Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 56 — page 113: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION intestines having sufficient freedom for their natural movements. Even more trouble is caused by the gravitational strains on the heart, liver-and kidneys. In the lower animals these hang snugly just below the vertebral column; in us they lie in front of the vertebral column, and if we don’t have sufficient fat to pack around them they swing about in a manner which does them and us no good. Due to this, perhaps, more than to any other cause, arise our heart, liver and kidney diseases. Several heart specialists have stated that, in their opinion, fully half the incidence of heart disease would disappear if man crawled about on hands and knees. The loss of dignity seems too great a price to pay! Again, no one can be proud of the sloppy way in which women have their babies. In . the lower animals the birth of young is a simple, natural event on practically all oc- casions; there is no _ fuss, bother nor danger. Yet in women this perfectly natural affair has come to be regarded 1112 as one of the most critical times in a woman’s life, and it is attended by all manner of precautions and elaborate preparations. True, obstetri- cians believe that the psycho- logical attitude of the woman plays a big part in making her have a difficult delivery, but it is also conceded that many of the childbirth troubles that are definitely not psycho- logical may well be due to the enormous pressure of the abdominal organs on _ the womb, and of the womb on the lower organs. Certainly, the “milk leg’’ of pregnancy . is undoubtedly caused by this pressure acting on the veins supplying the legs—-crushing them flat and preventing the return of blood to the heart. The circulation is affected by the upright posture in other ways. We must bear in mind that in the lower animals the heart does not have to overcome much gravitational force, for the main vessels are horizontal and the only force against which the heart has to work is the friction of the blood against the vessel walls. In man al] the main vessels are vertical. The hu- ee ee PS ee ee Oe Cale ee a i ees *- ee Oe —* i RE eet mn cComiclbooks.com |