THE TENDONS. 



Emily. And for this reason they are incapable of 

 those actions where the motion of the thumbs is combin- 

 ed with that of the fore and middle fingers, and thus de- 

 barred from performing those delicate operations that 

 are required in works of human art. 



Dr. B. This finishes our account of the passive class 

 of organs, engaged in locomotion. 



Emily. Next then we come to the active class, or the 

 muscles, which operate on and set the former in motion* 

 You said in our first conversation, that they are the mas- 

 ses of red-coloured flesh, which we see in the shoulder 

 of mutton, and are composed of delicate fibres running 

 parallel to one another and in the direction of the length 

 of the muscle. 



Dr. B. I am glad your memory is so faithful ; for 

 the subjects we are considering, are so connected to- 

 gether, that if we forget one part, we lose a clue to all 

 the rest. The middle portion of a muscle is always its 

 largest part ; then it goes on diminishing in size towards 

 each extremity, when it terminates in what are called 

 its tendons. These are of a white shining appearance, 

 beautifully contrasting with the red fleshy mass cf mus- 

 cle, and are formed of exceedingly strong, but small 

 fibres, very intimately connected together, by a sort of 

 interlacing similar to what the sailors call splicing. They 

 are thus made the most powerful texture in the whole 

 body, and this joined with their little bulk, gives them 

 every advantage, without compromising the beauty or 

 convenience of the parts into which they are inserted. 



Emily. The body would indeed have been awkward 

 and full of inequalities, had the muscles terminated in 

 large, fleshy extremities. 



Dr. B. Now, several tendons may be inserted to- 

 gether in an extremely small spacej without producing 

 deformity or irregularity. 



Emily. But into what are the muscles inserted? 

 Are they not free and unattached ? 



Dr. B. Certainly not ; liow then could they have. 



