630 



SKELETON. 



traction of quantity from whole or archetype 

 originals. If nature arrested the develop- 

 ment of, or, what amounts to the same 

 result, if she subtracted different elemental 

 parts from different regions of these se- 

 veral thoracic costo-vertebral archetypes ; if 

 she subtracted the spinous process (1) of 

 one, the sternal element (6) of another, the 

 rib (4) of another, or the spinous process, 

 sternal piece, and ribs of another, then the 

 remainders of those once uniform whole plus 

 quantities would represent specific distinc- 

 tiveness to each other. The remainders of 

 the plus or whole quantities would then be 

 the variable proportionals of such plus figures ; 

 and, being proportionals, would therefore be 

 proportionally, that is to say specifically, 

 various to them and to each other. Therefore 

 I conclude that such species results not by the 

 positing of new and unknown quantity, but 

 by the annihilation or degradation of already 

 known and posited quantity. In the plus 

 figures (such as fig. 4*50.) we therefore discern 

 not only the already create and positive 

 entity of uniform quantity, but even every 

 condition of possible variety or species which 

 can result by a subtraction of their elemental 

 parts.* 



PROP. XII. The five asternal costo-verte- 

 bral forms are proportionals metamorphosed 



* This whole or plus segment of the mammalian 

 spinal axis, to which I give the simple name costo- 

 vertebral quantity, may appear at first sight to be 

 the same as the " typical vertebra " of Carus, Owen, 

 and others ; but it is not so in fact, nor are the ideas 

 which I entertain of the plus form, compared with 

 other vertebras of the same spine or different spinal 

 axes, the same as theirs. I do not, for example, 

 think it necessary to see in the typical form so many 

 elements and parts as those which Professor Owen 

 names, in order to render it inclusive or archetypal 

 of all varieties of vertebras, which, in addition to the 

 centrum, the neural arch and spine, and the costal 

 haemal arch and spine, seem to produce such other 

 elements as he calls zygapophysis, diapophysis, pa- 

 rapophysis, distinct. If I can prove that the ventral 

 costo-sternal pieces, under a process of metamor- 

 phosis or degradation, suffer for the creation of such 

 variety as we find ventrad of all vertebrae what- 

 ever, then must it be evident that the simple costo- 

 vertebral quantity, as I have drawn it, is all-suffi- 

 cient as the archetypal whole composed (dorsad) of a 

 neural arch and spine, and (ventrad) of a haemal arch 

 and spine, together with their point of union the 

 vertebral centrum. If I can show that the lumbar 

 "transverse process" and the anterior piece of the 

 cervical transverse process (both of which are named 

 " parapophysis " by Mr. Owen) are actually of costal 

 growth, the remains of the degraded plus ribs 

 of a thorax, then there will be no need of them 

 as distinct elements from ribs in my archetype or 

 plus figure. Neither will it be required for my typi- 

 cal spinal figure that I should introduce into its 

 proportions the parts called haemal arch and spine 

 (the chevron bones) as things distinct from the 

 ventral costal circles (the pleurapophyses),whilel see 

 good reason to believe the former to be the ribs them- 

 selves somewhat degraded. In short, while I see it 

 possible to interpret many of those elements which 

 have been gathered together by the philosophic 

 anatomist, as being necessary to the sum of his ty- 

 pical form, to be in reality but varying propor- 

 tionals of the same whole quantity, so shall I be 

 enabled to divest my typical form of all needless 

 complexity, and set up simplicity in its stead. 



from five sternal costo-vertebral plus quanti- 

 ties. The thoracic region of the human spinal 

 axis consists for the most part of twelve 

 costo-vertebral spinal segments. Seven of 

 these enclosing space completely, arch for- 

 ward and join at the sternal median line 

 (fig. 450. 6). Five of these (such as fig. 451.) 



do not enclose thoracic space completely, but 

 fall short of this sternal median line (6) more 

 or less (as at point 7, jg. 451.); and in this 

 respect the five asternal costo-vertebral seg- 

 ments are specifically distinct from the seven 

 sterno-costo-vertebral plus forms. This dis- 

 tinction or species is evidently owing to the 

 subtraction of costo-sternal quantity (7 to 6) 

 from the asternal five forms (such as jig. 451.), 

 which costo-sternal quantity is persistent for 

 the seven sternal forms (such as Jig. 450.). 

 The loss or subtraction of the sternal piece 

 (from 7 to 6, fig. 451.) becomes the advent 

 or presence of the specific difference be- 

 tween figs. 450. and 451.; and hence it be- 

 comes clearly apparent that the law which 

 exercises in creation of such difference be- 

 tween the sternal and asternal spinal seg- 

 ment is one of subtracting quantity from 

 whole or plus forms, from which it is self- 

 evident, that as the quantity of a sternal ele- 

 ment and sternal costal pieces is that which is 

 subtracted from the now asternal costo-verte- 

 bral segment (fig. 450.), so the original or 

 plus quantity of this latter figure is of sternal 

 costo-vertebral integrity or entirety, as I have 

 drawn it in dotted outline for Jig. 4^51. 



PROP. XIII. The five lumbar vertebnz 

 arc proportionals metamorphosed from five 

 sternal costo-vertebral archetypes. The se- 

 ven sternal costo-vertebral circles are suc- 

 ceeded by the five asternal costo-vertebral 

 proportionals, and these latter by the five 

 lumbar vertebra. In this series of spinal 

 segments it is easy to distinguish a descending 

 scale of proportional quantities, whose only- 

 difference is one of quantity. This quanti- 

 tative difference is exercised upon the costal 

 elements only. In all other respects the 

 lumbar and thoracic segments are similar ; 

 for in both orders of structures we find the 

 same elements, such as spinous processes, 

 transverse processes (the tubercle being the 

 transverse process of the lumbar vertebra), 

 centra, and neural arches. In both we also 

 find the costal appendages, but these are not 

 of equal growth or quantity. It is quite 

 true, however, that the sternal costa is serially 

 succeeded by the asternal costa, and this by 



