247 



In the second motion of " charge hayonetj' if the 

 left hand be held thus stretched out, the musket 

 on striking the heel of the palm and falling in the 

 direction of the knuckle-joints, will close the hand 

 in spite of any effort to keep it extended. 



§ 189. We may add : 



(a) That the whole of the difficulty so generally 

 experienced in " support arms'' comes from the left 

 upper lung-lobe not being properly filled with air, 

 and from the consequent dropping forward on its 

 inner bearing of the left shoulder-blade. 



(b) The ball and socket action between the lung 

 lobes being the pivot for aU the movements of the 

 body, the shoulder-blades, which, by their position, 

 work directly over this pivot, should support each 

 other directly, when the man is perfectly set-up ; 

 that is, the movement of an arm in fencing goes 

 through its own shoulder-blade directly to the other 

 shoulder-blade, as its appui, while the head in 

 a plomb on its condyles regulates the subordinate 

 ball and socket movements of the hips. The same 

 would be the case in writing, &c. The shoulder- 

 blades do not thus support each other where the 

 {right) handed deformity is present, for there is 

 then a restrained adjustment of the hips and head 

 which interferes. 



