Tag: claire fraser

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Fun Fact: Glabella

Anatomy Def: Smooth part of the forehead between the eyebrows and above the nose.

Outlander Def: Marsali’s smooth and confident brow supports her beloved Fergus as he plans Murtagh’s escape!

Learn about the glabella in Anatomy Lesson # 11, “Jamie’s Face” or “Ye do it Face to Face?”

When we are restful and relaxed, glabellar (adj.) skin  is smooth. When we are anxious, worried, appalled or plagued by other strong emotion, glabellar skin may wrinkle.  A pair of small muscles deep to the glabellar skin contract to produce the wrinkling. Perhaps you recall a previous fun fact about corrugator supercilii. No? Well, no mind, this is the name of the wee muscles that wrinkle the glabellar skin.

Those who develop permanent wrinkles of the glabellar skin can opt for Botox injections which paralyze corrugator supercilii (and others) to produce a more comely smooth brow.

The glabella isn’t just for beauty, it is also used in diagnosing certain neurological conditions. Repetitive tapping on the glabella elicits the Glabellar reflex or Glabellar tap sign, a reflex wherein subjects blink in response to the first several taps. If the blinking persists, the response is deemed abnormal.

Fun Fact: In cases of dehydration, the skin of the glabella can be gently lifted and pinched to measure skin turgor. A dehydrated patient’s glabellar skin tends to remain “tented” rather than resume its normal flat state.

Read about the smooth skin of the brow in Drums of Autumn. Here, Ian paints Claire’s face with mud after the manner of his indigenous friends. As his finger passes between her eyebrows, the mud is spread over the glabella:

Ian hadn’t waited for the results of my dithering. He stooped and scraped up a small clot of earth, spat in it and stirred it to mud. Without comment, he dipped his forefinger into the puddle, and drew  a line from my forehead down the bridge of my nose.

“Ian!” 

“Shh,” he murmured, frowning in concentration. “Like this, I think.” He added two lines across each cheekbone, and a rough zigzag down the left side of my jawbone. 

See Marsali’s smooth glabella as she attends Fergus, watching him plan the jail break in Outlander ep 412, Providence. Go get ’em Fergus and Marsali!

A deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

Photo credit: Starz

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Fun Fact: Inflammation

Anatomy Def: Inflammation is the body’s defensive response to tissue injury.

Outlander Def: Claire’s aching marks after the scourging for witchcraft. 

Learn about inflammation in Anatomy Lesson #37, “Outlander Owies, Part 3 – Mars and Scars.”

Inflammation is an important defense mechanism the body employs to combat physical injury. There are two categories of inflammation:

  • acute inflammation – rapid but brief response to injury
  • chronic inflammation – prolonged response to injury (numerous types) 

Interestingly, acute inflammation is not the same as infection.  Inflammation can occur with or without the presence of infectious agents.

Fun Fact: Nearly 2,000 years ago, a Roman encyclopedist named Aulus Cornelius Celsus wrote extensively about medicine, pharmacy, surgery, agriculture, law and military arts. Although not a physician, he was the first to described four cardinal signs of acute inflammation. Rudolf Virchow, father of modern pathology, added a fifth. These signs in Latin, followed by their English equivalents, are:

  • Rubor = redness
  • Tumor = swelling
  • Calor = heat
  • Dolor = pain
  • Functio laesa = loss of or disturbance of function 

When tissues are injured (e.g. blow, burn, cut, abrasion, infection, etc.) inflammation quickly appears due to dramatic changes in small blood vessels of the injured region. The small vessels dilate and become leaky allowing fluid (plasma) and some types of white blood cells (WBC) to enter the injured tissues. The result: 

  • Increased blood flow causes redness 
  • Leaked plasma causes swelling 
  • escaped WBCs release chemicals inducing more redness, swelling, pain, and heat
  • Pain causes decreased use (function) of injured area

These responses may seem harmful and sometimes they are, but, overall, are designed to:

  • eliminate the cause of cell injury
  • remove damaged cells
  • pave the way for tissue repair

Try This: Do you have a cut or scratch? If not, the next time one arises,  observe the wound. You will likely note redness, swelling and pain. Gently place the wounded area against the skin of face or lip and detect increased temperature (heat). And, likely, you will avoid using that area until it heals (loss of function) because it hurts.  The five cardinal signs of inflammation!

Read about inflammation in Outlander book. Yes, it’s there! Claire and Mrs. Fitz share a significant convo over wounded Jamie. Although the word inflame  doesn’t appear for another 40 or 50 years (late 1700s), their exchange remains authentic – Mrs. F merely states she “understands” Claire’s “meaning.” So, all is well <G>: 

“But he’s hurt. He was shot yesterday and stabbed last night. I bandaged the wound for riding, but I didn’t have time to clean or dress it properly. I must care for it now, before it gets infected.” 

“Infected?” 

“Yes, that is, I mean, inflamed, you know, with pus and swelling and fever.” 

“Oh, aye, I know what ye mean. But do ye mean to say as ye know what to do for that? Are ye a charmer then? A Beaton?” 

“Something like that.” 

See the striking (no pun intended) marks on Claire’s back courtesy of the strap in Starz ep 111, The Devil’s Mark. Yep, inflammation, for sure! Thankfully, Jamie reassures her with these splendid words: 

“It won’t—” he began, then hesitated, “I mean, the cuts are not deep. I—I think you’ll no be … marked.” He spoke gruffly, but his touch was very gentle, and reduced me to tears once more.

Me, too! Sob! 

A deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

Photo credit: Starz

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Fun Fact: Palpebra

Anatomy def: Palpebra is the scientific name for the eyelid.

Outlander def: Delicate flaps of skin droop over each orb as Claire’s gaze rests upon her beloved.

Learn about eyelids in Anatomy Lesson #29, The Eyes Have It! – Part One”

Fun Facts:

  • We reflexively blink our eyes about 15 times each minute.
  • Eyelid skin is the thinnest of the body second only to parts of the external genitalia.

Palpebrae (pl.) are upper and lower eyelids overlying each eyeball (oculus). Upper lid is largest of the two. We can voluntarily close upper and lower eyelids and voluntarily open the upper lid. Lower lid opens by gravity or by action of a wee muscle (inferior tarsal) which we cannot control, voluntarily.

Palpebrae perform many crucial functions for the oculus:

  • Reflexively close to protect cornea from debris, trauma or excessive light.
  • Eyelashes ward off dust particles and perspiration.
  • Spread tear film across ocular surface.
  • Tarsal glands produce meibum that retards evaporation of tear film.
  • Sebaceous glands produce sebum (oil) to waterproof and soften eyelid skin.
  • Sweat glands produce sweat to cool the eyelids and eliminate wastes.

Each palpebra contains a flexible connective tissue (tarsal) plate. Tarsal plates allow eyelids to cup the surface of each oculus.

Try this: Grip an upper palpebra between thumb and index fingers – gently squeeze and release. Repeat. Feel the rubbery superior tarsal plate pop between your fingers? Now repeat with the lower lid and note that the inferior tarsal plate is much smaller than the superior version.

Read about the Jamie’s eyelids as he contemplates the future site of Fraser’s Ridge in Drums of Autumn:

Jamie leaned his back against a sycamore, eyelids half lowered against the dazzle of afternoon sun. The little clearing held light like a cup, still and limpid.

“What d’ye think of this place, Sassenach?” he asked.

“I think it’s beautiful. Don’t you?”

See Claire’s upper eyelids lower as she sits near the future Fraser’s Ridge in Starz ep. 401, America the Beautiful.  This lass is verra content! <G>