V e k
before the officers iri the evening ; and on this occasion rtSea- iured feveral other people, and iound the difference in many cafes to be not lefs than an inch. This gentleman obferved in bimfelfj that fixing a bar of iron where he juft reached it with his head on getting firft out of bed in the morn- ing, he could lofe near half an inch in an hour, or lefs, if he employed that time in rolling his garden, or any other ex- ercife of that laborious kind. He obferved alfo, that riding often took off the height very fuddenly ; and what was more particular, that in fitting clofe to ftudy for five or fix hours without any motion, he loft often a whole inch in height. People who ufe hard labour, fink rather lefs in the whole, than thofe of fedentary lives ; and the height once loft, is never to be recovered' that day, not even by the ufe of the cold bath ; but a night's lying down alone can reftore it, Philof. Tranf. N-. 383. p. 87.
This difference in Height takes place only in the human fpe- cies, as we are the only creatures who walk erect, and throw the preflure of our whole weight upon the back-bone. This gentleman meafured horfes before and after riding, and could find no difference, even after the longeft journeys. The alteration in height, is much greater in young people, than in thofe who are more aged. It is evident from this change happening to perfons when they fit, as well as when they ftand , that it is brought about merely by the back-bone ; and we muft: admire the ftructure of that part of the body, which owes its giving way thus, to its being formed toge- ther in that manner which alone could fuit it to the fe- veral purpofes it was intended for. The thicknefs and fihort- nefs of the bones, with the intervening cartilages, afliftcd by the bony procefles, difpofe it to a motion peculiar to itfelf j whereas, had the bones been of any confiderable length, upon bending the body, the articulations muff: have made a large angle upon their inmoft edges, and the fpinal marrow would have been continually liable to be injured ; and had the carti- lages been intirely wanting, it would have been as ufelefs as if it were but one bone, whereby the trunk of the body be- ing rendred incapable of bending, muft have remained for ever in an erect pofture. Another particular, which befpeaks the utmoft wifdom and defign in the contrivance of this part is, the remarkable difference there is in the cartilages placed be- twixt the feveral bones of the fpine;
The Vertebra of the back require but little motion, and the cartilages there are for that reafon fmall and thin, in compa- rifon with thofe of the loins, which being very thick, the loweft more efpecially, the motion is much greater there, and much better to be borne. This being the ftate and difpofition of the parts, during the whole fpace of time in which we arc ufually employed about our feveral bufinefles, till the time that we difpofe ourielves to reft, the cartilages of toe fpine, will, by their compreffible and yielding properties, become more clofe and compact from the preflure they fuftain, and confequently the fpine, which is the only fupport of the trunk of the body, will become (horter ; but when this fuperior Weight {hall be intirely removed, by placing the body in an horizontal pofture, as it always is when we are iri bed, the comprefled cartilages will, by their natural elaftic power, be- gin gradually to enlarge themfelves, till they, by degrees, re- cover the expanded ftate they had before they gave way. The cartilages between the feveral Vertebra^ are twenty-four in number, and every one of thefe is prefled fomewhat in our daily employments, fo that- when they ali come to expand, the aggre- gate of their feveral expanfions cannot be fuppofed lefs than about an inch. Now, if this be the difference occafioned by the preflure of the common weight of the body alone upon itfelf, it mult neccflarily be much greater in thofe perfpns whofe conftant em- ployment it is to carry heavy burdens. The compreflion and expanfion of the cartilages in older people being lefs than in younger, is a neceflary cjnfequence of the cartilages in time of age growing harder, and lefs capable of compreflion j for they often grow almoft bony in length of time ; and hence it is, that old people are obferved to lofe fomewhat of their former height, the cartilages in them {blinking to a fomewhat fmaller compafs as they grow bony ; and this fhortening is therefore not imaginary, as many have believed, but real, and owing to this plain caufe. Phil. Tranf. 'N°. 383. p. go. .,
V ert e br nfraflured. When any of the Vertebra are fractured without hurting the fpinal marrow, we may reafonably fup- pofe, that the fracture is confined to fome of the oblique, or fpinal procefles, and therefore the patient will be in no great danger; but when the body of the Vertebra is either broke or fplit, and the contiguous fpinal marrow bruifed or comprefled ; all parts of the limbs and vifcera beneath that Vetebra become immoveable and rigid, and death often follows. Laftly, if the tranfverfe procefles of the Vertebra are broken, which in- cline toward the cavity of the thorax, it is fcarce poflible, that the heads of the ribs which are connected there, fhould e- fcape being fractured alfo, which makes the cafe very deplo- rable. When only the procefles of the Vertebra are bro- ken, it will be the beft way to reduce the bones into their places with the fingers, placing narrow compreflcs dipped in warm fpirit of wine on each fide the Vertebra, and over them thick pieces of paftboard, to be kept on by the pro- jier bandages \ for by this means the bones of the Vertebra^ '
VER
If uMhefe fradures the fpinal marrow be divided, death is *e- Mrahy an inevitable fcorfequence ; all that the furgeon can at- tempt in this cafe, is to lay bare the fraaured Vertebra with »e lea pel, and replace, or elfe remove, fnch fragments as in- jured the Ipma marrow; and the wound muft be afterwards gently cleallfed, and treated with the vulnerary balfarhs, to be kept on with the napkin and feapulary bandage, till either the wounds (hall be terminated by a nerfeet cure; or bv death
. Uetjter s burgery, p. 1 2 5.
Vertebra: luxated. The !uxation§ which happen to the foine and Verttira: of the back, are generally impcrfea ones; torit appears from an accurate confideration of the flruaure' and articulations ot thefe bones, that none of the Vertebra: can t>e intirely dlfplaced without being fraaured, and alfo com- prelimg and wounding the fpinal marrow, which muft pro- duce danger of inftantdcath. Even theimperfea luxations of thefe bones are very dangerous ; which happen either between
the reft of the Vertebra:, when they are forced from each other. Such as have a luxation between the head and upper Verteh-a, leldom efcape being carried off by a fudden death ; for by this means, the tender medulla, which joins immediately with the bram, and is lodged in the fpine, the brain itfelf, and the nerves which arife from beneath the occiput, are too much d fended, comprdTcd, I or lacerated. The two condyloide procefies of the occiput ufually fiide out of their glenoids fi- nufles ,n the firft Vertebra of the neck, when a perfon falls headlong from an high place, or from on horfebackf or when he receives a violent blow upon the neck. People die ufually Jery fuddenly by this accident, and are ufually find to have broke their necks, though there is really no more than a bare luxation; though ,t does really fometimes happen, that the ycrtcbree of the neck are broken. If life fhould remain after luch an accident, which very rarely happens, the head muft neceuarily be diftorted, commonly with the chin clofe down to the breaft, fo that the perfon can neither fwallow fpeak ' or move any part that is below the neck ; therefore, if fpeedy amttance is not had* death eufues, from the conipi-flure, or hurt of the medulla".
In order to reduce this luxation, the patient muft be laid flat upon the ground , then the furgeon kneeling down with his knees agamft the patient's moulders, muft briiw them toge- ther fo as juft to contain the patient's neck belween them ; this done, he is quickly to lay hold of the patient's head with both Ins hands, and ftrongly pulling and extending it he muft gently move it from one fide to another, till he finds by a nolle, the naiural pofture of the neck, and a remiffion of the tymptoms, that thediflocatiou is properly reduced. The imperfect- luxations of the Vertebra of the back, are no more than their two upper or lower procefles beiiw difplaced and that often but on one fide : this happens fometimes to only one of the fpinal Vertebra:, fometimes to more. Thefe lux- ations are generally very' difficult to reduce ; the heft method of doing it is thus: When the apophyfes of the Vertebra: «re diflocated on both fides, the patient is to belaid leaning on his belly over a cafk, drum, or fome other tribbous bodv ; and then two afliftants are ftrongly to prefs down both the ends of the luxated fpine on each fide ; by this means the bones of the fpine will be fet free from each other, lifted, or pufhed up in form of an arch, and fo gradually extended : this done, the furgeon puflies down the luxated Vertebra:, and' at the fame time nimbly puflies the fuperior part of the body upwards, .and by this means the luxated bones are fometimes Happily reduced into their places ; if fuccefs does not attend the firft attempt in this way, the operation is to be repeated. When the Ver- tebra comes out on one fide, the patient is to be placed in- clining in .the prone pofture how mentioned ; but fo, that when the left apophyfis is difplaced, one affiftant may prefs the lower Vertebra: inward to the right, and another may de- prefs the right humerus, and vice verfa: After the Vertebra: are reduced, the part is to be bathed with fpirit of wine cam- phorated, or to have cOmprefles dipped in the fame fpirit laid on it, and the napkin and feapulary bandage is to be applied. Heijter's Surg. p. 153.
Vertebrje offi/lm — The Vertebra: of fifhes are extremely dip ferent in fhape in the feveral kinds, and even vary in number in the different fpecies of the fame genus. The anterior Ver- tebra: in fome have three apophyfes, as in the cyptinij cfoces, pleuroneai, He. and id the c'lupea: they have no lefs than feven of thefe apophyfes, but they are flender and capillary Artedi Ichthyol. ., '
V ERTIBULUM, a word ufed by fome writers to exprefs the round, head of a bone, Which, in its articulation, is inferted into the finus, or cavity of another bone.
VERTUMNALIA, among the Romans, a feftival celebrated in honour of the god Vertumnus in the month of Oaober. Pi- tifc, in voc.
VERU, a comet, according to fome writers, refembling a fpit, being nearly the fame kind as the lonchites, only its°head is rounder, and its train longer and (harper pointed.
VERVA, a word ufed by fome authors to exprefs an ivory a- roulet to be worn for the epilepfy.
VER.-
