V A S 



fafcia lata, and the fhort portion of the biceps ; at the 

 middle, by the iliacus internus, reftus extenfor cruris, and 

 the external circumflex veflels ; on the infide, by the far- 

 torius, the femoral artery, and the fafcia. The pofterior 

 furface covers the body of the femur, with the exception 

 of the linea afpera ; it is attached to the anterior, ex- 

 ternal and internal furfaces of the bone, from the bafes 

 of the trochanters to within four fingers breadth of the 

 knee ; then it is feparated from the femur by a loofe and 

 fatty cellular fubftance, and laftly, it covers the fynovial 

 membrane of the knee-joint. 



The outer margin is fixed to the rough line, which de- 

 fcends from the great trochanter to the iinea afpera, toge- 

 ther with the gluteus maximus, to which it is clofely con- 

 nefted : it is then fixed to the external edge of the linea 

 afpera, in its whole length, and to the upper two-thirds of 

 that line, which defcends from the linea afpera to the exter- 

 nal condyle of the femur, being connefted in the latter fitua- 

 tion with the fafcia lata. The internal edge is fixed to the 

 correfponding inner edge of the linea afpera, from the tro- 

 chanter minor downwards ; and to the upper two-thirds of 

 the line defcending from it to the external condyle, being 

 connected here with the tendon of the triceps adduftor. 

 Its upper extremity is divided into the three portions already 

 mentioned. The external (vaftus externus) and moft: con- 

 fiderable is fixed to the circumference of the bafis of the 

 great trochanter ; it defcends on the outfide of the thigh, 

 increafing in fize to the middle of the hmb, and then dimi- 

 nilhing again. At firft it is feparated from the middle por- 

 tion by a thin ftratum of cellular fubftance ; but they are 

 foon confounded in one mafs. The internal portion (vaftus 

 internus) is not in general very diftinft from the middle. 

 Commencing at the root of the Little trochanter, it defcends 

 on the infide of the femur, firft increafing in fize, and then 

 diminiftiing again. On its outfide it is feparated from the 

 middle portion, if at all, by a very flight cellular line, for 

 about an inch or two, after which they are confounded in 

 one mafs. The middle and fmallett divifion (cruralis) com- 

 mences at the bafis of the neck of the thigh-bone, by an at- 

 tachment to the rough Une, which reaches from the great to 

 the fmall trochanter : it defcends perpendicularly, increafing 

 in fize, feparated at firft from the lateral portions, but foon 

 infeparably joined with them into one mafs, furroundSng 

 the body of the femur, and ending in a tendinous extremity, 

 attached to the bafis and fides of the patella, and to the tu- 

 berofities of the tibia. 



The laft-mentioned attachment is effefted by means of a 

 broad and thick tendon, conneAed in front to that of the 

 reftus extenfor cruris, and expanded laterally into aponeu- 

 rofes fixed to the tuberofities of the tibia. Of thefe apo- 

 neurofes, the outer is clofely connefted to the fafcia lata. 

 The tendon of the triceps is divided above into three 

 broad portions, which afcend on the three divifions of the 

 mufcle. A thick and broad aponeurotic fheet commences 

 from the bafis of the trochanter major and the linea afpera, 

 ajid covers the upper half of the vaftus externus : a fimilar 

 but fmallcr aponeurofis defcends from the linea afpera on the 

 vaftus internus. The mufculai- fibres of the vaftus externus 

 pafs obliquely downwards and forwards from its fuperior 

 aponeurofis, and from the aponeurotic feptum, which fepa- 

 rates it from the ftiort head of the biceps to the inferior 

 tendon. Of thefe fibres, the upper are the longeft and 

 moft perpendicular ; the fucceeding ones become more and 

 more oblique, and the loweft approach to the tranfverfe 

 4iie£tion, accompanying the tendon to within an inch of 

 its infertion. 



The fleftiy fibres of the vaftus internus pafs with a corre- 



VAT 



fponding obliquity between the two aponeurofes ; the inner or 

 anterior being the longeft and ftraighteft, the lower ftiorter, 

 and more tranfverfe. Of the middle portion, the mufeular 

 fibres are parallel to the axis of the thigh, arifing from the 

 anterior and lateral furfaces of the bone, and terminating in 

 the lower tendon. 



A prolongation of the fynovial membrane of the knee 

 extends for fome diftance behind this portion, above the 

 patella, and thus iupplies the place of a burfa mucofa. The ' 

 lateral portions of the inferior tendon adhere very clofely to ' 

 the fynovial membrane of the knee. j 



The triceps femoris ftraightens the knee-joint, either by 

 moving the leg forwards on the thigh, or the thigh on the 

 leg. Thefe are very important mufcles in progreffioii, when 

 they bring the thigh forwards on the leg of the advanced 

 limb. When we are defcending an inclined furface, and the 

 heels flip, they make a great effort, by drawing forwards 

 the thighs, to prevent the body from falling : in this exer- 

 tion the patella is fometimes fraftured. In ftanding, tKey 

 preferve the thigh-bones perpendicular over the legs. They 

 extend the Jeg on the thigh, where the limb left behind ia 

 progreffion is advanced in its turn in front of the foot which 

 has juft reached the ground. 



VASU, in Hindoo Mythology, a name of the regent ot 

 the winds, more commonly called Pavana ; which fee. 

 But the word occurs more frequently in the plnral, when 

 " the Vafus" feem to imply the eight winds coUeftively ; 

 the Hindoos having many fables connefted with this num- 

 ber of winds. It is not eafy to difcriminate at all times 

 between the Vafus and the Maruts of the Hindoos. See 

 Marut. 



VASUDEVA is the name of the mortal father of their 

 god Kriftina : his mother was Devaky. (See Krishna.) 

 The name Vafudeva is faid to mean gi-ver of wealth. Krifhna 

 himfelf is fometimes called by this name. 



VASUGAN, in Geography, a river of Ruffia, which 

 runs into the Oby, N. lat. 59°. E. long. 80° 14'. 



VAT, in Commerce, &c. See Fat. 



Vat, an oil meafure of Holland, containing of oil of 

 olives 717 mingels, and weighing 1730 lbs. avoirdupois. 

 Train-oil is fold in quarteels of 18 or 21 ftekans ; alfo in 

 vats of 12 ftekans, or 192 mingejs : the mingel of 2 pints, 

 or 8 mufies of rain-water, weighs about 2 lbs. 4^ oz. Am- 

 fterdam weight. The aam, by which Rhine and Mofelle 

 wine, and alio fpirits diftilled from corn are fold, contains 

 4 ankers, 8 ftekans, 21 viertels, 64 ftoops, 128 niingcls, 

 256 pints, or 1024 mufies : and holds 8966 Dutch, 7705 

 French, or 9351 Enghfh cubic inches, or about 4O5 Eng- 

 lilh wine gallons. A vat of French wine contains 4 oxhoof- 

 dens, or 6 tierces. The oxhoofden Ihould hold 200 mingels, 

 but is commonly reckoned at 180 mingels, and the tierce 

 at 120. 



Vat, or Fate, in Mineralogy, denotes a fquare hollow 

 place on the back of a calcining furnace, in which they lay 

 the next ferving of tin-ore to dry, before it is let down into 

 the furnace, into which it paffes through a plug-hole in the 

 bottom of this vat, or dry. 



VATABLE, or Gastebled, Francis, in Biography, 

 was born at Gamache, a village in Picardy, and having firft 

 diftinguiftied himfelf in Greek literature, and by a tranflation 

 into Latin of Ariftotle's " Parva Naturalia," devoted him- 

 felf to the iludy of the Hebrew language, in which he ex- 

 celled, and which he reftored in France. He was appointed 

 Regius profeffor of Hebrew at Paris by Francis I., in 

 1 53 1, and the leftures which he made on the Old Tef- 

 tament were delivered to large audiences. His brief and 

 clear explanations of the literal meaning of the texts were 



prefervcd 



