What do you mean by _column_?--"A pillar."

What do you mean by _erect_?--"In a vertical position."

Why is cartilage placed between the bones of the spine?--"To make the spine flexible; to keep the brain from injury when we walk or run."

What do you mean by _elastic_?--"Springing back after having been stretched, squeezed, twisted, or bent."

Tell about your ribs.--"My ribs are curved, strong, and light."

Where are your ribs?--"On each side of my trunk."

How many ribs have you?--"Twenty-four; twelve on each side."

How are your ribs fastened?--"At the back to my spine; in front to my breastbone."

What do your ribs form?--"A hollow place for my heart, lungs, and stomach."

Where are your shoulder blades?--"In the upper part of my back."

What shape are they?--"Flat, thin, and like a triangle."

Of what use are your shoulder blades?--"For my arms to rest upon."

Point to your collar bones.

Where are they fastened?--"To my shoulder blades and my breastbone."

Of what use are your collar bones?--"They keep my arms from sliding too far forward."

Of what are your bones made?--"Of food after it has been changed into blood."

Why should you eat wholesome food?--"That my bones may be strong and healthy."

How does impure air hurt the bones?--"Impure air makes bad blood, and bad blood makes poor bones."

Why should you sit and stand erect?--"Because my bones are easily bent out of shape; if I do not sit and stand erect, they will grow crooked."

Why is it wrong to wear tight clothing?--"Because tight clothing crowds the bones out of shape."

Whose bones are the more brittle, those of a child, or those of an old person?--"Those of an old person."

What do you mean by _brittle_?--"Easily broken."

Whose are the more flexible?--"Those of a child."

What do you mean by _flexible_?--"Easily bent."

What repairs the worn out bones, flesh, and skin of the body?--"The blood."

What do you mean by _repairs_?--"Mends."

What causes the bones, flesh, and skin of your body to change often?--"The bones, flesh, and skin are always wearing out, and the blood is always building and repairing them again."

What are alcoholic liquors?--"Liquors which have alcohol in them."

Name some alcoholic liquors.--"Beer, wine, rum, etc."

Whose bones mend the more easily when broken, the bones of those who drink alcoholic liquors, or those of the people who do not use these poisons?--"The bones of those who _do not_ use alcoholic liquors."

What other poison hurts the bones?--"Tobacco."

How do alcohol and tobacco hurt the bones?--"They make bad blood, and bad blood makes poor bones."

[Ill.u.s.tration: FRONT VIEW OF THE MUSCLES OF THE BODY.]

PART VI.

FORMULA FOR THE LESSON ON THE MUSCLES.

1. Muscles are the red, elastic bands and bundles of thread like substance, called flesh, which cover the bones and make the eyeb.a.l.l.s, the eyelids, the tongue, the heart, the lungs, and various other parts of the body.

2. There are about four hundred and fifty muscles in my body.

3. The work of the muscles is to support and move my bones, and different parts of the body.

4. The muscles may be named the muscles of my head, the muscles of my trunk, the muscles of my limbs.

5. The muscles of my head cover and move the parts of my head and face. The muscles of my trunk cover and move the parts of my neck and trunk. The muscles of my limbs cover and mote the parts of my arms and legs.

6. Those muscles are the weakest which I use least; those muscles are the strongest which I exercise most in work or play.

7. If I would be strong and healthy, my muscles must be used, my muscles must be rested, my muscles must be supplied with good blood.

I must exercise in work and play to make them strong; I must sleep, or change my kind of work or play, to give them rest, when they are tired; I must breathe pure air, take wholesome food and drink, and live in the sunlight, to supply them with good blood; I must not weaken them by using alcohol or tobacco.

QUESTIONS FOR THE FORMULA.

1. Tell about the muscles.

2. How many muscles have you in your body?

3. Of what use are the muscles?