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Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- CHAP. I STATE OF THE ARGUMENT
- CHAP. II STATE OF THE ARGUMENT CONTINUED
- CHAP. III APPLICATION OF THE ARGUMENT
- CHAP. IV OF THE SUCCESSION OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS
- CHAP. V APPLICATION OF THE ARGUMENT CONTINUED
- CHAP. VI THE ARGUMENT CUMULATIVE
- CHAP. VII OF THE MECHANICAL AND IMMECHANICAL FUNCTIONS OF ANIMALS AND VEGETABLES
- CHAP. VIII OF MECHANICAL ARRANGEME'NT IN THE HUMAN FRAME—OF THE BONES
- CHAP. IX OF THE MUSCLES
- CHAP. X OF THE VESSELS OF ANIMAL BODIES
- CHAP. XI OF THE ANIMAL STRUCTURE REGARDED AS A MASS
- CHAP. XII COMPARATIVE ANATOMY
- CHAP. XIII PECULIAR ORGANIZATIONS
- CHAP. XIV PROSPECTIVE CONTRIVANCES
- CHAP. XV RELATIONS
- CHAP. XVI COMPENSATIONS
- CHAP. XVII THE RELATION OF ANIMATED BODIES TO INANIMATE NATURE
- CHAP. XVIII INSTINCTS
- CHAP. XIX OF INSECTS
- CHAP. XX OF PLANTS
- CHAP. XXI OF THE ELEMENTS
- CHAP. XXII ASTRONOMY
- CHAP. XXIII PERSONALITY OF THE DEITY
- CHAP. XXIV OF THE NATURAL ATTRIBUTES OF THE DEITY
- CHAP. XXV OF THE UNITY OF THE DEITY
- CHAP. XXVI THE GOODNESS OF THE DEITY
- CHAP. XXVII CONCLUSION
CHAP. IX - OF THE MUSCLES
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- CHAP. I STATE OF THE ARGUMENT
- CHAP. II STATE OF THE ARGUMENT CONTINUED
- CHAP. III APPLICATION OF THE ARGUMENT
- CHAP. IV OF THE SUCCESSION OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS
- CHAP. V APPLICATION OF THE ARGUMENT CONTINUED
- CHAP. VI THE ARGUMENT CUMULATIVE
- CHAP. VII OF THE MECHANICAL AND IMMECHANICAL FUNCTIONS OF ANIMALS AND VEGETABLES
- CHAP. VIII OF MECHANICAL ARRANGEME'NT IN THE HUMAN FRAME—OF THE BONES
- CHAP. IX OF THE MUSCLES
- CHAP. X OF THE VESSELS OF ANIMAL BODIES
- CHAP. XI OF THE ANIMAL STRUCTURE REGARDED AS A MASS
- CHAP. XII COMPARATIVE ANATOMY
- CHAP. XIII PECULIAR ORGANIZATIONS
- CHAP. XIV PROSPECTIVE CONTRIVANCES
- CHAP. XV RELATIONS
- CHAP. XVI COMPENSATIONS
- CHAP. XVII THE RELATION OF ANIMATED BODIES TO INANIMATE NATURE
- CHAP. XVIII INSTINCTS
- CHAP. XIX OF INSECTS
- CHAP. XX OF PLANTS
- CHAP. XXI OF THE ELEMENTS
- CHAP. XXII ASTRONOMY
- CHAP. XXIII PERSONALITY OF THE DEITY
- CHAP. XXIV OF THE NATURAL ATTRIBUTES OF THE DEITY
- CHAP. XXV OF THE UNITY OF THE DEITY
- CHAP. XXVI THE GOODNESS OF THE DEITY
- CHAP. XXVII CONCLUSION
Summary
Muscles, with their tendons, are the infrtuments by which animal motion is performed. It will be our bufinefs to point out inftances in which, and properties with refpect to which, the difpofition of thefe mufcles is as ftrictly mechanical, as that of the wires and ftrings of a puppet.
I. We may obferve, what I believe is univerfal, an exact relation between the joint and the mufcles which move it. Whatever motion, the joint, by its mechanical conftruction, is capable of performing, that motion, the annexed mufcles, by their pofition, are capable of producing. For example; if there be, as at the knee and elbow, a hinge joint, capable of motion only in the fame plane, the leaders, as they are called, i. e. the mufcular tendons, are placed in directions parallel to the bone, fo as, by the contraction or relaxation of the mufcles to which they belong, to produce that motion and no other. If thefe joints were capable of a freer motion, there are no mufcles to produce it. Whereas at the fhoulder and the hip, where the ball and focket joint allows by its conftruction of a rotatory or fweeping motion, tendons are placed in fuch a pofition, and pull in fuch a direction, as to produce the motion of which the joint admits.
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- Natural TheologyOr, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity, Collected from the Appearances of Nature, pp. 132 - 158Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009First published in: 1803