ANATOMY 



greater resistance which they are called upon to 

 exhibit at some particular stage in the life-history 

 of the individual. 



After the bony consolidation of the expanded 

 extremities of the thigh-bone is completed, the 

 cartilage is reduced to thin discs intervening at 

 either end between the bony extremities and the 

 bony shaft. Although attacked in front and rear, 

 the cartilage fights gallantly for some considerable 

 time, always growing, but constantly succumbing 

 to the bony invasions attacking it on either side. 

 As long as the cartilaginous discs persist, so long 

 does the thigh-bone as a whole continue to grow 

 longer and longer. At length the unequal con- 

 flict comes to an end, the cartilaginous discs 

 succumb and disappear, the bone-formations meet 

 and join, the bony consolidation of the thigh-bone 

 is complete. This final consolidation is completed 

 at or about the time when the full stature of the 

 individual is attained. 



The description of the chief events which 

 succeed one another in the building of the thigh- 

 bone has necessarily been somewhat incomplete, 

 cursory, and disconnected. It may, however, be 

 gathered that the ultimate proper fashioning of 

 the bone is dependent upon the due co-ordination 

 of many different activities. These may be briefly 

 summarised as follows. The laying down of the 

 miniature model of the bone in cartilage ; the 



229 



