Elements of Myology (Elementorum Myologiae Specimen)

So that this conformation of the muscle may be understood more distinctly, I shall propose the explanations of all terms in synthetic order, under the title of definitions, beginning from the motive fiber.

DEFINITIONS.

Motive fiber.

1. A MOTIVE FIBER is a certain structure of the most minute fibrillae little fibers joined to one another immediately according to their length, whose middle part differs from the ends in consistency, thickness, and color, and is separated from the middle part of neighboring motive fibers by transverse fibrillae continuous with the proper membrane of the muscles. Figure 1, Table 1 represents the motive fiber, where B C is its middle part, and A B, C D are the extreme parts. Whatever is proposed in this description will be able to be demonstrated in any muscle of our body.

Why it is called motive.

I call it motive because it seems to me to be the true organ of animal motion; for the muscle, to which that name has hitherto been given, is nothing but a certain collection of such fibers, which its analysis shows to the senses, nor does it act except while each of these fibers acts, which the dissection of living things demonstrates.

While I call the motive fiber the true organ of animal motion, I do not determine whether that part of it which becomes shorter coalesces within itself, or whether the fibrillae passing transversely through it render it shorter by wrinkling it, or by whatever other mode the