(II \|'. V 



THF. SKKI.KTON 



37 



5. 



'1'hc . ., 

 it-ion, consisting 

 <>t four imperfect 

 \crteln.i often 

 united together 

 into one bone 

 (ailed the coccyx. 

 The vertebrae are 

 alike in^cneral form. 

 t >nc ^Mlic dorsal 

 vertel^Riaybe taken 

 as the ty|>e. It con- 

 sists of a nearly cir- 

 cular solid m. I-- of 

 bone, about one and a 

 half inch across, and 

 nearly an inch thick, 

 called the body. The 

 body bears, on the 

 dorsal side, a ring 

 or arch, the neural 

 arch, and from this 

 arch three proces- 

 ses project out, one 

 projecting backwards, 

 in the middle, oppo- 

 site the body, the 

 spinous process ; and 

 one on each side, the 

 transverse pn 

 The bodies of the ver- 

 tebra; are separated 

 from one another by 

 pads of what is called 

 fibrous cartilage about 

 one-fourth of an inch 

 thick placed between 

 them. These arc the 

 intervertebral 

 discs. Each disc is 



KII.. 10. The vertebral column. 



M'!< \i,, left side : I!. UK k view ; C 1-7, cervical 

 vertebra: ; I) 1-12, dorsal vertrlir.u : I. 1-5, lnnili.tr 

 vertebra: ; S, sacrum ; C, coccyx ; sp, s|iiniiii* 

 processes; tr, transverse procoso. 



