Excerpt from A Textbook in General Science and the Economics of Daily Life The hair, finger nails, and outer layers of the Skin are all destitute of blood vessels. Growth in them occurs only at their under surfaces and inner ends. The tendons and ligaments, too, get a scant supply of blood, and their repair is slow after accidents where a sprain has occurred, or when they have been torn from the bone. Either condition may be more serious than a broken bone, ' or the dislocation of bones at a joint. The finger nails serve to support and protect the ends of the fingers, and to enable a person to pick up small objects more readily. At all times they Should be kept neatly trimmed, and scrupulously clean. The fold of skin at the base of the nail should be kept pushed back instead of being cut Off. Food should never be handled with unwashed hands, nor the finger tips touched to the tongue. The hand is man's chief instrument for labor. He uses It for feeding and dressing himself. It is a weapon for self defense, and is a means for fashioning tools, implements, clothing, and for preparing his food. It is in almost constant use during man's waking hours, ministering to his needs and executing his desires. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.