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Fun Fact: gustation

Anatomy def: The act of tasting or the faculty of taste – accomplished by taste buds aided by olfactory (smell) receptor neurons.

Outlander def: Using taste buds to detect sugar in the urine – no other reliable test at the time, ye ken? Preferable to sampling Comte St. Germain’s poison!

Learn about gustation, taste, and tastebuds in Anatomy Lesson #44, “Terrific Tunnel – GI System, Part 1.” Ubiquitous fellows, tastebuds aren’t confined to the tongue’s upper surface; they also reside on soft palate, inner cheek, epiglottis, and upper esophagus!

Read about Claire’s unique use of gustation in Diana’s splendid second big book: Dragonfly in Amber:

I bent over a pallet at the edge of the floor. A very thin woman lay listlessly under a single blanket, her eyes drifting dully over us without interest… It wasn’t the woman who had attracted my attention, so much as the oddly shaped glass vessel standing on the floor alongside her pallet. The vessel was brimming with a yellow fluid—urine, undoubtedly. I was mildly surprised; without chemical tests, or even litmus paper, what conceivable use could a urine sample be? Thinking over the various things one tested urine for, though, I had an idea. I picked up the vessel carefully… I sniffed carefully. Sure enough; half-obscured by sour ammoniac fumes, the fluid smelled sickly sweet—rather like soured honey. I hesitated, but there was only one way to make sure. With a moue of distaste, I gingerly dipped the tip of one finger into the liquid and touched it delicately to my tongue. … She has—” Drat. What would they have called it now? “She has … um, sugar sickness

Beginning in 1674, western physicians routinely tasted patient’s urine when diabetes mellitus was suspect. English physician Thomas Willis (1621-1675) was the first in modern medical literature to observe the relationship. Above and beyond the call of duty!

See Claire sample a patient’s urine and correctly diagnose her sugar sickness in Starz episode 203, Useful Occupations and Deceptions! Claire, lass, best rush home to share your day of lancing boils, treating scrofula, and tasting urine! Your hubby will be a glad-lad. Hah!

A deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Fun Fact: ulna

Anatomy def: The inner and longer of two forearm bones (radius is outer and shorter bone).

Outlander def: A noble, 16 y.o. forearm bone broken by Jamie: snap, crackle, pop – och!

Learn about ulna (and radius) in Anatomy Lesson #20, “Arms! Arms! Arms! – Redux.” Lessons #19, #22, and #23 cover remaining upper limb, complex anatomy, indeed!

Read about William Grey’s forearm bones in Diana’s big book #2, Dragonfly in Amber. William makes a verra credible attempt at slicing Jamie’s throat followed by a struggle that ends with a broken forearm (his, not Jamie’s!). The tale doesn’t specify if one or both forearm bones are snapped by the unprincipled Scottish voluptuary and poltroon, Red Jamie! But, of the two bones, ulna breaks most frequently.

There was no moon, and the only clue to what was happening was a tremendous scuffling sound in the dry alder leaves, and the noise of men locked in effortful but silent conflict, with grunts, gasps, and the occasional muffled curse. There was a short, sharp cry, and then complete quiet.

… Jamie raised his eyebrows…  “—is your arm broken, by the way? I thought I felt something snap.”

The boy was beginning to wilt under the combined strain of the questioning and his injured arm, but refused an offer to be seated. Instead, he leaned against the tree, cradling his elbow in his left palm.

The bones of the boy’s forearm were light and angular under the skin, hardly thicker than my own. I splinted the arm and slung it, using my own kerchief. “It’s a clean break,” I told him, keeping my voice impersonal. “Try to keep it still for two weeks, at least.”

See the Starz version of the encounter between Jamie and William Grey in episode 209, Je Suis Prest. The stramash between the two men has profound future consequences – “A Grey does not forget an obligation, sir!“  Come on, Season 3!

A deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

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Fun Fact: external acoustic meatus

Anatomy def: In adults, a 2.5 cm (1”) canal extending from ear flap (pinna) to ear drum. Other names: EAM, external auditory meatus, auditory canal, ear canal.

Outlander def: Ear hole! ‘Nuf said.

Learn about the external acoustic meatus in Anatomy Lesson #24, “Hear, Here – The Ear.” The channel is innervated by three different nerves explaining, in part, why it is so darned sensitive. Oh, and never stick small stuff into the EAM!

Read about the external acoustic meatus in Outlander book. Yes, Diana even wrote about this body part during Clair’s first and unfortunate encounter with Jonathan Randall, Esq., Captain of his Majesty’s Eighth Dra-Goons. Too bad Claire didn’t have a hot wire to hand! <G>

I had by this time recovered my breath, and I used it. I screamed directly into his earhole, and he jerked as though I had run a hot wire into it. I took advantage of the movement to get my knee up, and jabbed it into his exposed side, sending him sprawling into the leaf mold.

See Murtagh’s external acoustic meatus in Starz episode 202, Not in Scotland Anymore. Truth be told, ye canna see Murtagh’s meatus because the opening is covered by the tragus, a wee mound of skin and cartilage. Looking into the opening of the EAM requires a view from behind, sans hair, wig, bonnet, etc. Take this great example of Dougal’s EAM (Starz, episode 209, Je Suis Prest)!

A deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist