A N A T G M Y. 
•Internal approach nearer and nearer together, becoming 
gradually thinner, and of a fofter confidence, till at laft 
they are almoft of the form of a glairy liquor in the centre. 
Thefe rings do not form an entire circumference; being 
turned inwards on the back-part, anfwering to the fore¬ 
part of the palfage for the fpinal marrow. They lie ho- 
-rizontally between the vertebrae. The interflices of the 
rings are filled with a mucilaginous fubftance, lei’s fluid 
than that of the joints." Each lamina taken feparately is 
very pliable, according to its length ; put, taken together, 
they are not f’c ealily bent, partly becaule of their circular, 
figure, and partly becaule of their vicinity and multiplicity. 
They yield, however, in the inflexions of the fpine; and 
their external furface,-which in the ordinary lituation of 
the fpine is eve« with the furface of the vertebrae, becomes 
prominent, or juts out on that fide towards which the in-' 
rleXion is made, the cartilages being then compreffed by 
the vertebrae. They likewise yield on all fides, without 
any inflection of the fpine, to the weight of the upper part 
of the body; but this is done by very fmall and imper¬ 
ceptible degrees, and efpeoially at the under part of the 
true vertebrae, and when the body is loaded with an addi¬ 
tional weight. They reftore thcmfelves afterwards merely 
by being freed from compreffion: fo that a man is reality 
taller after lying than after he has walked or carried a 
burden for a length of time; the molt natural and Ample 
reafon that can be given for the different height of the 1 
fame perfon at different times, firft obferved in England, 
•and afterwards confirmed by Mr. Morand, a member of 
the Royal Academy of Sciences, being the.different Hate of 
the intervertebral cartilages. According to Sabatier, &c. 
the fame perfon is fometimes more than four or five lines, 
or twelfths of an inch, higher in the morning than he is 
in the evening. 
Ligaments of the Vertebrae. —The vertebrae are 
ftrongly connected to .each other by different kinds of li¬ 
gaments ; fome of which are proper to a certain number of 
them, others are common to the whole. Ligamentum tranf- 
verfi/m vertebra: colli primes-, arifes froin the inner fide of 
the firft vertebra, and goes acrofs to the other fide behind 
the proeeflus dentatus, which it prevents from wounding 
the fpinal marrow .in the rotation of the head. Ligamentum 
■ aniicum commune vertebrarum. One of the moft remarkable 
is a flrongdigamentous band, which embraces their con¬ 
vex furface from the upper to the under end of the fpine. 
ft begins at the fecond vertebra of tire neck, and pafles 
down as low.as the os facrufn, becoming gradually larger 
and (Longer in its' delcent. Ligamenta intervertebralia, are 
fliort but flrong ligaments, which crofs each other ob¬ 
liquely, and are fixed round the edges of the body of each 
vertebra. Thefe crucial ligaments cover the circumfe¬ 
rence of the intervertebral cartilages, and adhere clofely 
to them. Ligamentum-pojlicum commune vertebrarum, begins 
at the fecond vertebra of the neck; and after having fent 
a conliderable proofs, which pafles behind the tranfverfe 
ligament of the firft vertebra, to be fixed to the anterior 
part of the foramen magnum, it defeends on all the other 
vertebrae, to end at the lower end of the os facrum. Li- 
-.gamenta interfpinofa, are fliort and firm ligaments, which 
.run from the whole upper edge of the bony bridge and 
fpinous precedes of one vertebra, to the correfponding 
parts of the vertebra next; and thereby joining the diffe¬ 
rent vertebrae together, and dividing the mufcles on the 
right from thofe on the left fide of the fpine. Ligamenta 
intertrqnfmrfalia, are fhort final 1 ligaments placed between 
the extremities of all the tranfverfe procefles. Ligamenta 
rapfularia , are formed of numerous fliort flrong ligament¬ 
ous fafciculi, arifing from and furrounding the oblique 
jprocefles of all the vertebrae. 
STERNUM and RIBS. 
The fternum of an adult has commonly fixteen carti¬ 
lages ; fourteen of which are articular, the other two 
fymphyfes. Of the articular cartilages, two belong to the 
true ribs, from the fecond to the feventh inclufive. Tire 
two fymphyfes are thofe between the fternum and the firft 
rib on each fide. The cartilago enfiformis is often bony 
towards the fternum, and more or lefs cartilaginous at the 
other end. In very aged perfons it has been found en¬ 
tirely oilified, and fometimes wholly cartilaginous even in 
adults. All the ribs have cartilaginous portions, which 
differ front each other in length, breadth, incurvation, 
adhefion, and in their extremities. The cartilages of the 
. falfe ribs are naturally more (lender and pliable than thofe 
of the true ribs : the middle or inner fubftance acquires 
the confidence of bones in old age ; and their extremi¬ 
ties fometimes oflify, and are immoveably fixed to the 
fterntin:. 
Ligaments of the Sternum, Vertebrae,. and Ribs. 
—Mcmbrana Jlerni propria, is a firm expanfion, compofeij. 
of many tendinous fibres, covering both the external and 
internal furface of the fternum. On the fore-part of the 
fternum the external fibres'begin at tire articulations of the 
cartilages of the ribs, and run acrofs in a radiated manner 
to their fellows on the oppofite fide, while the internal 
fibres' have a longitudinal direXion. Ligamentum cartila- 
ginis enfformis, is compofed of tendinous fibres fimilar to 
the former, arifing from the cartilaginous extremity of the 
•feventh rib and correfponding part of the fternum; and 
which, after defeending-obliquely, are fixed to the carti¬ 
lago enfiformis.- Ligamenta cdpjularia carlilaginum cojlarum 
verarum, arife round the cartilages of the feven true ribs a 
to be fixed to the articular pits in the Tides of the fternum. 
Ligamenta cojlarum ipfarum propria, are ligaments by which 
the ribs are joined to each other. Ligamenta capfularia 
capitulonm majerum cojlarum, are fhort ligamentous fafci¬ 
culi which arife round the cartilaginous furface of the 
head,of-each rib, and are fixed to the circumference of 
the fmall pits in the Tides of the bodies of the vertebr-as- 
and. intervertebral cartilages. Ligamenta capfularia . capita - 
loruy.' minorum, arife front the tubercles of the ten upper.- 
moft ribs, and are fixed round the articular pit on the 
point of the tranfverfe procefles of the vertebrae of the 
back. Ligamenta internet colli cojlarum, arife from the upper 
part of the neck of the ribs,, and are fixed to the inferior 
furface of the tranfverfe procelfes. LAgamcnta externa colli 
cofccrum, arife from the outer furface.of the fuperior mar¬ 
gin of the neck of all the ribs. Ligamenta duo fpecialia , 
arife by a broad origin from the inferior margin of the laft 
rib, and are fixed to the tranfverfe procefs of the firft and 
fecond lumbar vertebrae. The Jigarfierjtous expanftons of 
the vertebrae, are-in place of a periofteum ; at leaf! they 
are blended together both-on the inner and outer fide of 
the fpine. The fternum and bony portions of the ribs 
have a p.eriofteuni like the other bones.■ The cartilaginous 
portions of the ribs are covered by a membrane of the fame 
kind, termed perichondrium. 
OF THE SUPERIOR EXTREMITIES. 
The fcapula in many fubjeXs has a Tmall cartilaginous 
border along its whole -bafts ; which in children is tolera¬ 
bly diftJnX, but in adults it difappears. The-glenoid cavity 
of this-bone is covered with a cartilage, which is thicker 
towards the Circumference than in the middle, and a little 
railed above the edge of the bone. The fmall cartilagi¬ 
nous furface of the acromion, is covered with a very thin 
cartilaginous lamina: but, being tranfparent, it does not 
appear very white. The fternal extremity of, the clavicle 
is crufted over with a cartilage which covers its whole tri¬ 
angular furface; befides which it has another moveable 
inter-articular cartilage, refembling that at the articulation 
of the lower jaw. The fmall cartilaginous furface of the 
fcapular extremity of the clavicle, anfwering to that of 
-the acromion, is a little convex. 
-Ligaments of the Clavicle and Scapula. — Liga- 
mentum inter clavicular e, is a long narrow ligament which 
goes behind the furca of the fternum, from the internal 
angle of-one clavicle to that of the other. Ligamenta cap- 
v.rficplations jof the clavicles; and twelve to thofe of the fularia antica claviculx, are fliort and'flrong ligaments arj- 
