A Complete System of Treatment for the General Care of the Body, for the Young, Old, Weak and Strong

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1891 edition. Excerpt: ...backward. The same observation may be made with regard to the pelvis, basin, or lowest part of the trunk, which by its conformation would bend upon the thighs, if not kept back by the great mass of muscular fibers that form the hips. In front of the thighs. again, are the muscles, which, by keeping the kneepan in position, are the means of preventing the leg from bending. Lastly, the muscles forming the calves, by contracting, are the means of preventing the leg from bending upon the foot. And I may state here, that I will take any person paralyzed from head to foot, and make them stand on their feet, and have done so by a process of only binding the knees, trunks and abdomen to a board behind them. Such is the general mechanism of the standing position. It is, therefore, as we observed, a concurrence of efforts; almost all the extending muscles are in a state of contraction all the time that this position is maintained, and the consequence is, a fatigue which cannot be endured for any great length of time. Hence we see persons in a standing position rest the weight of their body, first on one foot, then on another, for the purpose of procuring momentary ease to certain muscles. For this reason, also, standing still is more fatiguing than walking, in which the muscles are alternately contracted and extended. A question of importance on this subject is, what position of the feet affords the greatest solidity in standing? We will not enter into a detail of the numerous controversies by which some have defended or repudiated the position with the toes turned forward or outward: it will be sufficient to state the fact, that the larger the base of support the firmer and more solid will the position be, and to adopt, as a fundamental one, the...