246 THE NEW ZEALAND FAMILY HERB DOCTOR, 
floor, which has a number of openings in it for the passage of 
nerves and blood-vessels. The bones of the face are the 
maler and nasal, superior and inferior maxillary, into which 
the teeth are inserted ; the bones of the upper extremity are 
the clavicle or collar bone, the scapula or shoulder blade; in the 
upper arm the humerus, in the fore arm the radius and ulna. 
In the wrist joint are eight short bones called the carpal, 
united to which are the phalanges or finger bones. In the 
body or trunk are the ribs, twelve on each side, the same 
number in male and female ; ten of them are united all round, 
and two are called the floating ribs. The spinal column is 
composed of 24 bones, between which are round flat discs; 
each vertrebra has a circular hole through which the cord 
passes. On the upper and lower surfaces there are notches, 
which when united form the foramen, as it is called, through 
which the nerves pass out to the various parts and organs of 
the body. The spine rests on a bone called the sacrum, which 
in the child is formed of several segments, but in adult life it is 
one. The coccyx is the terminal part of the spinal column, 
composed of four small segments: the innominate bones so 
called from the difficulty of finding in them any resemblance 
to natural objects; those two called the hip-bones, with the 
sacrum and coccyx, formthe pelvis. The femus or thigh-bone 
is the longest and largest in the body; it rests on the broad 
head of the tibia, which with the patella or knee-cap form the 
knee joint; the fibula, or as it is sometimes called the splint 
bone, lies to the outside of the leg, not as high up as the knee 
joint , it descends a little lower tlain the tibia, and is the outer 
bone in the ankle-joint. The small bones of this joint are 
seven in number and are called tarsal bones. The phalanges or 
toe bones complete the list, which being bound together by 
the strong ligaments and tendons, form the skeleton. 
Cartilages are pads or cushions placed between the articulating 
or joining ends, to prevent concussion or shock to the body. 
The composition of bone in early childhood is about equal 
parts oforganic and earthy substance. The former a gelatinous, 
and the latter mainly the carbonate and phosphate of lime. 
