Tag: claire fraser

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Fun Fact: Anatomy of Ian’s Uniform!

Hallo, Outlander fans. Welcome to today’s Fun Fact: Anatomy of Ian’s Uniform! 

This Fun Fact is especially appropriate for Americans as May 16th is  also our national Armed Forces Day!  Pretty timely, no?

If you are like me, you are fascinated with Ian’s uniform in Outlander episode 512, Never My Love, the splendid finale of Season five! In Claire’s dissociative dreamscape, Ian arrives in full dress uniform for Thanksgiving dinner at the Fraser home! 🦃

I wanted to know more about Ian’s uniform, so I turned to Edward Maloney, Lieutenant Colonel, US Army (retired) for assistance. Know that LTC Maloney is also a faithful, long-time fan of Outlander books and show and was more than willing to share his decades-long expertise in this matter.

Just so you know, Colonel Maloney’s former unit is the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army. Below is its beautiful and dramatic Distinctive Unit Insignia which reads “Rendezvous With Destiny!”

Addendum: I just learned “Hang Tough and Currahee!” is the Battle Cry of the 101st Airborne!  Hang tough means “in your parachute harness” and “Currahee” is from the Cherokee word meaning “We stand alone together.” (A good thought for soldiers trained to fight surrounded.)

Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel Maloney, for your service!

 

So, grab a cuppa (or your fav beverage) and let’s learn about the anatomy of Ian’s uniform, courtesy of LTC Maloney!

Ian’s uniform indicates he belongs with the Infantry, the oldest branch of the US Army. When was this branch formed? Turns out, very close to the date  depicted in the Outlander S5 finale! 

On 14 June 1775, the Continental Congress authorized ten companies of riflemen, the first infantrymen.  Nine years later, the First American Regiment was constituted on 3 June 1784 and it was the 3rd Infantry. Currently, well over two hundred years old, clearly the Infantry is a distinguished branch of the US Army!

So, follow the colored arrows in the below images to discern the anatomical features of Ian’s uniform. (psst…The following image appears twice so you don’t have to keep moving up and down to follow the arrows and explanations!)

Let’s get on with the dissection! 😉

Blue Arrow:  A branch insignia on Ian’s L lapel displays two gold crossed muskets, overlying a disk of Saxony Blue. This insignia is unique to infantry and no other branch of the US Army is allowed this distinction.

The crossed muskets are vintage 1795 Springfields, the first official US shoulder arm made in a government arsenal:

    • caliber .69
    • flint lock
    • smooth bore
    • muzzle loader

 

 

Yellow Arrow: Above his L breast, Ian wears a Combat Infantryman’s Badge, unique to those who have served in combat. It is a single flint lock musket on a blue background. 

Green Arrow: Just above Ian’s L breast is a line of Decoration & Award Ribbons, also known as “fruit salad” or “Travel Ribbons.” These are worn in lieu of larger full-size or miniature medals which are awarded for service.  Here, the Ribbon is a line of Ian’s Mohawk beads! 

Gold Arrow:  Over Ian’s L breast is The Maltese Cross with a Bull’s-eye surrounded by a wreath, known as the Expert Marksman Badge. This badge is unique to Army and Marine Corps, although the designs differ. The suspended bars underneath the badge are added for each weapon the soldier qualifies as an expert, such as pistol, rifle, etc. 

White Arrow:  Worn on Ian’s L sleeve, the chevrons signify a soldier’s rank. Two chevrons indicate Corporal, the lowest Noncommissioned Officer Rank (NCO) who leads an infantry fire team. 

Violet Arrow: Ian’s service cap bears the US Coat of Arms. It is backed on a brass disk and in the case of infantrymen, backed by a Saxony Blue disk. 

Khaki Arrow: Ian’s Regimental Coat of Arms is worn above his R breast.  This insignia will indicate his permanent regiment not necessarily the one to which he is currently assigned. 

Tan Arrow: Also worn above his R breast, this insignia indicates a Unit award such as Presidential Unit Citation, Distinguished Unit Citation, etc. 

Next image,  we see Ian’s left shoulder!

Aqua arrow:  Indicates the Distinctive Unit Insignia which is usually a variation of the regiment’s coats of arms but unique to each regiment. This one looks like the 2nd Infantry Regiment but the colors are altered. 

Red Arrow:  L shoulder – Shoulder Sleeve Insignia  indicates the current unit of assignment – Ian serves with a Native American unit, the Mohawk. this insignia was created by Outlander.

And finally, Ian’s infantry blue cord or fourragere (below) is a military decoration worn over the right shoulder of all infantry-qualified US Army soldiers. 

Ian’s fourragere from afar.

And, a closeup. This is Ian’s fourragere in light blue, (dubbed “Infantry Blue” by the US Army), worn under the right shoulder and under the right epaulette of a US Army infantry soldier’s dress uniform jacket.

The cord is composed of a series of alternating left and right half knots that are tied around a leader cord to form a “Solomon bar”.

Fitting that Ian should wear his dress uniform for Thanksgiving, even if that bird is just an illusion!

In summary, Ian’s uniform tells us he is:

    • Infantryman
    • Decorated soldier
    • Served in combat
    • Expert marksman
    • Corporal of an infantry fire team
    • Bears US Coat of Arms for infantrymen on his service cap
    • Wears his permanent regiment’s Coat of Arms
    • Decorated infantryman
    • Member of a distinct infantry unit
    • Member of Native American unit
    • Qualified infantryman

Whew! I don’t know about you, but I am thoroughly impressed with warrior Ian!

And, I am deeply grateful for the men and women who serve in the US Armed Forces.

I could not have done this fun Fact without the aid of LTC Edward Maloney, US Army. Thanks to his expertise for this brief lesson exploring the anatomy of Ian’s US Army insignia!

I hope all Outlander fans, worldwide, will express their gratitude for the warriors who daily protect them, their families, and their homelands. Please take a quiet moment to honor them!

Disclaimer:  If there are any glitches in the insignia descriptions or attributions in this Fun Fact, the fault is entirely my own for not expressing the information with precision.

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo and Video Credits: Sony/Starz; Lt. Col. Edward Maloney; www.wikipedia.com; www.amazon.com

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Fun Fact: Tonsil

Anatomy Def: Tonsils are masses of lymphoid tissue located in oropharynx (behind mouth)  and nasopharynx (back of throat).

Outlander Def:  The “say “ahhhh” tissues!”

Learn about tonsils in Anatomy Lesson #34, G.I. Tract, Part 2 – Tremendous Tube!

Most folks are familiar with a pair of tonsils we see via an open mouth. But, our nasopharynx and oropharynx are equipped with several sets of tonsils.

Anatomists agree there are three sets of tonsils and many add a fourth (see L image👇🏻):

    • Palatine tonsils: Paired masses at back of mouth (blue)
    • Lingual tonsil: Unpaired mass embedded in back of tongue (green)
    • Pharyngeal tonsil: Unpaired mass embedded in back of pharynx (yellow)
    • Tubal tonsil: Paired masses surrounding opening of eustachian tube (violet)

What are tonsils? Tonsils are masses of lymphoid tissue that produce defensive cells known as lymphocytes. If viewed from the front (see R image 👆🏻) , the four sets of tonsils form Waldeyer’s ring, a circle of lymphoid tissues.

What are tonsils for? Tonsils are strategically oriented in Waldeyer’s ring to encounter antigens we breathe in via the nose or swallow through the mouth. The tissues respond by mounting an immune response against the antigens, producing antibodies and pursuing other defensive tactics.

Fun Fact: Tonsillectomies were once the most common surgery done on US children. Today, they are performed mostly to treat breathing problems or chronic issues that are not resolved by other forms of treatment.

Read about Josiah’s tonsillectomy in Diana’s 5th big book, The Fiery Cross!

“All right, then?” I asked.

He couldn’t speak, with the tongue depressor in his mouth, but made a good-natured sort of grunt that I took for assent.

I needed to be quick, and I was. The preparations had taken hours; the operation, no more than a few seconds. I seized one spongy red tonsil with the forceps, stretched it toward me, and made several small, quick cuts, deftly separating the layers of tissue. A trickle of blood was running out of the boy’s mouth and down his chin, but nothing serious.

…The whole thing couldn’t have taken more than thirty seconds per side. I drew the instruments out of Josiah’s mouth, and he goggled at me, astonished. Then he coughed, gagged, leaned forward, and another small chunk of flesh bounced into the basin with a small splat, together with a quantity of bright red blood.

See Claire perform a tonsillectomy on puir Kezzie in Outlander episode 505, Perpetual Adoration! Let’s hear it for the brave laddies!

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo credit: Sony/Starz; www.researchgate.net

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FF: Camptodactyly or Clinodactyly?

Anatomy Def: Camptodactyly is a condition wherein one or more fingers are permanently bent; the little finger is always affected.

Outlander Def: Steeped in post-coital bliss (Voyager), Claire reflects on her crooked pinky finger, informing Jamie, it is a genetic gift from her mum that she passed onto Bree (see below).

Learn about the pinky finger (5th digit) in Anatomy Lesson #23, Harming Hands – Helping Hands – Healing Hands. Warning! This is a very long lesson because, well, because the hands are anatomically very complicated!

I wager book readers forgot about Claire’s crooked pinky finger – I did! 😜 A follower on Twitter reminded me just days ago! So, here goes:

Humans typically have five digits on each hand.  But, naming these appendages presents a dilemma: 🤔

    • US anatomists name a thumb and four fingers (index is #1 – pinky is #4).
    • Some European anatomists consider the thumb to be a finger (thumb is #1 – pinky is #5).

Ergo, how many fingers does a hand usually have? Clearly, the answer depends on who does the counting!

Stating the obvious, it is safest, especially in a medical setting, not use the term, “finger.” Instead, name the appendages “digits” and sequentially number them as digit #1 (thumb) through digit #5 (pinky).

Hand surgeons who helped teach my gross anatomy course didn’t use any numbers when preparing a patient for surgery to avoid mixups and mistaken surgeries! 😱 Rather, they used thumb, index, middle, ring, and little.

Now, for some quick anatomy:  The little finger (plus index, middle, and ring fingers) has three bones (phalanges). Each adjacent pair of phalanges meet at an interphalangeal (IP) joint. The IP joint nearest the wrist is the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP); the one furtherest from the wrist is the distal interphalangeal joint (DIP).

The thumb is different because it has only two phalanges and one IP joint. Hence, US anatomists don’t consider the thumb to be a finger because of these anatomic differences.

Try This: Find the PIP and DIP joints on your index, middle, ring and little fingers. Find the IP joint on your thumb. Got it? Yay! 👍🏻

As mentioned above, camptodactyly always involves the 5th digit (pinky finger) which is permanently flexed at the  PIP joint (see image, below)!

Claire’s mother had the crooked little finger, Claire has it, and her daughter has it, too. This is not surprising as the gene for camptodactyly may be passed to the next generation by either parent.  If a person carries the gene, it may be expressed in one hand, both hands or neither.

And, if the permanent flexion is 30º or less, the hand usually functions normally.

Just to throw a monkey wrench into the issue….. Claire may have had a different condition known as clinodactyly (Greek: to bend + finger), another inheritable trait involving a crooked 5th digit.

However, clinodactyly is characterized by the pinky finger bending toward the adjacent ring finger. Yet another difference between the two conditions is that clinodactyly may occur at the DIP joint or the PIP joint, or both!

Because Claire became a skilled surgeon, we can safely assume that no matter which condition she had, the crooked right little finger did not create a hinderance to her handiwork!

Clinodactyly of the hand.
Clinodactyly is a congenital trait that is present at birth. It can occur on its own or as part of a genetic syndrome.

See: Claire’s right little finger in Outlander episode 306, A. Malcolm. The episode does not include Claire’s musing about her crooked pinky finger for good reason: It would be difficult to display such a condition throughout all seasons of Outlander!

Read: But Claire does acknowledge her finger to Jamie in Voyager book.

“Her nails are like yours; square, not oval like mine. But she has the crooked little finger on her right hand that I have,” I said, lifting it. “My mother had it, too; Uncle Lambert told me.” My own mother had died when I was five. I had no clear memory of her, but thought of her whenever I saw my own hand unexpectedly, caught in a moment of grace like this one. I laid the hand with the crooked finger on his, then lifted it to his face. 

Which condition did Claire have – camptodactyly or clinodactyly? Only Herself knows for sure! 😉

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Photo and Video Credits: Sony/Starz; www.congenitalhand.wustl.edu; www.healthline.com