The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. IIII. Of the Clavitles, or Coller bones and Ribs.

IF we should handle these parts after the common order, we should now treat of the Muscles of the Chest which move the arme, and serve for re∣spiration, and which first offer themselves to our sight.

But for that they cannot be fitly shewed, unlesse wee hurt the muscles of the shoulder blade and necke, therefore I thinke it better, to deferre the explana∣tion of these muscles untill such time as I have shewed the rest of the contained and containing parts, not onely of the chest, but also of the head, that having finished these we may come to a full demonstration of all the rest of the muscles, beginning with those of the head, which wee first meet with, and so prosequuting the rest even to the muscles of the feet, as they shall seeme to offer themselves more fitly to dis∣section, that so, as much as lyes in us, we may shunne confusion.

Wherefore returned to our proposed taske, after the foresaid muscles come the Collar bones, the sternon and ribs.

But that these parts may be the more easily understood, wee must first know what a bone is, and whence the differences thereof are drawne.

Therefore a bone is a part of our body most terrestriall, cold, dry, hard, wanting * 1.1 all manifest sense, if the teeth be excepted.

I said manifest sense, that you may understand that the parts have a double sense of touching, the one manifest, such as resides in the flesh, skin, membranes, nerves, * 1.2 Teeth and certaine other parts; the other obscure, yet which may suffice to * 1.3 discerne the helping and hurting tactile qualityes, such sense the bowels and bones have; for very small fibers of the nerves are disseminated to these parts by mediation of their coat, or membrane, I say so small, that they canne scarce be discerned by the eyes, unlesse (as Galen saith) by plucking such coats away from the parts.

But it is no marvaile if nature would have these parts in like manner to have such * 1.4 small veines, contrary to the lungs and most part of the Muscles, onely to yeild so much nourishment to the part, as should be needfull; for seeing the substance of the bones is cold, hard, dense and solid, it wastes the lesse.

Wherefore they need not so much blood for their nourishment, as the hot and soft parts; and besides the lesser bones have neither veines, nor arteries, but draw fit nourishment, onely by the force of the attractive faculty implanted in them.

The differences of bones are taken from many things, as from their Apophyses, Epi∣physes, * 1.5 gristles, necks, heads, solidity, cavity, eminencies, marrow, consistence, bignes, number, figure, site. Wee will prosecute all these as they shall offer themselves in the demonstration of the bones; to which doctrine we will give a beginning at the Cla∣vicles or collar bones.

The Clavicles are two very hard and solid bones, without any great or notable * 1.6 cavity, scituate on each side betwixt the side and upper part of the sternon and top of the shoulder-blade, for the strength and stability of these parts, whence they take the name of Claviculae Clavicles (from the Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifies a key or any other bar or fastning of a doore.) They carry the shape of a surgeons Levatory.

But you must note that the Clavicles seemes to be fastned to the sternon by the mediation of a gristlely bone. Moreover the space and cavity contained within the Collar bones is called by the Latines Ingulum, by the French the upper furcula, because the jugular veines passe that way; it sticks to the upper processe of the shoulder by a Gristle which Galen calls the small gristle bone, although it be nothing else but a pro∣duction * 1.7 of the Os Iuguli.

For the sternon, which we said is framed of diverse bones, as sometimes 3, somtimes 4, 5, 6, 7, and sometimes 8, you must note they are very spongy and full of pores, and of a farre softer consistence than the coller bones, wherefore more subject to cor∣ruption; besides they are mutually joined by interposition of muscles. Their use is to be as a shield to defend the vitall parts.

The Ribs are 24. in number, on each side 12, seaven of these are called true or per∣fect * 1.8 ribs, because they make a circle, at the one end joined to the sternon, on the other to the vertebra's; the other are called bastard or short ribs because they falshort in their way and come not to the sternon; but they are fastened on the fore-side to the sternon by gristles and ligaments, but on the back part to the transverse vertebra's of the back-bone, and to the sides of the said vertebra's. But the short ribs are onely knit to the vertebra's, wherefore that part of the vertebra's is called the root of the ribs.

The exteriour or fore-part of the Bastard or short ribs is gristely, that they should not be broken, and that they might be the easier lifted up in the distensions of the * 1.9 stomack filled with meat. They are of a consistence sufficiently hard, yet more towards their root, than at the stërnon, where they come nearer together, and are more hardly broken; they are smooth both within and without, but in the midst they have some signe of being double, or hollow to receive the veines and arteryes, which nourish their bony substance; they are fashoned like a bow; their use is the same with the sternon, and besides to carry and strengthen the muscles serving for respiration.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What a Bone is.
• * 1.2

  A double sense
• * 1.3

  Lib. 1. de Locis affectis.
• * 1.4

  Why the bones have such small veine..
• * 1.5

  Whence the difference of bones may be taken.
• * 1.6

  The Clavicles or collar bones
• * 1.7

  Lib. 13. da 〈◊〉〈◊〉 part. Cap. 11.
• * 1.8

  The Ribs.
• * 1.9

  Their consi∣stance.