On Rickets 315 



points, because this is the only mode of growth left 

 free to them, as is shown in Fig. 11, in whxoha^a 

 are ribs, the extremities of which, ^, b^ grow outwards 

 in points, for they cannot be bent in, as this would 

 be still more opposed to their natural position. 



To this kind of narrowness of the chest the muscles 

 of the abdomen also contribute in no small degree, 

 because, being, as we have said, extenuated and tense, 

 they thus draw down the lower ribs to which they 

 are attached, and so narrow the chest. 



By quite a similar line of reasoning we could illus- 

 trate the disorders of the other bones ; for instance, 

 the bones of the articulation in the wrist and in the 

 ankle, which, on account of their shortness, cannot 

 be bent, form protuberant nodes. But what has been 

 said may suffice as to the curvature of the bones. 



6. The above-mentioned narrowness of the chest 

 would lead us to expect that the lungs, not having 

 space for expansion, should be stuffed up with 

 grumous blood and swelled, as indeed they are, hence 

 they sometimes become purulent and the pleurse are 

 often adherent ; hence also the patients suffer from 

 asthma and difficulty of breathing. 



7. As to the very great bodily weakness and in- 

 capacity for any movement in this disease, while the 

 emaciation of the muscles contributes something 

 to this symptom, yet this alone does not seem suffi- 

 cient, for the weakness is out of proportion to the 

 emaciation of the muscles, for the patients cannot 

 stand on their feet, nor, as the disease progresses, 

 sustain the weight of their head. So that we must 

 look for some other cause of such weakness, and this 

 can be nothing else than deficiency of animal spirits, 

 necessarily consequent on the above-mentioned 

 obstructions of the nerves. For animal spirits are 



