Scapula

(from the Hebrew schipha.) Omoplata. -Os homo plate, The shoulder blade.. The scapula or shoulder blade, which approaches nearly to a triangular figure, is fixed, not unlike a buckler, to the upper posterior, and Jateral part of the thorax, extending from the first to about the seventh rib. The anterior and internal surface of this bone is irregularly concave, from the impre ion, not of the ribs, as the generality of anatomists have supposed, but of the subscapular is muscle. posterior and external surface is convex, and divided into two unequal fo z by a considerable spine, which, rising small from the posterior edge of the scapula, becomes gradually higher and broader as it approaches the anterior and superior angle of the bone, till at length it terminates in a broad and flat proce , at the - top of the shoulder, called the proce us acromton. On the anterior edge of this proce us acromion we observe an oblong, concave, articulating surface, covered with cartilage, for the articulation of the scapula with the clavicle, At its lower part. the acromion is hollowed, to allow a pa age to the supra and infra spinati muscles. The ridge of the spine affords two rough, flat surfaces, for the insertion of the trapezius and deltoid muscles. Of the two fo ze into which the external surface of the bone is divided by the spine, the superior one, which is the smallest, serves to lodge the supra spin at us muscle; and the inferior fo a, which is much larger than the other, gives origin to the infra spin at us. The triangular shape of the scapula leads. us to consider its angles and its sides. The upper posterior angle is neither so thick, nor has so rough a surface, as the inferior one; but the most remarkable of the three angles of this-bone is the anterior one, wnich is of great thickne , and formed into a glenoid cavity of an oval shape, the greatest diameter of which is from. below upwards, This cavity, in the recent subject, is furnished with cartilage, and receives the head of the os humeri. ‘T'he car tilaginous crust, which surrounds its brims,. makes it appear deeper in the fresh subject than in the skeleton. A little beyond this glenoid cavity the bone becomes narrower, so as to give the appearance of a neck; and above this rises a considerable proce , which, from. being thick at tts origin, becomes thinner, and in some degree flattened at its extremity. ‘This proce projects considerably, and is curved downwards. From its supposed resemblance to the beak of a bird, it is called the coracoid proce . From the whole external side of this proce a strong and broad ligament is stretched to the proce us acromion, becoming nar-' rower us it approaches the latter proce , so as to be of a somewhat triangular shape. ‘This ligament, and the two proce es with which it” is connected, are evidently intended for the protection of the joint, and to prevent a luxation of the os humeri upwards, Of the three sides of the scapula, the posterior one, which is the longest, is called the basis. This side is turned towards the vertebrie. Its other two sides are called coste. ‘The superior costa, which 1s the upper and shortest side, is likewise thinner than the other two, having a sharp edge. It is nearly horizontal, and parallel with the second rib; and is interrupted, near the basis of the coracoid proce , by a semi-circular nitch, which is closed by a ligament that extends from one end of it to the other, and affords a pa age to ve els and nerves. Besides this pa age, there are other nitches in the scapula, ‘for the transmi ion of ve els; viz. one between the coracoid proce and the head of the bone, and another between its neck and the proce us acro~ mion. The third side of the scapula, or the inferior costa, as it is called, is of considerable thickne , and extends obliquely from the neck of the bone to its inferior angle, reaching from about the third to the eighth rib. The scapula has but very litile cellular substance, and 1s of unequal thickne , being very thin at its middle part, where it is covered by a great number of muscles, and having its neck, the acromion, and coracoid proce , of considerable strength. In the feet us, the basis and the neck of the scapula, together with its glenoid cavity, acromion, coracoid proce , and the ridge of the spine, are so many epiphyses with respect to the rest of the bone, to which, they are not completely united till a considerable time after birth. The scapula is articulated to the clavicle and os humeri, to which last it serves as a fulcrum; and, by altering its position, it affords a greater scope to the bones of the arm in their different motions, It likewise affords attachment to a great number of muscles, and posteriorly serves as a defence to the thorax. ScaPuLa (John), the reputed author of a Greek lexicon, studied at Lausanne. His name is ‘recorded in the annals of literature, neither on account of his talents nor learning, nor vir~ tuous industry, but for a gro act of disengenuity and fraud which he committed against an eminent literary character of the 16th century, Being employed by Henry Stephens as a corrector to his pre while he was publishing his Thesaurus’ linguz Grece, Scapula extracted. those words and explications which he reckoned most useful, comprised them in one volume, and published them as an original work, with hisown name. The compilation and printing of the Thesaurus had cost Stephens immense labour and expense; but it was so much adniired by those learned men to whom:he had shown it, and seemed to be of such e ential importance to the acquisition of the Greek language, that he reasonably hoped his Jabour would be crowned with honour, and the money he had expended would be repaid by a rapid and extensive sale. But before his work came abroad, Scapula’s abridgment appeared; which, from its size and price, was quickly purchased, while the Thesaurus itself lay neglected in the author’s hands. The consequence was, a bankruptcy on the part of Stephens, while he who had occasioned it was enjoying the fruits of his treachery. Scapula’s Lexicon was first printed in 1579, in 4to. It was afterwards enlarged, and published in folio. It has gone through several editions, while the valuable work of Stephens has never been reprinted. Its succe is, however, not owing to its superior merits, but to its price and more commodious size. Stephens charges the author with omitting a great many important articles, He accuses him of misunderstanding and perverting his meaning; and of tracing out absurd and trifling etymologies which he himself had been careful to avoid. He composed the following epigram on Seapula: Quidam enilepvwy me capulo ten us abdidit ensem Aiger eram a Scapulis, san us et huc redeo. Doctor Busby, so much celebrated for his knawledge of the ree language, and his succe in teaching it, would never permit his scholars at Westminster school to make use of Scapula. 483