104 THE HOUSE I LIVE IN. 



great many joints in him, and of course a great 

 many bonos. There is more or less of motion, 

 where nearly all the bones of the frame meet, 

 if we except those of the cranium, face, teeth 

 and pelvis; and these may all be moved in 

 nearly the same instant. Thus there are, in 

 the human frame, about one hundred and 

 eighty joints ! 



We ought also to add to this number the 

 small sesamoid bones, found in the thumbs and 

 great toes of older persons, and somewhat 

 resembling the knee pan in shape. Of these 

 there are often two in each large joint of the 

 great toe, and as many in the large joint of 

 each thumb. Adding these, then, to the two 

 hundred and forty, we should have for the 

 whole number of bones in the human frame, 

 two hundred forty-eight. 



Some make the number about two hundred 

 and sixty ; but they reckon lourteen sesamoid 

 bones. It should be remembered that the 

 number of the sesamoid bones varies greatly in 

 different persons, though nearly all adults have 

 some of them. They are hardly ever larger 

 than half a pea. Some individuals have them 



