THE FOOT. 



33 



bones, supporting the three inner metatarsals, and the cuboid, 

 supporting the fourth and fifth. 

 These four bones obviously corre- 

 spond with the four carpal bones of 

 the lower range in the hand : but 

 behind them are three others, the 

 scaphoid, lying behind the three 

 cuneiform bones ; the calcaneum, a 

 very large bone projecting back from 

 the cuboid, and forming the heel ; 

 and the astragalus, resting on the 

 calcaneum behind, pressing against 

 the scaphoid in front, and articulat- 

 ing with the leg-bones above ; and 

 the dissimilarity of appearance of 

 the tarsus as compared with the car- 

 pus, is due to the large and unequal 

 development of these three bones. 

 The scaphoid, however, corresponds 

 with the bone of the same name in 

 the hand, and the astragalus with 

 the semilunar, while the calcaneum 

 represents the cuneiform and the 

 pisiform together; and it is owing 

 to the great development backwards 

 of the calcaneum to form the heel, 

 that the hollow by which tendons 

 and other structures pass from the 

 back of the leg to the sole of the 

 foot is turned inwards so as to 

 lie between the heel and inner 

 ankle. 



The same principle of conduction 

 of pressure through tense ligaments, 

 which we have noted in the hand and 

 the pelvis, is resorted to again in the foot. The foot may be 

 conveniently regarded as consisting of two arches supported 

 behind by a common pier, the back part of the calcaneum. 

 To the inner and principal arch belong the three inner toes, 

 and the keystone of this is the astragalus, the fore part or 

 H " c 



g. 14. FOOT from be- 

 low, a, calcaneum; b, 

 astralagus; c, scaphoid ; 



d, internal cuneiform; 



e, cuboid. The middle 

 and external cuneiform 

 are seen between the 

 cuboid and internal 

 cuneiform. 



