ANATOMY. 



connected by adhering cartilaginous sur- 

 faces and immense liniments. Such is 

 ngth of this iinioit, that it will yield 

 to no force hut oh- dial would 

 and crusli i , ')ric. 



Jiiini III the hip, 



which-' whole body, and whieh 



is the centre of motion of the whole in 

 moving from place to place, we find an 

 ipparatus, admitting' of extensive mot ion, 

 !>nt at the same time most carefully guard- 

 'd and strengthened. There is a very 

 large rounded head of the thigh r, 

 into a deep cup of the os innominatum. 

 Here it can revolve freelv, and is prevent- 

 ed from escaping 1 by thick and strong 

 rising edges, that guard the brim of the 

 '-.avity. From tin 'here springs 



a very tough and stout orbicular ligament, 

 which is firmly stretched over the head of 

 the bone, and implanted into a contracted 

 part called the neck. In order to provide 

 still further for the security of so impor- 

 tant a joint as the hip, there is a short, 

 strong ligament arising from the head of 

 MIC ball, and implanted in the bottom of 

 the cup. This affords a very great obsta- 

 cle to any force tending to displace the 

 l)one ; but. at the same time lies in the 

 bottom of the cavity, so us not. to interfere 

 with any of the ordinary motions. 



Tin knee-joint is formed by three 

 >oncs: the head of the tibia, the condyles 

 of the femur, and the patella. It is a "gin- 

 ^lymus, and its motions are accordingly 

 restrained b\ two strong lateral ligaments, 

 and it is secured still further by two im- 

 mense ligamentous ropes within the ca- 

 \it\ of the joint, called the crucial li^-a- 

 ments. 



The ankle is a ginglymoid joint, formed 

 by the tibia and fibula, together with the 

 ! us. This joint, which is an im- 

 portant one, as bearing the weight of the 

 whole body, is strengthened at its sides 

 by twohonv processes, called the internal 

 and external malleoli or ankles. 



The bones of the tarsus, metatarsus, 

 articulated, like those of the 



Muscles consist of bundles of red fibres; 

 hut the colour is not essential, since it 

 can be removed by repeated \\ ashings and 



; it ion. 



The threads composing a muscle are 



enveloped by cellular substance, which 



connects it to the surrounding parts. 



L'.ach bundle consists of numerous film-, 



!', that our instruments of research 



cannot arrive at the ultimate or original 

 fibre: hence, any perceivable fibre, how- 

 i , i r small, is formed by the jn \tu-posHioit 

 of numerous fibrilhc ; anil, as u e employ 

 magnifying instruments of greater power, 

 a fibre, which before seemed simple, re- 

 solves itself into a congeries of still more 

 minute threads. We pass over in sih ncc- 

 the dreams of various investigators, who 

 have busied themselves in looking for tin- 

 ultimate muscular fibre ; these researches 

 do not assist us in explaining the pheno- 

 mena of muscular action. The cohesion 

 of the constituent particles of the moving 

 fibre is maintained by the vital power : 

 hence, a dead muscle will be torn by a 

 weight of a few ounces, which in the 

 living body would have supported many 

 pounds. The muscular fibre reo 

 copious supply of vessels and nerves. 



Tendons are formed by an assemblage 

 of longitudinal parallel fibres. They are 

 extremely dense and tough, of a splendid 

 white colour, which is beautifully con- 

 with the florid red of a healthy 

 muscle. The muscular fibres terminate 

 in these bodies, and they are connected to 

 the bones. They possess no apparent 

 . and very few and small blood- 

 vessels. 



There is always an exact relation be- 

 tween the joint and the muscles that move 

 it. Whatever mot'" the joint, by its me- 

 chanical constriction, i* capable of per- 

 forming, tbt motion the annexed muscles, 

 by the : i position, are capable of produc- 

 ing:. For example, if there be, as at the 

 knee and elbow, a hinge joint, capable of 

 motion only in the same plane, the muscles 

 and tendons are placed in directions pa- 

 rallel to the bone, so as by their construc- 

 tion to produce that motion, and no other. 

 If these joints were capable of freer 

 motion, there are no muscles to produce 

 it. Whereas, at the shoulder and the hip, 

 where the ball and socket joint allows by 

 its construction a rotatory or sweeping 

 motion, tendons are placed in such a posi- 

 tion, and pull in such a direction, as topro- 

 ducethe motion of which the joint admits. 

 In the head and hand, there is a specific 

 mechanism in the bones for rotaton mo- 

 tion ; and there is accordingly, in the obli- 

 que direction of the muscles belonging to 

 them, a specific provisionfor putting this 

 mechanism of the bones into action. The 

 oblique muscles would luivc been ineffi- 

 cient without that particular articulation, 

 and that particular.: n would have 



been useless without the mi - 



As the muscles act only by contraction, 

 dent that the reciprocal energetic 



