APPARTENENZE | Appartenenze

2012

The Head was Formed for the Sake of the Eyes

That the human head is formed for the sake of the eyes, is clearly demonstrated, according to Galen, by the eyes of crabs, beetles and certain other animals that do not have a head. In these animals, the eyes are placed on very long processes and are not hidden deep in their chest, as are their mouth, nose, and ears. That eyes require a high location is attested by lookouts for attacks of enemies and bandits, who climb walls, mountains and high towers for the same purpose as sailors climb the masts of ships, to see land more quickly than those in the ship below. Because the animals just mentioned are covered by a hard, testaceous skin, it was a simple thing for the eyes to be located safely on long processes, because they would be harder and could be covered on the outside by a tunic, which being derived from the skin of those animals, would likewise be very hard and testaceous. But for man, who on account of the substance of the body and the soft, thin membrane (tunica conjunctiva) by which the eyes are covered would necessarily have eyes that are soft throughout; they could not be placed on very long processes without danger. And so, while it was not suited to the function of the eyes that they be located deep in the human body, it was also in no way appropriate to attach them to bare necks; and since Nature was willing neither to prevent the use of eyes nor to diminish their safety, she built a lofty part (cavitas orbitale) that also nicely protected the eyes from danger.

“De Humani Corporis Fabrica” by Andreas Vesalius

The Dignity of the Fingers

If the thumb (which it was convenient to have opposed to the other four and was for this reason called anti/xeir by the Greeks, as if to say promanum, “in front of the hand”) were missing, all the others would be deprived of their power, since without its aid they can do nothing—as our very judges show, who, no less often than they amputate thieves’ ears, take off the thumbs which have been used mainly to rip the top off purses and wallets. For nearly the same reason, the Athenians decreed that the thumbs of the Aeginetans, who had a powerful fleet, should be lopped off. Of the remaining fingers, the index and middle finger, being located next to the thumb, are likewise next in usefulness. With these, we grasp small things and we see that the operations of every craft are accomplished mainly with them. If we do anything more violent, we employ these particularly in the task. The ring finger and little finger are of less use than the others, but a use is seen in fingers with which we grasp an object that must be embraced in a circle. If something is liquid or small, it is useful to tighten the fingers closely together and bend them around it. In this operation, the little finger is also suitable when placed against the others like a cover. If a hard object is of such a size that the fingers need to be quite spread and parted from one another to hold it, beside the fact that we see it is best held by several fingers and the fingers meet and attach themselves to several of its parts, it also readily occurs to us how useful it is for man that the fingers can be adducted to each other and considerably abducted to the sides. The thumb surrounds such a body on the inside while the other fingers come around its outside and the whole body is contained thus in a circle. This being the case, who does not know that more than five fingers would be quite superfluous when he knows that five suffice for this task?

“De Humani Corporis Fabrica” by Andreas Vesalius