Mikrokosmographia a description of the body of man. Together vvith the controuersies thereto belonging. Collected and translated out of all the best authors of anatomy, especially out of Gasper Bauhinus and Andreas Laurentius. By Helkiah Crooke Doctor of Physicke, physitian to His Maiestie, and his Highnesse professor in anatomy and chyrurgerie. Published by the Kings Maiesties especiall direction and warrant according to the first integrity, as it was originally written by the author.

CHAP. V. Wherein is declared the reason of the framing of all the similar parts whereof the Hind is compounded.

THe Muscle therefore is the principall part of the Hand by which immediatly apprehension is made. But because there are two especiall partes of a Mus∣cle, * 1.1 the Flesh and the Tendon or Chord, Nature placed many Tendons and little Flesh vpon the Fingers, because the end of the Hand should be light & thinne, not heauy and thicke.

These Tendons from their originall euen to their insertion are round, that they might bee lesse subiect to outward affects, but in the very insertion they growe broader that the motion may be more nimble. But because there are many motions of the fingers, to wit, right, as Simple; flection or extention; & oblique whē they are brought together or par∣ted asunder; it was necessary that there should be Tendons both without and within and * 1.2 on the sides of the fingers. But how many Muscles there bee of the hand, whence euery one of them ariseth and where they are inserted together with their structure, we shall de∣clare in the next Booke, wherein wee handle of sette purpose the Historie of all the Mus∣cles.

Nerues they haue dispersed into their Muscles and Flesh, and those very many from * 1.3 the fourth and fift payre of the Arme which yeelde vnto them the faculties of Sense and Motion. The Bones of the Hand are eight of the Wrest, foure of the After-wrest which are tyed together with a strict and immouable articulation or iuncture. The Bones of the Fingers are ioyned by Diarthrosis, for it behooued that they should so mooue as they * 1.4 might be able to apprehend or take hold of all figures or fashions of things. These Bones are onely three neither more nor lesse, for more would haue hindered perfect extention, and fewer would not haue admitted so many and diuers particular figures. And all these that the motion might bee more facile and easie, are knit together by Ginglymos. Nowe the variety of the motions is furthered both by the gristle which compasseth their extrea∣mities and by the fatte and oyhe humour which like a slime doth line the ioynts. But be∣cause when the creature according to his pleasure shall bend and bow these ioynts, they should not be disseuered or fall out of their seates, Nature hath knitte them together with * 1.5 tyes and bands, and wedged them in also with small bones like Sesamum seedes. For these small bones which are in the inner ioynts of the Hand doe not suffer the ioynts to Luxe or * 1.6 shoote inward when we streatch out our hands strongly; and those that are placed in the outward ioyntes keepe them from leaping outward when wee bend our handes with vio∣lence.

The further discourse of the Bones of the Hand you shall find hereafter in the last Book which is of the Bones: for to transcribe euery particular here, were to abuse my owne time and your patience.

The bones therefore doe make the action more perfect. For if the fingers were without them, we should be able to performe those actions only wherein it behoued vs to draw the fingers into a circular forme. The Nayles also were made to further the vse of the Hand; for hard and small bodies would easily flie from the fingers, vnlesse there had beene set to * 1.7 their ends a hard body, both to strengthen and establish the flesh, as also to keepe in and retaine such small and slipery things. Finally the veines, arteries, skin, and fat, doe preserue or conserue the action.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Why the fin∣gers haue lit∣tle flesh.
• * 1.2

  The tendons of the fingers.
• * 1.3

  Their nerues.
• * 1.4

  Their bones.
• * 1.5

  The ties or bands.
• * 1.6

  The seede bones and their vse.
• * 1.7

  The vse of the nailes.