Part 1

Transcriber’s notes:

The text of this book has been preserved as in the original, apart from repositioning of some footnotes and illustrations closer to the relevant text. Italic text is denoted by underscores.

THE HUMAN FOOT

AND THE

HUMAN HAND.

G. M. HUMPHRY, M.D. F.R.S.

LECTURER ON ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE.

MACMILLAN AND CO. Cambridge: AND 23, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, London. 1861.

Cambridge: PRINTED BY C. J. CLAY, M.A. AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

The following pages originated in two popular Lectures which were delivered in Cambridge. In the preparation for publication many additions have been made; but I have thought it best to retain the original form.

CONTENTS.

THE HUMAN FOOT.

Why are the generality of persons so ignorant of the structure of their own bodies? p. 1. The dependence of the hand upon the foot, 3. Principle of “division of Labour” illustrated in the animal world, 4; and in the function of locomotion, 6.

Structure of Lower Limb, 8. Length of Leg in GIANTS, 9. Bones of Foot, ib. Peculiarity of GREAT TOE, 10. Uniformity in plan, and dissimilarity in detail seen throughout nature, 13. Homologous parts in animals, 14. Comparison of Horse’s Leg with Man’s, 15. The ARCH of the foot, 18; its elasticity greater in the fore part than in the hinder, 21. The Component bones held together by Ligaments, 24. WEAK ANKLE and FLAT FOOT, 27, 74; time of life at which they occur, 31. Injurious effects of “High-lows,” 29.

Movements of the FOOT, 33; compared with those of the HEAD, 35. Nature’s abhorrence of straight lines illustrated by shape of leg-bone, 37, and by movements of leg upon thigh, 39. Sitting upon the heel, ib. Grecian and Egyptian statuary compared, 40. Relation of PERFECTION and BEAUTY, 41.

MUSCLES of Leg and Foot, 42. Purpose served by movements of Infants, 46. CLUB-FOOT, 47. Shape of the ankle, 48. Length and direction of the heel, 50. The CALF, ib.; characteristic of man, 53. EUROPEAN Leg and Foot contrasted with NEGRO’S, 51. CHINESE foot, 54. Tendency of different races to exaggerate their peculiarities, 56. Provision for enabling balls of toes to adapt themselves to uneven surfaces, 57.

STANDING, 59. BOWING, STOOPING and SQUATTING, 61. WALKING, 62. RUNNING, 64. TROTTING and GALLOPING, 67. Rolling in walking, 69. Sprained ankle, 70. Mode in which foot revolves on the ground, 73. Character shown in walking, 76. The IDIOT, 80. The DRUNKARD, 81.

Distinctive features of the Human Foot, 82; most marked in highest races, 91. The TOES of small size and, comparatively, unimportant, 84. The foot of the ELEPHANT, 86; of the HIPPOPOTAMUS, RHINOCEROS, OX, and HORSE, 87; of the GORILLA, 88. Proportions of the limbs, 94. Foot and hand small in very short and very tall persons, 96. The foot measure, 97.

SKIN of the sole, 98. On SHOES, 102.

THE HUMAN HAND.

HAND how distinguished from FOOT, 109. Construction of Upper limb, 110. Small bones rarely dislocated, 112.

Movements at SHOULDER very free, 114; conducive to good development of Chest, 125. Uses of COLLAR-BONE, 116. Injuries to Shoulder why so frequent, 119. Shape of CHEST, 122; in Rhinoceros, 120; in Monkey, 123.

Movements at the ELBOW, 126. PRONATION and SUPINATION of the forearm and hand, ib. No exactly corresponding movements in lower limb, 129. MUSCLES by which they are effected, 130. Anatomical reason for the direction in which we turn a screw or a gimlet, 132.

Structure and movements of the WRIST, 134. Movements of the FINGERS, 136. MUSCLES by which they are effected, 137. MOVEMENTS of the THUMB, 141; of the metacarpal bones upon the wrist, 143. Advantage gained by the fingers and thumb all differing in length, 145. Middle finger the centre about which the others move, 147. On holding the PEN, ib. The direction in which the letters are slanted, 148. WRITING from left to right, 149. Reason for the RING being placed upon the fourth finger, 150. The “funny-bone,” 153.

The MONKEY’S HAND, 154, 187.

The hand the organ of the WILL, 156; its relation to the MIND, 157; an organ of EXPRESSION, 159. SHAKING HANDS, 162. Why do we shake hands? 162. Why do we KISS? 164.

Structure of the SKIN, 165. The Cuticle, 166; its uses, 167. The Rete Mucosum, 166. Cause of the colour of the Skin, 167. The Cutis, 168. Difference between a WART and a CORN, 170. How to cut Corns, 172.

NAILS; their formation and growth, 173. Claws in lower animals, 173, 175. Sensitiveness of the Skin beneath the nails, 177.