Index to the sectional figure of the horse, with remarks on certain properties of his general framing / [Bracy Clark].

  • Bracy Clark
Date:
1813
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Index to the sectional figure of the horse, with remarks on certain properties of his general framing / [Bracy Clark]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    22/26 page 18
    longitudinally a ligament of extraordinary strength and elasticity, forming upwards the Crest; it is of a yellowish white color, and divided into several portions, through which are seen the red fibres of the muscles of the neck ; a separated and very distinct flattened chord of this ligament is seen extending from the extreme point of the processes of the withers to the back of the head, 43, inserted strongly into the occipital hone. It maybe useful to observe that it is these ligaments when over distended or injured by blows near their insertion that leads to the disease called Pole Evil. These ligaments, as we have stated, being in a high degree elastic, appear to be the cause of the singular appearance in the dying horse of the head being drawn backward; for the weight of the head being removed, the horse at this time usually lying on his side and all mus- cular exertion ceasing, these ligaments uncontrolled powerfully pull the head towards the withers backwards, and with such force as often to create considerable surprize. Of the Thorax. This cavity is posteriorly bounded by the Diaphragm, or in common lan- guage the Midriffe which like a curtain obliquely separates it from the abdomen ; in its circum- ference muscular, in its center tendinous, which this section exhibits in an interesting manner. This muscle is greatly concerned in respiration and is the chief cause of the heaving and agita- tions of the flanks in broken wind, and other complaints affecting the lungs or intestines afford- ing often a useful means of judging of danger and of the approaches of death in these animals. The great trunk of the A orta, or chief artery, is seen passing through it near its insertion into the loins and below this is seen the Aesophagus or Gullet also passing through it to go to the stomach. Anteriorly the cavity of the Chest is supported by the Sternum or Breast-hone, 45 ; its deep or wide surface presents several irregular rounded patches of redder and more porous bone, being the places of insertion of the ribs ; the uppermost of these 46, is singularly covered with smooth cartilage, as though it wasdesigned for a moveable joint, it may have some reference to the clavicle of animals. Near the middle of the lower part of the chest is seen the Heart, 47, with its two chambers, the great and lesser ventricle, a,b, the former impelling the blood through the body, the latter through the lungs only, at the upper part of the heart and over these chambers is seen the white internal coats of the Auricles, c, for receiving the blood returning to the heart, and large openings are seen for its ingress to the heart and passage to the ventricles. The Heart is loosely surrounded by a membranous bag, 48, called the Pericardium, formed by a duplica- tion of the Mediastinum, 49, 49, 49, below, the Pericardium is attached to the Sternum. The Lungs, formed of two large lobes, occupy the two cavities of the chest, having the medi- astinum and heart between them, there is also a smaller central lobe to the lungs, which posteriorly surrounds the heart, and is seen divided, 50.The three openings are 3 of the air-pipes or Bron- chial vessels, continuations of the canal of the wind-pipe. Through an opening in the medias- tinum purposely made 51, is seen the left cavity of the chest with a portion of the extremity of the left lobe of the lungs, collapsed from the admission of ai;- into the cavity ; another portion of the lobe is seen near the upper extremity of the sternum in the anterior part of the cavity 52 : the ribs are also obscurely visible through the same openings,their internal surface being covered with a fine membrane called the pleura which lines the cavity of the chest, and is reflected over all its viscera: The oblique fibres between the ribs are the intercostal muscles. The large tube or cylin-
    No text description is available for this image
    No text description is available for this image
    No text description is available for this image