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CHAP. XXXVI. Of the Bones of the Leg, or Shank.
* 1.1THose which would describe the Muscles of the Legg, ought first to describe the Bones thereof, beginning at the Retula, or whirl-bone of the Knee.
This Bone is gristly on the out-side, and round in compass, but on the inner and mid∣dle part after some sort gibbous, but somewhat flatted at the sides, that so it may be fitlier apply∣ed to the joynt of the Knee, and fitted within the anteriour cavity of the two Appendices of the Thigh, and the upper and fore-most of the Leg.
* 1.2The use thereof is to strengthen the joynt of the Knee, and to hold the Leg at his due extent, so that it may not be bended so far forwards, as it is backwards.
* 1.3The Bones of the Leg are two: the one thicker, called by the particular and proper name, the Os Tibiae, or Leg-bone; the other which is lesser, is termed Perone, or Fibula, but commonly the lesser fecile, (and in English it may be termed the Shin-bone.) The thicker being hollow and mar∣rowie, is seated in the inner part of the Leg, having two processes, the one bigger, the other less.
The bigger seated on the upper-part of the Bone, and conjoyned to it by Symphysis, makes two superficial and side cavities d••sjoyned by an indifferent rising; wherefore this Bone is connext to the Bone of the Thigh by G••ag••ym••s. For in the cavities thereof it receives the lower and hinder protuberances of the Appendix of the Thigh-bone, but the middle eminencie thereof, is received by it between the two protuberances thereof.
This joynt is strengthned, not only by the force of the Tendons, or Muscles ending there, but also of three strong ligaments: of which, one proceeds from all the external, another from all the internal parts of that connexion; the third which we, out of Hippocrates, called Diaphysis, from the distance or space between them.* 1.4 The other process of the leg-bone, which we called the less, seated in the lower part thereof, makes, as it were, a double cavity, whereby it receives the Astraga∣••us, or pastern-bone; but on the inside it makes the Ankle, as the Perene makes it without: be∣tween these Ankles the Astragalus is received on the sides, and turned as the Nut in a Cross-bow, as often as there is need to bend or extend the Foot. Besides, this same Leg-bone, being triangu∣lar, hath three eminencies made in the shape of an Asses back; the sharper descends alongst the fore-part, called by the Greeks A••tion••mian; the second resides on the inner-part; and the third on the outer: all these must be diligently observed, and chiefly, that on the fore-part; because it is as a guide and rule to a Chirurgeon in the well-setting of a broken Leg.* 1.5 The Perone, or Shin-bone, is seated, as it were, on the out-side, and as behind the Leg-bone; it hath also two appendices hol∣low on the inside, but gibbous on the out. This Bone by the upper of these is fastned and inserted under the inner, and in some sort the hinder appendix of the Leg-bone, so that it is in no sort ar∣ticulated with the Thigh, but serves only in stead of a leaning-stock. But by the lower, this same Bone is not only received in the lowest part of the Leg, or Ankle, or pastern-bone, but also receives part thereof, which is joyned on the same side with the heel, especially then when we bend our foot outwards.
This bone is fastned to the fore-mentioned bones by Synarthrosis, but bound by strong liga∣ments proceeding from the same Bones, and mutually sent from one to another, or, if you had ra∣ther, from the upper into the lower, as we said in the arm. But this same fibula, or Shin-bone is al∣so triangular, having three lines; of which one stands outwards, and another on the foreside, and the third behind.