THE HAND AS AN UNRULY MEMBER. 483 
parts in diferent animals, but of corresponding parts in 
one and the same animal; in short, the human arm is 
compared, not with the foreleg of a quadruped, but with 
the human leg: and in like manner the fore and hind legs 
of a beast are compared with each other. 
And, lastly, I stated that it is now pretty well agreed 
that in this comparison the shoulder and pelvis repre- 
sent each other; that the humerus and femur are sim- 
ilar parts in the two limbs; that the elbow and the knee, 
the forearm and the leg do in some way correspond with 
each other ; and that, finally, the foot is, as a whole, the 
humble representative of the hand. Yet there is a very 
Wide difference of opinion as to whether or not the great 
toe is the counterpart of the thumb; and this because 
the rotation which takes place in the forearm allows the 
thumb to come into two different positions. 
If you will take the trouble to place your hand upon 
the table, the palm downward, and the fingers pointing 
forward, you will see that the thumb comes upon the 
inner side of the hand, that is, toward the middle line of 
the body, as does the great toe in the foot; but if you 
Suptnate the hand and place it on the edge of the table so 
that the fingers point backwards, the palm facing down- 
Ward and forward, you will see that the thumb now comes 
on the outer side of the hand, and is opposite the little toe. 
You will say at once and truly, that the former is the 
easier and more natural position, and coincides more 
nearly with your previous ideas respecting the thumb and 
the great toe, and it might perhaps do very well if the 
hand and the foot were the only parts concerned ; but un- 
fortunately the arm and the leg must also be taken into 
_ Consideration, and whatever principle we adopt for the 
former, ought to apply equally well to the latter. 
