Popular medical errors / [James Bower Harrison].

  • Harrison, James Bower
Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Popular medical errors / [James Bower Harrison]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    pens that the muscular structure is very far reduced, whilst the tendons or sinews remain the same as ever. Hence people will show us their arms, and tell us “ that there is little flesh, it is true, but look at the sinew I” Plamlet exclaims in one of his passionate speeches— “ Oh, all you host of heaven! oh eai-th! —What else ? And shall I couple hell? Oh fie! Hold — hold, ray heart! And you, ray sinews, grow not instant old, But bear rae stiffly up! ” The old anatomists, it is well known, con- founded the tendons with the nerves, probably from their white glistening appearance. There are many words still employed by anatomists which originated in this mistake, as the term aponeurosis, which one would suppose, by its etymology, had reference to the nerves, and not the tendons—(a7ro, and vsvpov, a nerve). Many common expressions are also used which would seem to preserve the same error. A sacred poet says— “ Awake, ray soul! stretch every nerve, , And press with vigour on I ”
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