A manual for the student of anatomy : containing rules for displaying the structure of the body, so as to exhibit the elementary views of anatomy and their application to pathology and surgery / by John Shaw.

  • Shaw, John, 1792-1827.
Date:
1821
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A manual for the student of anatomy : containing rules for displaying the structure of the body, so as to exhibit the elementary views of anatomy and their application to pathology and surgery / by John Shaw. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

    108/372 (page 86)
    1 shall now endeavour to describe the best method of conducting the investigation of the anatomy of the thigh and leg io this order. FIRST DISSECTION. The lascia which covers the muscles should be exposed, before they are dissected : but some care is requisite to do this neatly, as the fascia is very thin at certain points. Indeed, it is so thin on the fore and inner part of the thigh, that if the dissection is commenced at this point, it will be very difficult to avoid cutting the fascia. The leg ought, therefore, to be thrown over the other, so that an incision may be made through the skin, from the point over the trochanter major, where the fascia is strong, to the head of the fibula. The skin is then to be separated from the fascia, by carrying the edge of the knife in a slanting direction. After a little of the fascia has been exposed through the whole extent of the incision, a cut is to be made through the skin only, across the lower part of the patella, and another from the trochanter to the pubes. The dissection is then to be continued, by raising the skin very carefully towards the fore and inner part of the thigh. If any muscular fibres be exposed, the dissector may be sure that he is doing wrong; and if he looks at the inner surface of the skin, he will probably see a portion of the fascia adhering to it. As the fascia is very strong on the back part of the thigh, it will be very easily exposed there; but I may here remark, that it will be more difficult to make a good exhibition of the fascia in a strong and fat subject, than in a thin one. After the skin is removed, we shall be able to see the muscles which are immediately under the fascia. The first muscle that will catch our eye is the sartorius, the fibres of which should be now exposed, by carrying the knife in the direction of them, from the ilium to the tibia. The muscle which is crossed by the sartorius,and runs down directly in the middle of the thigh, is the rectus ; but be- fore we dissect this, or the vastus externus, which is situated externally to the rectus, we should expose the fleshy part of the tensor vaginas femoris, or fascialis, and then cut a slip of the fascia as far as to the fibula, so that it may be as a tendon to this muscle ; the rest of the fascia may be then cut away, by which we shall be enabled to expose more easily, the fibres of the rectus and vastus externus. It is difficult to dissect this last muscle neatly, on account of the firm connection which the cellular mem- t brane has with its lower semicircular fibres.