Bartholinus anatomy made from the precepts of his father, and from the observations of all modern anatomists, together with his own ... / published by Nich. Culpeper and Abdiah Cole.

Chap. 17 Of the Ribs.

AS the Os Innominatum or Nameless Bone, is at the sides of the Os sacrum, so at the sides of the Ver∣tebrae of the Back, are the RIBS. And therefore, ascen∣ding in the Explication of the Skeleton, these are now to be explained, as being the lateral Parts of the Chest.

[illustration]

TABLE V.

The FIGURES Explained.

This TABLE presents some of the Verte∣brae, the Os sacrum, Os innominatum, the Ribs and Shoul∣der-blade peculiar∣ly, and their Parti∣cles.

FIG. I.

• AAA. The foreside of the first Ver∣tebra of the Neck termed Atlas.
• B. The hole through which the Spinal Marrow descends.
• CC. The transverse or lateral Processes.
• dd. The lateral Holes through which the Arteries ascend to the Brain.
• EE. Two Cavities receiving the Occiput.

FIG. II.

• AA. The back-side of the second Vertebra of the Nick.
• B. Its Appendix or Process, like a Tooth.
• C. Its forked Spine.

FIG. III.

• AA. The hinderside of the Back∣vertebra.
• B. Its upper Surface, less solid and full of small Holes.
• CC. Its transversal Processes.
• D. Its hinder Process or Spina.

FIG. IV.

• AA. The foreside of the Vertebra of the Loins.
• B. Its lower Surface, for the most part covered with a Gristle.
• C. An Hole for the Marrow to pass through.
• DD. The transverse or Literal Processes.
• E. The latter Process or the Spina.
• II. Its oblique Processes.

FIG. V.

• AAAA. The hinder-side of Os sacrum, conspicuous by reason of its Knobs and Roughness.
• B. The Hole for the descent of the Spinal Marrow.
• CC. Its oblique Processes.
• ...ddd. Its hindermore Processes.
• ...eeee. Its Holes for the going out of the Nerves.
• ...ffff. Its hinder Process which is forked.

FIG. VI. Shews the Os coccygis or Crupper-bone, consisting of four little Bones or Gristles.

FIG. VII. Shews the Os Innominatum or Nameless Bone.

• AA. Os Ilium one part of the Nameless Bone.
• ...bbb. The Spine thereof.
• C. Its Back.
• DDD Os Pubis the Share-bone, another part of Os Innomi∣natum.
• E. Its large Hole.
• FFF. The Os Ischion or Huckle-bone, a third part of the Nameless 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• GG. The large Cavity or Saucer
• ...hh. The Brim thereof.
• I. The Knob.
• K. The Appendix of the Huckle-bone.

FIG. VIII.

• AAA. The Vertebrae of the Back.
• BBB. The Ribs.
• CCCC. The Cavity ingraven in the lower part of the Ribs.
• DD. The two Knobs of the Ribs, by help whereof they are joyned to.
• E. Transverse Process of the Vertebrae.The Hollowness of the Vertebrae, and to the
• F.
• G. The lowest Rib, having a simple Knob.

FIG. IX.

• A. The Clavicula or Channel-bone.
• ...b. Its small Head whereby tis joyned to the Breast-bone.
• ...c. Its other end whereby tis joyned to the Shoulder-blade.
• D. The Scapula or Shoulder-blade.
• E. Its first Process, called acromion.
• F. Its lesser, lower, and sharp Process called coracoeides.
• G. Its shortest Process called Cervix the Neck.
• ...hh. The Basis of the Shoulder-blade.
• ...i. Its upper Corner.
• ...k. Its lower Corner.

page 352

The Situation of the Ribs in the Sides, and the Greeks call them pleurai, because they form the Sides.

In Shape they resemble a bow, or the lesser Segment of a Circle, that the Chest might be the larger. Johan. Fonta∣nus found a forked Rib; and my self at Hafnia shewed the third Rib of the leftside, as thick as two Ribs, joyned to the Breast-bone with two shanks.

At their rise they are narrower and rounder, but the nearer they come to the Breast, the broader they grow. In their upper part they are thicker. And the upper Ribs are more crooked, and also shorter; the middlemore are longer and broader; the lower are cut again short∣er.

The external Surface is rough, where they are fastned to the Vertebrae, because the Ligaments which tie them do thence proceed: And there they are furnished with two little knobs: 1. Is articulated to the hollow of the Verte∣bra. 2. Is joyned to the transverse Process of the Vertebra. But the five lower are joyned by a simple knob.

The inner side is smooth, because of the Membrane Pleura.

In the lowest part there are Cavities according to the length of the Ribs, for the Vein, Artery, and Nerve; which appears the more, by how much they are nearer the Vertebra's.

Where let Chirurgeons observe in the o∣pening of the Chest, which is made be∣tween the fift and sixt Rib, the Section must be made from the top towards the bottome, but not contrariwaies▪ least these Vessels should be hurt.

The Ribs have Connexions; one with the Vertebrae of the Back, another with the Gristles of the Breast-bone.

The Substance of the Ribs, is partly bo∣ny, and partly gristly.

1 That the Chest may more easily be contracted and distended.

2 That a Fracture may not easily happen.

'Tis bony in the part near the Back, and the lateral part.

Its gristly near the Breast-bone to which they are joyn∣ed.

For all the Ribs in the forepart, have Gristles like Epi∣physes, which in women (not in men unless very old) through tract of time, do grow hard as bones, that they may more strongly sustain the Bulk of the Dugs resting up∣on them.

The Gristles of the upper Ribs are harder, because they are coupled with the bones of the Sternon or Brest-bone; those of the lower are softer, because they are joyned to Gristles. Moreover in its hinder part each hath a Gristle, which is articulated with a Vertebra.

The Ribs are many in Number, that the Chest may be more easily moved. Pa••∣samas in his Relations of Athens, tell us, that Protophanes Magnesius, had his Ribs fastned one to anothers from his shoulders to his bastard Ribs. Nicholas Fa••tanus saw three united and unseparable. For the most part they are on each fide twelve, both in men and women. Seldome thirteen, more rarely eleven. But often there is only one super∣fluous. Tis therefore likely that in one side of Adam there were thirteen ribs, one of which Jehovah took out with the muscu∣lous flesh growing thereto and turned into Eve; or he had twelve ribs on one side, and eleven on the other.

The Ribs are divided into true, genuine and legitimate; and bastard, adulterate and illegitimate ribs.

The true are the seven upper ones, so called, because they do more perfect the Circle, and touch the Brest-bone, where∣with they have a perfect Articulation; and with the Vertebrae by a double knob as was said be∣fore.

The two uppermore are called antistrophoi, retortae, turn∣ed backwards.

The two following are termed stertai, solidae, the solid Ribs.

The remaining three are cal'd sternitides, the Pectoral Ribs.

The five lowest are called bastard Ribs, be∣cause they are lesser, softer, shorter, not do they reach to the Breast-bone (that dilata∣tion may be there better made, at the beginning of the low∣er Belly) nor have they a perfect Articulation therewith, but being knit only to the Vertebrae, as if some part of them were cut off, they end into longer Gristles than the true ones: Which being turned back upwards, do stick one to the other, as if they were glewed together, the last excep∣ted, which is the least, and sticks to none, and therefore tis truly spurious, that a larger space may be for the Liv∣er, Spleen, and upper Guts being distended. Howbeit, the eleventh sometimes and the twelfth, are tied to the Septum tranversum: Sometimes, the last grows to the oblique des∣cendent Muscle of the Belly, without the Midriff; some∣times it hath the Circumscription of its proper Muscle, which pulls it from.

The Use of the Ribs is:

• 1. [Especially of the true ones] to defend the Breast and Bowels therein contained, as the Heart, &c.
• 2. To sustain the Muscles that serve for Respiration, and some others of the Belly.
• [3. Of the bastard one,] to serve the Natural parts con∣tained in the Belly.

Notes

• An Admonition for Chirurgeons.
• The Gristles of the Ribs.
• Why the Ribs are many is num∣ber?
• How many Ribs Adam had.
• How many true Ribs there are.
• The bastard Ribs.