Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-03-23

and that of the animal is so close that the |
philosophers are not yet decided as to where |
the human ends and the animal begins.
The arm of the ape is longer than in man, |
and the arm of the average negro Is longer |
than that of the average white man, as was
shown in the war when 1t was found that
the sleeves of the army coats must be cut
longer for the colored regiments. We hni |
in some men the thirteenth rib, as in the |
monkey and it is difficult to divide the |
two, in the skeleton, by any perfectly dis
tinct line of demarcation.
Coming down to the study of osteology,
or the part of anatomy which treats of the
bony framework, we find that all verte-
brate animals may be divided into q series OF
transverse segments, or vertebre. The
vertebra is the unit OF the structure. Ii is
composed of the centrum or bony centre
of the spinal column. From this ex-
tend the spinous processes, two
of which join and enclose the neural
cavity, in which is the spinal mar
row, while others in some parts Of the
frame extend into ribs which enclose the
hamal cavity, in which are the great blood
vessels. The number of ribs vary, as do
the number of vertebra, in different ami
mails. The regular number in man is twelve
on a side, but We sometimes ind an abnor-
NAL case in which an additional rib has
been thrown out from one OF the lumbar
yertebra and sometimes one from one OF
the ceryIcal vertebra. In the alligator, ribs
are attached to all the cervical vertebr9, ex-
tending up to the skull, There may be Is
or 10 ribs in the horse. The difference in
number was once supposed to indicate
difference in species but we lind that the
horse having the 18th rib, has one less
bar nE la rartahraA and /
il otherwise plain that the additional
rib is a case of capricious abnormal devel-
opment of one of the processes of the lum-
bar vertebra. We trace the type of the YER
tebre, in the bones OF the pelyis and even the
head has been divided into four yertebI9.
The cOccygal bones, which in man are un-
developed vertehr9, in the monkey become
the caudal vtrtebTp, greater or less 10 num-
Der and in the snake may be numbered by
hundreds In the whale portions OF the
spine are rot Invisible into separate verte-
bIa. but the places where Nature as it were
began the division, which was not compile
ted, are shown in gaps. like saw cuts, IN
tie tone. In some old saddle horses We
fir d the spinal verreb,a grown together.
the result Of prolonged pressure and Irri-
tation of the spine.
Some Of the d ffsrenccs in structure men
toned by Prof. Cressy were illustrated by
him, by specimens of the human skeleton.
and Of the skeletons of the monkey and
other animals The lecture included many
matters ui technical detail. to be found in
the text books. and to which We need not
give space in report intended chiefly Tor
ncn-proiessiOnal readers.
THE UNIVERSITY COURSE OF VETERINARY
LECTURES BY PROF. CREssY, AT THE
MEDICAL COLLEGE.
No. III.
Prof. Cres,y in bis third lecture treated
of the comparative anatomy OF the extrem-
tiles. In birds the wish bone is a mUdItca
ton of the cellar bone in man. In some
species these bones were not united to form
one continuous bone as we see 1t in dOmes-
tic fowls, but is connected by cartilage.
In fishes the pectoral fins are bomologous,
TO the arms in man, the fore ieet OF
quadrupeds and wings OF birds. la
some, the hand or loot is webbed, in
others separated; fishes and aquatic birds
give the webbed type, while the flying
squirrel in addition to having the fingers
partly Joined. has flap or fold of skin at
tached to the forearm serving partially the
purpose of wings.
In the embryonic state the hands OF the
human species are webbed and instances
sometimes occur in which they are born so,
and when this occurs it Is a reverslOn to
lower type of animal. life, in which this
condition is normal. The bones OF the
upper arm and leg are homolOgou' in the
different species.
In the forearm quarter more difference
is shown. In all carnlvora, or hesh-eatIng
animals, the bones are separate as IN the
arm of man, by which the hand Is made
prehensile. enabling the animal to seize
and bold its food. In the horse and herbi-
vOra. or graS--eating animals, the bones are
agglutinated,. or joined together, giving
greater frmness iOr bearing weight Blu; less
motion.
In many of the lower animals we find
fingers or toes, in some We find but iOur.
In the foot Of the hog there are tour-twO
on which the animal walks and two which
show a. dew claws. In the sheep these
latter are lost and the two only remain.
In all ruminsnts. or animals chewing the
cud, the bones corresponding To the two
meta carpal bones in the human hand
are joined together showing two marrow
cavities.
The bones Of the fcre-!oot of the horse cor
respond with those OF the ring finger of the
hand. The horse is descent from the tri-
dactyl or three tOed animals, OF which the
rhinoceros is a familiar type. Coming to
the phalauges We find the bones CORES
ponding with the bones Of the middle finger
or toe, the hoof being homologous to the
nail.
lCCutiI ued in the 2nd pagel