STRUCTURE OF THE FOOT. 219 



The base of it, part of which rests on the os cuboides, is very 

 large, tuberous, and produced into a long-pointed process 

 externally, where part of the abductor minimi digiti is fixed ; 

 and into its upper part the peroneus secundus is inserted. Its 

 inside has a flat conoidal surface, where it is contiguous to the 

 preceding bone. 



When we stand, the fore ends of these metatarsal bones, 

 and the os calcis, are our only supporters, and, therefore, it is 

 necessary that they should be strong, and should have a confined 

 motion. 



The Toes. 



The bones of the toes are nearly similar to those of the 

 thumb and fingers ; particularly the two of the great toe, 

 which are precisely formed as the two last of the thumb ; but 

 their position, as respects the other toes, is not oblique ; and 

 they are proportionally much stronger, because they are sub- 

 jected to a greater force ; for they sustain the impulse by which 

 our bodies are pushed forwards by the foot behind at every 

 step we make, and on them principally the weight of the body 

 is supported, when we are raised on our tip-toes. 



The three bones in each of the other four toes, compared 

 with those of the fingers, dKror from them in these particulars. 

 They are less, and smaller in proportion to their lengths. Their 

 basis are much larger than their anterior ends. The first pha- 

 ianx is proportionally much longer than the bones of the second 

 and third, which are very short. 



The toe next to the great one has the largest bones in all 

 dimensions, and the bones of the other toes diminish according 

 to the order of their position ; those of the exterior being least. 



The General Structure of the Foot. 



The foot may be considered as an arch, of which the back 

 part of the heel, and the anterior extremities of the metatarsal 

 bones and the toes, are the abutments. The heel, or posterior 

 abutment is not so broad as the anterior, and is placed on the 

 outside and not in the middle of the extremity of the arch. The 



