ANIMAL MECHANICS. 



f . On the Nature of Muscular Fibres. — If a portion of the 

 muscle of any animal be macerated in water for a short time, 

 and gently separated into its elements by means of dissecting 

 needles, it will be found to consist of elementary fibres, ad- 

 mitting of no further subdivision by mechanical treatment. 

 These elementary fibres extend through the whole length of 

 the muscle from its origin to its insertion, and thus vary in 

 length from several lines to upwards of two feet.* The thick- 

 ness of the elementary fibres has been measured by various 

 observers, among whom none is more worthy of confidence 

 than Mr. W. Bowman, who has given the following Table as 

 the result of his observations on various animals :f — 



Diameter of the Elementary Fibres of Striped Muscle in Fractions of 

 an English Inch. 



From To 



1. Human, . . . ^is • • T^a • • average of males, . . ^ 



„ females, . 



2. Other Mammals, . -j--^ . . . . average .... 



* In the m. sartorius of Man these fibres have been found upwards of two 

 feet in length, and I have myself measured them in the m. bicipiti accessories of the 

 Lion exactly two feet long. 



f "Cyclopaedia ofAnat. and Phys.," vol. iii., p. 507. 



B 



