Human physiology : designed for colleges and the higher classes in schools and for general reading . the foot which joins the tendons of the firstnamed muscle, and assists it in bending the toes. It is as iftwo different sets of men were placed in two different positions,with ropes arranged so as to pull in the same direction. Thequestion arises, why the toes are not bent by a single muscle,lodged conveniently in the fleshy part of the leg. The reasonprobably is, that the muscle placed in the sole of the foot isneeded there as a filling up in the arch of the foot, and so theforce necessary to
Human physiology : designed for colleges and the higher classes in schools and for general reading . the foot which joins the tendons of the firstnamed muscle, and assists it in bending the toes. It is as iftwo different sets of men were placed in two different positions,with ropes arranged so as to pull in the same direction. Thequestion arises, why the toes are not bent by a single muscle,lodged conveniently in the fleshy part of the leg. The reasonprobably is, that the muscle placed in the sole of the foot isneeded there as a filling up in the arch of the foot, and so theforce necessary to bend the toes is divided between the twopositions. 316. There is another contrivance in this muscle that bends thetoes which I will notice here. Its four tendons pass to the lastbones in the toes, and in doing so they go through the tendonsof the muscle that bends the second joints. These latter divideat their ends where they join the bones for this purpose. Asimilar arrangement also is made in the fingers for the tendonsof the second and third joints. This is represented in Fig. 124, FIG. in which e is the tendon which goes to the last bone c throughthe division in/, which goes to the second bone b. It is mani-fest that this is the best way of packing the tendons, as we mayexpress it. Any other conceivable arrangement would add tothe bulk of the finger. As they are represented in the figurethey are raised up, instead of being closely packed down uponthe bone, as they are in reality. 317. I have already alluded to the fact that many musclesunite in producing most of the movements of the body, andthat, as they vary in the degrees of their contraction, thevariety of motion resulting from both these causes, is exceed- 216 HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY. Complicated action of associated muscles. ingly great. I will now call your attention more particularlyto these points, as you can more readily appreciate them afterthe general view which you have taken of the muscular when onl
Size: 2917px × 857px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorhookerwo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookyear1854
