This page needs to be proofread.
CHAPTER VII.
THE CHEST.
The chest or thorax occupies the upper part of the
trunk in front and is a dome-shaped cavity containing
and protecting the heart and lungs. Its walls are formed
by the dorsal vertebræ at the back, the ribs at either side,
and the sternum and costal cartilages in front, all well
covered with muscles. The floor is formed by the
diaphragm. Through the upper opening of the chest
pass the trachea, the esophagus, and many important
vessels and nerves.
 | An image should appear at this position in the text. To use the entire page scan as a placeholder, edit this page and replace "{{missing image}}" with "{{raw image|Structure and functions of the body; a hand-book of anatomy and physiology for nurses and others desiring a practical knowledge of the subject (IA structurefunctio00fiskrich).pdf/102}}". Otherwise, if you are able to provide the image then please do so. For guidance, see Wikisource:Image guidelines and Help:Adding images. |  |
Fig. 36.—Thorax (anterior view.) (Ingals.)
The shape of the chest may vary in disease. Thus, in
