertebra, 5. 
 Villus, 108. 
 
 Vitamines in food, 113. 
 Vital process, 88. 
 Voice. 152. 
 
 Walking, 19, 41. 
 Wrestling, 39. 
 Wrist, 6. 
 
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