The human body / by Sir Arthur Keith.

  • Keith, Arthur, 1866-1955.
Date:
Between 1910 and 1919?
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The human body / by Sir Arthur Keith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    surface. This synovial sac is an example of the perfect manner in which the human machine is made ; a self-oiling mechanism is provided at each point of friction. From overwork or injury fluid may collect in this sac and weaken the power of the workman's wrist. Lying side by side with the sinews at the wrist there is another cord, somewhat like them in appearance, but very different in nature. It is the median nerve. Our friend the dissector has already seen a patient in the wards of the hospital with a jagged wound at the wrist which has injured the nerve. In that case he noticed that the thumb, fore, middle and part of the ring fingers had lost their usual sense of feeling, and that some of the small muscles of the thumb had no longer the power of movement. For our benefit he traces the nerve upwards in the forearm, arm, through the armpit until it reaches the root of the neck, where it is seen to be formed by five pairs of nerve roots which issue from the spinal cord. In the median nerve we see one of the paths which unite the brain and hand ; messages pass by it from the hand which the brain interprets as heat or cold, rough or smooth, sharp or blunt; other messages pass outwards from the brain to start or stop the muscles of the forearm or fingers. The student pays particular attention to the radial artery ; on the wrist, just above the root of the thumb, he finds the vessel