PRIMROSE : THE ANATOMY OF THE ORANG OUTANG 
87 
the leg at the ankle joint is characteristic of the foot and not of the 
hand. There is also an absence of pronation and supination in the ape’s 
foot. Langer^ admits the resemblance of the ape’s foot to a hand, but 
also points out the obvious fact that the anterior extremity of the Orang 
is as far removed from the human hand as the posterior extremity is from 
the human foot. Both extremities are wholly organized for holding and 
grasping in the ape, and Langer would have us look upon the posterior 
extremity as a holding or grasping foot. Huxley, it is true, argues the 
matter wholly from the morphological standpoint, and Fick^ agrees 
with Huxley that the feet of man and apes are essentially alike in all 
variety of anatomical detail. But certain differences (non-essential) un- 
doubtedly exist. The absence of a true arch and the fact that the Orang 
walks upon the outer margin of the foot with the digits flexed like a 
closed fist. In man the toes are, comparatively, very short, and as 
Turner points out, the great toe is fastened to the second digit by a 
strong ligament. The fixation of the great toe, however, may be greatly 
decreased in man as is evidenced in those individuals who have con- 
genital absence of the arm ; they are capable of doing many things with 
the toes, impossible on the part of an ordinary individual. By training, 
an armless painter, according to Pick, was able to copy Rubens’ pictures, 
and one knows of the possibility of individuals writing, playing the 
violin, and doing a variety of things. Thus, when necessary, man is 
capable of using his foot for a number of purposes and to accomplish 
work ordinarily relegated to the hands. In the struggle for existence, 
similarly, the ape has developed great dexterity in the use of his foot, 
but it still remains a foot. Fick tells us that in the living ape there is 
an obvious difference in the manner in which he uses the upper and 
lower extremities. In walking, running and springing forwards from the 
hind legs the arms are scarcely burdened, but the hands are always ready 
to grasp an object such as fruit, and to do all finer work, such as the 
breaking open of fruit, seeking vermin, etc., the legs and feet being used 
for support and in running. 
It was Tyson,^ two centuries ago, who, struck by the great external 
resemblance of its hinder limb with its opposable thumb to a hand, 
remarked that the animals might be called “ quadru-manus.” Referring 
to the foot of the Chimpanzee which he dissected, he remarks as follows : 
— “ But this part, in the formation and its function too, being liker a 
hand, than a foot, for the distinguishing this sort of animals from others, 
1 Loc. cit., p. 193. 
2 Loc. cit. I, p, 53. 
3 Loc. cit., p. 13. 
