34 



to the highest part of the lateral cartilage, the anterior and 

 posterior stellates going respectively to the most anterior and 

 the most posterior edge of the same cartilages. 



STELLATE LIGAMENTS AND THEIR USES. 



Let us philosophize a moment upon the function of these 

 stellate ligaments. A familiar illustration of their use, I think, 

 may be found in the Stay-straps we see under the bodies of 

 coaches and other vehicles, provided with springs, and intended 

 to be driven at rapid rates, and over rough roads. Their use * 

 is, perhaps, too obvious to need description. A sailor would 

 call them guy-ropes. To my view, these stellate ligaments 

 have a similar function. They materially assist in keeping the 

 fulcrum, that is, the navicular bone, of the main cord that flexes 

 the foot in exact apposition to the gliding surface of that cord ; 

 otherwise, rapid motion would be retarded. From whichever 

 direction the disturbing force might proceed, there is a species 

 of guy-rope arrangeme?it to resist it. This is not their only func- 

 tion. Under extraordinary exertion the frog-structures may 

 condense too forcibly and rebound too strongly to be altogether 

 free from danger. 



They then possess a regulative function. More, under or- 

 dinary circumstances, when there is no excessive action to 

 control, they form powerful auxiliaries to the spring-like move- 

 ments of the elastic structures. The frog-cushion is the great 

 spring-bed of the foot. The lateral cartilages, one on each 

 side, constitute a pair of springs, that are called into play 

 through the medium of the stellate ligaments. These latter 

 are strong and unyielding, while the lateral cartilages possess 

 the properties of flexibility and rebounding in the highest de- 

 gree. I think it impossible to conceive, in any organized 

 structure, of means more perfectly adapted to ends than in 

 the structural arrangements of the stellate ligaments. 



