SITTING. 285 



the great beam of the whole fabric has thus become 

 permanently misshapen. 



Sitting postures described. It might perhaps be con- 

 sidered unnecessaiy to give any instructions on the most 

 comfortable manner of sitting, it being a natural suppo- 

 sition that every one would 'consult their own experi- 

 ence in this respect. And yet, it may be the case, that 

 a few observations and experiments on this subject will 

 be the means of diminishing the pain of those who are 

 for any considerable time confined to this position, and 

 thus avoid some of the evils which might otherwise 

 arise from it. 



The sitting posture, it will be found, soon becomes 

 painful, and is maintained with difficulty when the infe- 

 rior portion of the spinal column is bent inwards, and 

 the arms are thrown back, with an erect position of the 

 neck and head. Even when the spine is supported by 

 a back, as in a chair, this posture becomes uneasy, be- 

 cause the dorsal muscles, and those of respiration also, 

 are kept in an unnecessary state of action. This position 

 will be understood by Fig. 131. 



Fig. 131. Fig. 132. 



The most comfortable posture in sitting, is that which 

 at once relaxes the muscles of the back and those of 

 respiration the inferior portion of the spine being gen- 

 tly curved but not made crooked ; while the upper part 

 is nearly straight, with the neck a little inclined, so as to 



