Fienw.rlxS on Torn-off JJi'jiis in JIo./i 
29 
nerves, and tendons, all but two : the extensor of the last 
phalanx and the long flexor, these came awa}' in their whole 
length, carrying with them some of their fleshy fibres. This 
patient recovered with scarcely any snfl^ering. 
The digits most prone to snch mishaps are undoubtedly 
the thumb and little fii]ger: this maybe partly accounted 
for by their beiug flanking fingers, and so somewhat more 
exposed to injury. I can only find one case recorded where 
one of the central fin^'ers sufi'ered. A woman was standino' 
on a stool endeavoiiriiig to hang up a joint of meat. The 
stool turned over, and the hook caught her ring fiuger near 
its root ; the weight of her body caused the fiuger to sepa- 
rate, with rupture of all the soft parts, except the tendon 
of the deep flexor, which came away with fleshy fibres 
attached. 
But there are numberless cases on record of the flankino' 
fingers, and especially the last phalanx, separating from 
apparently trivial causes. A friend of my own once descended 
somewhat hurriedly from the box-seat of an omnibus. He 
was about to turn and walk away, V\dien a gentleman who 
had been sitting beside him said politely, This is yours, 
sir, I believe,''' and handed him down the last joint of his 
left little finger, with its extensor tendon attached. Some 
years ago, a gentlcDian walking down Elder Street when the 
pavement was slippery, as a precautiunary measure held his 
hand over the railing in readiness for a slip ; he slipped and 
fell, his signet ring was caught by one of the spokes of the 
railing, and tore ofi' his little finger. 
The peculiarities of such are : — 
1. The small amount of force necessary — tendon, belong- 
ing to short masses of muscle, or muscular bellies common 
to several tendons, give way either at the seat of injury or 
where they commiijgle ^vith the muscular fibre. 
2. Long tendons ruuDing in separate sheaths, playing 
freely in grooves of their own, do not give way, but the 
fleshy iibres do ; and we can, as Avas shown long ago by 
31. Moranci, imitate this on the dead body. 
3. They are seldom accompanied by much pain, at all 
events at first, as shown by the instairces I have mentioned : 
