Category: Fun Facts

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Fun Fact: Deltopectoral Triangle

Anatomy Def:  The deltopectoral triangle is a groove between deltoid and pectoralis major muscles (above figure – blue arrow). 

Outlander def: That groovy depression between chest and shoulder masses. A fav spot for a Claire bliss-kiss! (check it out on yourself or a pal!)

Learn about the deltopectoral triangle and deltoid and pectoralis major muscles in Anatomy Lesson #19, To Arms, Too Arms, Two Arms!  

The deltopectoral triangle (again, blue arrow above) is important because it:

  • Contains the cephalic vein, pectoral nerves and pectoral artery (a branch of thoracoacromial trunk). All are important structures!
  • Provides surgical access to the genohumeral (shoulder) joint, sparing adjacent muscles.
  • Serves as a landmark for percutaneous infra-clavicular cannulation of the subclavian vein. Whew! No worries, it means placing a tube through the skin below the clavicle into the subclavian vein.  

BTW, the cephalic vein is that yummy vessel at the tip of the red arrow. In most folks, this vein ascends through the arm, entering the deltopectoral triangle before diving deeply to end in the subclavian vein – warning – a few folks don’t have one!

Read about Claire’s cephalic vein passing up her arm, through the triangle and heading for the subclavian vein in Outlander book. Yay, once again, Diana has provided!

“Your skin is so fine I can see the blood moving beneath it,” Jamie said, tracing the path of a sunbeam across my bare stomach. “I could follow the veins from your hand to your heart.” He drew his finger gently up my wrist to the bend of the elbow, up the inner side of my upper arm, and across the slope below my collarbone. “That’s the subclavian vein,” I remarked, looking down my nose at the path of his tracking finger. “Is it? Oh, aye, because it’s below your clavicle.

See Jamie’s deltopectoral triangle in Starz ep 313, Eye of the Storm. Claire has her eye on that triangle and the splendid vein leading to it- creates a storm for Claire, too! <G>

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo creds: Starz ep 313, Eye of the Storm

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Fun Fact: Breast

Common Use Def: The breast is one of two soft, protruding organs on the upper front of a woman’s torso that secrete milk after birth.

Anatomy Def:  But, the scientific definition rightly includes male and female breasts as both are derived from the same embryonic tissue and diseases occur in the breasts of both sexes.

Outlander Def: Taming-of-the-sea organs? Or, so goes the argument posited by Captain Raines of the Artemis!

Learn about the breast in Anatomy Lesson #51 The Breast – Male and Female.

Anatomy Lesson #51 was not written to be titillating (hah).

Seriously, it was written as a public service. The incidence of breast disease is so high, it behoves one to understand breast structure and function so as to better understand prognosis, disease progression and treatment options should the need arise.

Breast anatomy also helps us understand the diseases plaguing the breast: cancer, cysts, fibrocystic changes, mastitis, gynecomastia, to name a few.

The worst: Though breast cancer in males is relatively rare, only 1 per 1000 adult males, the incidence of invasive breast cancer in US women is 1 in 8!!!

Read about the breast in Outlander books; there’s a mess of quotes to choose from! <G> This one is particularly special…  From Voyager, the reunion between Claire and A. Malcolm:

A little reluctantly, I took his hand, and stepped out of the inadequate shelter of the remains of my dress. He drew me gently in, to stand between his knees as he sat on the bed. Then he kissed me softly, once on each breast, and laid his head between them, his breath coming warm on my bare skin. “Your breast is like ivory,” he said softly, the word almost “breest” in the Highland Scots that always grew broad when he was truly moved. His hand rose to cup one breast, his fingers tanned into darkness against my own pale glow. 

See Captain Raines inform Claire that if a woman bears her breasts before a tempest, the seas will be calmed in. Huh??? Industriously chewing (tough mutton?), the Captain waxes poetic about the sailing superstition:

“After all, on this ship, your very presence is ill luck… By rights, you and Mistress MacKimmie should this moment be bare breasted! … A woman’s bare breasts calm an angry sea… The figure head at the bow, she bears her breasts for you, and prevents us being subject to any curses.”

Claire is not amused. Not on Jamie’s watch!!! 

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo Credit: Outlander ep 307, The doldrums

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Fun Fact: Melanin 

Anatomy Def: Melanin is a group of natural pigments found in animal skin, eyes, hair, feathers, scales or ink (the cephalopods). 

Outlander Def: That man – That hair! ‘Nuf said!

“Am I to wait all day?” 

As Jamie carefully cleans a horse’s hoof, Lords Ellesmere, spews rancor at the groom slowness. Adequate cleaning takes time –  the lad has a great work ethic.  Jamie, not Ellesmere! <G>

Ellesmere pouts and spouts:

“My god! If a child of mine had hair that color, I’d drown him before he drew a second breath.” 

Truer words! In a few short months, his Lordship very nearly slays his newborn son – a babe festooned with sprouts of golden-ginger hair!!!

Learn about melanin in Anatomy Lesson 6: Claire’s Hair – Jamie’s Mane or JHRC!

Melanin is the pigment of human skin, irises, hair and neurons. Three types are known: 

  • eumelanin  – brown, black pigment –  most common type
  • pheomelanin – golden yellow, red pigment –  the type in Jamie’s hair 
  • neuromelanin  – dark pigment – of some neurons, function unknown

Ergo, Jamie’s red hair receives its color by virtue of pheomelanin, a chemical variant of melanin! 

Less than 2% of the world’s population have red hair. More to the point, Scotland and Ireland enjoy the highest percentages of natural ginger heads in the world!

Read about Jamie’s hair in Voyager book. Clever Claire reflects on Jamie’s preparations for the governor’s ball in Jamaica. she quotes from a classic English scholar and poet:

“Oh who is that young sinner with the handcuffs on his wrists?

And what has he been after that they groan and shake their fists?

And wherefore is he wearing such a conscience-stricken air?

Oh they’re taking him to prison for the colour of his hair.”

Jamie put down the wig in his hand and raised one eyebrow at me in the mirror. I grinned at him and went on, declaiming with gestures:

“ ’Tis a shame to human nature, such a head of hair as his;

In the good old time ’twas hanging for the colour that it is;

Though hanging isn’t bad enough and flaying would be fair

For the nameless and abominable colour of his hair!”

“Did ye not tell me ye’d studied for a doctor, Sassenach?” he inquired. “Or was it a poet, after all?”

“Not me,” I assured him, coming to straighten his stock. “Those sentiments are by one A. E. Housman.”

Housman’s entire poem can be read here: https://www.poemtree.com/poems/OhWhoIsThat.htm  

See Ellesmere’s reprehensible behavior regarding the “abominable” color of Jamie’s hair in Outlander episode 304, Of Lost Things. At least, Lady Isobel seems displeased with the chortling auld men. Braw lassie!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo Credits: Sony/Starz