NATURAL THEOLOGY. 177 



B. Just as in cementing a vessel, we apply some 

 liquid substance which hardens and unites the parts ; 

 except, that in the present instance, the uniting 

 matter is supplied by the fracture itself; another of 

 the innumerable instances in which our contrivances 

 are but a rude and imperfect imitation of those which 

 creative skill has employed in the human structure. 



A. With regard to the union of bones, there are 

 several exceptions, singularly observable and remark- 

 able as evidences of design. There are some bones 

 in which when broken, true bone is never formed anew 

 to repair the injury, as is the general provision. When 

 the arm is fractured, a bony matter exudes from the 

 extremities, which finally surrounds them completely 

 with a ring of bone. But when a piece of the skull 

 is removed, no new bone is produced ; nothing but 

 a skinny or ligamentous substance is formed to fill the 

 opening. So, when the knee pan is fractured, the 

 pieces are always united in the same way. In either 

 of these cases, if bone or callous was formed, with 

 its ordinary irregularity of shape, with a projecting 

 ring over the fracture the cavity of the skull, or knee 

 joint would be encroached on, and the most serious 

 evils would ensue. Why the power of creating new 

 substance like itself, should be denied to the skull and 

 the knee pan alone, we can only explain by referring 

 to an Architect who perceived the necessity of these 

 exceptions. 



