The anatomy of the human body / [William Cheselden].

  • Cheselden, William, 1688-1752
Date:
1795
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The anatomy of the human body / [William Cheselden]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/454 (page 4)
    Lt £e A ete ' : . ’ INTRODUCTION. yuan TO THE. ea , B Oy? 05NF Bi divess4s) \ ‘THE ufe of the bones is to give fhape: and firmnefs to the body, to be levers for the muf- cles to a€t upon, and to defend thofe parts from external injuries that are of greateft confequence to be preferved ; as the brain, fpinal marrow, heart, Gcc. Their fibres, when firft formed like - the fhells and ftones of fruits, are very foft, un- til by the addition of a matter, which is fecreted into them, they grow by degrees to the hardnefs of a.cartilage, and then perfect bone: But) this change is neither made in a very. fhort time, nor begun in all the parts of the fame bone ‘at once. Flat bones, that have their fibres directed to all fides, begin to oflify in or near a middle point; but the cylindrical bones, and all others whofe fibres are nearly parallel, begin about the middle of each fibre, and thence fhoot forth to their extremities ; _ not always in continued lines, but frequently begin-. ning new/offifications, which foon join the former ; and by the continual addition of this offifying mat- ter, the bones increafe till their hardnefs refifts a far- ther extenfion ; and their hardnefs always increaf ing while they are growing, the increafe of their growth becomes flower and flower, until they ceafe. : to