It is composed of two bones, the tibia and fibula, with accompanying masses of muscles both before and behind, which act upon the foot.
If we divide the leg into anterior, external, and posterior regions, we find in the anterior the tibialis anticus muscle, the extensor coin munis digitorum, extensor proprius pollicis, and peroneus tertius ; in the external region, the peroneus longus and brevis ; and poste riorly, the two gastrocnemii, popliteus, plantaris, tibialis posticus, flexor longus digitorum, and flexor longus pollicis. Among these are run ning the anterior and posterior tibial and pero neal arteries, with their accompanying veins, nerves, and absorbents; all these bound toge ther, and supported by strong fascial coverings, and enveloped in the general integument. Be tween this and the fasciae just mentioned, is an important layer of cellular tissue, (fascia super ficialis,) enclosing the two saphenm veins, major and minor, and the superficial nerves and ab sorbents.
It may be well to make some few obser vations upon the external form and characters of the leg, before describing the deeper seated parts. The leg, comprising all that part of the lower extremity between the knee above and the ankle below, is somewhat of a conoidal tapering figure, rather flattened on its anterior and outer aspect, full and round posteriorly.
1 This shape renders permanent compression by means of a bandage very difficult. The con traction of the gastrocnemii, especially during walking, rarely fails in a short time to separate the turns of the bandage below, causing the lower ones to overlap each other, and producing ' constriction, irritation, and excoriation of the skin, above the malleoli. If this difficulty were more considered, and the importance of the bandage in diseases of the leg duly appre dated, we should see more pains taken in ac `1 quiring the art of its application than is now common ; though we are happy to find that the minor operations of surgery are now beginning to receive much more attention than formerly, and to form a part of the general system of demonstrative instruction. Assuredly the ag gregate amount of suffering relieved would be I far greater by attention to these minutim of i surgery, than by the more striking, though not more important details of operations, which to the mass of practitioners can occur hut seldom, 1 if at all.
The projection of the muscles at the back part of the leg, produced by the two gastro cnemii, and known under the name of the calf, forms a characteristic peculiar to man. No inferior animal possesses it, not even the ourang outang ; and the feeble and uncertain gait of these animals, when in the erect position, at once demonstrates the value of the muscles of calf of the leg, and that this position is natural only to man himself. The form and expression of this part of the leg varies much according to age, sex, and general habit. In the gastrocnemii, in common with the developement of the whole lower extremity, are small and feeble. The upper extremities are, in early infancy, even larger than the lower; these latter do not acquire their full growth and proportions till adult age. In the female, the general form of the leg is less marked and prominent, and more rounded than in the male, while, in this last, the leg presents every pos sible variety of proportion, according as habits of exercise on foot, robust health, or long conti nued sickness, has invigorated or enfeebled the muscular system at large, or this portion of it in particular. The broad and rounded surface of the calf of the leg is contracting as it de scends, and at the lower part projects like a kind of cord, representing the tendo Achillis. In contraction, the calf shows two portions, marked out by a double fissure, which indi cates the situation the gastrocnemius join the soleus, the lower elevation being formed by this last muscle, which extends lower down the leg than the gastrocnemius. This projection of the soleus is in some much more marked than in others, and is indicative of considerable power when it reaches lower down, much more so than when the whole prominence. of the calf is high up. In persons celebrated for pedestrian powers we have observed this projection of the soleus in a marked degree.