Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary SchoolsWalters, Francis M. (Francis Marion)
Science
Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary Schools
Walters, Francis M. (Francis Marion)
Physiology
*To show Non-striated Cells.*—Place a clean section of the small intestine
of a cat in a mixture of one part of nitric acid and four parts of water
and leave for four or five hours. Thoroughly wash out the acid with water
and separate the muscular layer from the mucous membrane. Cover a small
portion of the muscle with water on a glass slide and tease out, with
needles, until it is as finely divided as possible. Examine with a
microscope, first with a low and then with a high power. The cells appear
as very fine, spindle-shaped bodies.
*To illustrate Muscular Stimulus and Contraction.*—Separate the muscles at
the back of the thigh of a frog which has just been killed and draw the
large sciatic nerve to the surface. Cut this as high up as possible and,
with a sharp knife and a small pair of scissors, dissect it out to the
knee. Now cut out entirely the large muscle of the calf of the leg (the
gastrocnemius), but leave attached to it the nerve, the lower tendon, and
the bones of the knee. Mount on an upright support, as shown in Fig. 120,
and fasten the tendon to a lever below by a thread or small wire hook:
[Fig. 120]
Fig. 120—*Apparatus* for demonstrating properties of muscles.
1. Lay the nerve over the ends of the wires from a small battery which are
attached to the support at _A_, and arrange a second break in the circuit
at _B_. At this place the battery circuit is made and broken either by a
telegraph key or by simply touching and separating the wires. Note that
the muscle gives a single contraction, or twitch, both when the current is
made and when it is broken.
2. Remove the current and pinch the end of the nerve, noting the result.
With very fine wires, connect the battery directly to the ends of the
muscle. Stimulate by making and breaking the current as before. In this
experiment the muscle cells are stimulated by the direct action of the
current and not by the current acting on the nerve.
3. With the wires attached to either the muscle or the nerve, make and
break the current in rapid succession. This causes the muscle to enter
into a second contraction before it has relaxed from the first, and if the
shocks follow in rapid succession, to continue in the contracted state.
This condition, which represents the method of contraction of the muscles
in the body, is called _tetanus_.
NOTE.—In these experiments a twitching of the muscle is frequently
observed when no stimulus is being applied. This is due to the drying out
of the nerve and is prevented by keeping it wet with a physiological salt
solution. (See footnote, page 38.)
*To show the Action of Levers.*—With a light but stiff wooden bar, a
spring balance, and a wedge-shaped fulcrum, show:
1. The position of the weight, the fulcrum, and the power in the different
classes of levers, and also the weight-arm and the power-arm in each case.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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