THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
vor^m _ MAY, 183 L_ No. 4i. 
ANATOMY OF THE HORSE. 
[Continued from p. 184.] 
% • 
2.—SUPERFICIAL POSTERIOR FEMORO-CRURAL REGION. 
The muscles contained in this region are all affixed to the 
os calcis, and thereby become extensors of the hock: one of 
them is continued afterwards down the leg, to be fixed both to 
the fetlock and pastern, and hence operates as a flexor of those 
parts at the same time. 
gastrocnemius externus — Bifemoro-calcaneus. 
Situation. —Superficial; along the posterior part of the leg. 
Figure .—Elongated: flattened from before backwards; broad, 
thick, and bifurcated, superiorly; united and cordiform,inferiorly. 
Attachment .—Superiorly, to a roughened hollow just above 
the external condyle of the os femoris, to the inner condyle, and 
to a ridge extending from it: inferiorly, to the point of the 
os calcis. 
Relations. —Posteriorly, with the faschia and skin ; anteriorly, 
with the condyles of the femur, gastrocnemius and plantaris, 
muscles of the deep posterior crural region, and the popliteal 
bloodvessels and nerves ; externally, with the biceps; internally, 
with the adductor magnus and adductor tibialis. 
Direction .—Downward and backward. 
Structure. —The superior and middle parts are bulky, and con¬ 
sist principally of a fleshy belly, bifurcate, whose surfaces are 
partially covered by aponeurosis, discovering inferiorly a few 
tendinous intersections. A little below the back of the stifle, the 
bifurcations unite and form one entire fleshy belly, glistening in 
many parts with tendinous fibres. Midway between the hock 
and stifle the belly ends in a flattened tendon, partially divisible 
into tw o or three portions, and decussates with the tendon of the 
gastrocnemius internus, by which at the hock it is completely 
enveloped. 
Action .—To extend the hock. 
VOL. iv. L I 
