MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 343 



LANGES, or of the wrist, hand and fingers. Our limits 

 only allow examples of the different connecting parts ol 

 the human frame, and we have chosen the wrist and 

 hand as the most appropriate for our present purpose. 

 Fig. 5 represents the palm of the right hand, and shows 

 all the principal ligaments with which it is furnished, 

 together with those of the wrist. First, the three 

 upper bones of the wrist are connected together by inter- 

 osseous ligaments placed in the intervals between the 

 bones, which are severally called the scaphoid, the semi- 

 lunar and cuneiform. These are shown by a, b, c, and d. 

 The palmar ligament, c, is divided into three portions, and 

 running across the upper portion of the hand, joins the 

 dorsal ligament on the other side, thus binding the bones 

 strongly together. 



Second. The superior transverse ligaments d, d, ex- 

 tend across the upper extremities of the four metacarpal 

 bones and are attached to each of them. The ligament 

 g, connects the cuneiform, with the metacarpal bone of 

 the little finger. 



Third. The inferior transverse ligaments e, e, present 

 exactly the same arrangement as the above, and connect 

 the inferior extremities of the four metacarpal bones with 

 each other, but not so closely as at their upper ends, the 

 ligament here allowing a greater freedom of motion. 



Fourth. The first phalanges, or rows of finger bones 

 are attached to the metacarpal bones by loose, but strong 

 capsular ligaments, embracing the anterior part of each 

 articulation. The lateral ligaments /, /, on each side of 

 the fingers are attached to slight depressions on the 

 lower ends of the metacarpal bones, and into the condyles 

 of the first phalanx. Similar ligaments to these attach 

 the other finger bones to each other, and also those of 

 the thumb. 



MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 



Musculus, in Greek, signifies a mouse, probably ap* 

 plied to the flesh of animals, because it resembles a 

 flayed mouse. We have already seen that tke organs of 



What are the carpus, metacarpus, and phalanges ? Describe the ligaments 

 of the wrist and hand 



