Fig. 200. Horizontal Section through the (Right) Foot near the Sole. 



Frozen Section. The distal lutlf of tlie ^th Metdtarsal Bone has been freed by 



dissection. 



The result of the arching of the foot is that the body-weight is received 

 only by a few points of the skeleton of the foot, namely; — behind; the Inner 

 Tubercle of the Os Calais ; in front on the outer side : the Head, also the base of 

 the 5tli Metatarsal Bone; <:in the inner side: the Head of the ist Metatarsal Bone 

 though many consider that owing to the mobilit\- of this bone the head of the 

 2nd Metatarsal Bone should be looked upon as the supporting point. According 

 to H. VON Meyer the 3rd Metatarsal Bone should be viewed as the point of 

 support as the other bones only serve for the purpose of preventing the foot from 

 capsizing to either side. However this ma\' be, foot-prints teach us that onl)' the 

 heel, outer margin of foot, balls of toes and toes themselves, touch the ground 

 normally; when the inner margin meets the ground we have to deal with Fiat-Foot. 



The section shews definitely the share taken by the different bones in 

 this arrangement. The Metatarsal Bones lie at different levels; the heads of the 

 inner three have been divided by the section which passes throughout the length 

 of the 4th and only through the base of the 5th Metatarsal (of which its distal 

 half has been freed by dissection). 



In the figure is seen the Bursa on the outer aspect of the Little Toe 

 opposite the Metatarso-phalangeal Articulation ; this the most prominent point on 

 the outer margin of the foot is frequently the seat of a corn produced by pressure 

 from the boot. 



Inflammation readily reaches this Bursa whence it spreads to the joint which 

 is often in communication with the Bursa. 



