e?

If you should count all your bones, you would find that each of you has
about two hundred.

Some are large; and some, very small.

There are long-hones in your legs and arms, and many short ones in your
fingers and toes. The backbone is called the spine.

[Illustration: _Backbone of a fish._]

If you look at the backbone of a fish, you can see that it is made up-of
many little bones. Your own spine is formed in much the same way, of
twenty-four small bones. An elastic cushion of gristle (gr[)i]s'l) fits
nicely in between each little bone and the next.

When you bend, these cushions are pressed together on one side and
stretched on the other. They settle back into their first shape, as
soon as you stand straight again.

If you ever rode in a wheelbarrow, or a cart without springs, you know
what a jolting it gave you. These little spring cushions keep you from
being shaken even more severely every time you move.

Twenty-four ribs, twelve on each side, curve around from the spine to
the front, or breast, bone. (_See page 38._)

They are so covered with flesh that perhaps you can not feel and count
them; but they are there.

Then you have two flat shoulder-blades, and two collar-bones that almost
meet in front, just where your collar fastens.

Of what are the bones made?

Take two little bones, such as those from the legs or wings of a
chicken, put one of them into the fire, when it is not very hot, and
leave it there two or three hours. Soak the other bone in some weak
muriatic (m[=u] r[)i] [)a]t'[)i]k) acid. This acid can be bought of any
druggist.

You will have to be careful in taking the bone out of the fire, for it
is all ready to break. If you strike it a quick blow, it will crumble to
dust. This dust we call lime, and it is very much like the lime from
which the mason makes mortar.

[Illustration: _Bone tied to a knot._]

The acid has taken the lime from the other bone, so only the part which
is not lime is left. You will be surprised to see how easily it will
bend. You can twist it and tie it into a knot; but it will not easily
break.

You have seen gristle in meat. This soft part of the bone is gristle.

Children's bones have more gristle than those of older people; so
children's bones bend easily.

I know a lady who has one leg shorter than the other. This makes her
lame, and she has to wear a boot with iron supports three or four inches
high, in order to walk at all.

One day she to