Page:First course in biology (IA firstcourseinbio00bailrich).pdf/502

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.


The correct position in standing is: chest forward, chin in, hips back (Figs. 38, 39). To sit correctly, sit far back in the chair (Figs. 60, 61, 62) with the body erect and balanced. In youth the bones are soft and growing; they will readily grow into perfect shape, and will almost as readily grow deformed.

Sprains.Immerse the part in hot water for half an hour, then bandage to keep the part at rest. Use the limb as little as possible. It may be necessary for a physician to apply a plaster dressing to a very bad sprain where the ligament is torn from the bone.

Broken Bones.—To prevent bone from cutting flesh and skin, do not move the person until a temporary splint has been provided by tying sticks or umbrellas around the limb with handkerchiefs.

Practical Questions. The Skeleton.1. What kind of a chair back causes one to slide forward in the seat? 2. What fault in sitting is made necessary by using a chair with so large a seat that the front edge strikes the occupant behind the knee? 3. Why is the shoulder more often dislocated than the hip? 4. High pillows may cause what deformity? 5. Find three bones in the body not attached to other bones. Find twenty-five bones attached to other bones by one end only (Figs. 28 and 39). 6. What deformities may result from urging a young child to stand or walk? 7. Which bone is most often broken by falling upon the shoulder? 8. Where in bones is fat stored for future use? 9. Ligaments grow very slowly. Why is recovery from a sprain often tedious?


Fig. 39.—The Human Skeleton in Action.