375.
When a man wants to stop running and check the impetus he is forced
to hang back and take short quick steps. [Footnote: Lines 5-31 refer
to the two upper figures, and the lower figure to the right is
explained by the last part of the chapter.] The centre of gravity of
a man who lifts one of his feet from the ground always rests on the
centre of the sole of the foot [he stands on].
A man, in going up stairs involuntarily throws so much weight
forward and on the side of the upper foot as to be a counterpoise to
the lower leg, so that the labour of this lower leg is limited to
moving itself.
The first thing a man does in mounting steps is to relieve the leg
he is about to lift of the weight of the body which was resting on
that leg; and besides this, he gives to the opposite leg all the
rest of the bulk of the whole man, including [the weight of] the
other leg; he then raises the other leg and sets the foot upon the
step to which he wishes to raise himself. Having done this he
restores to the upper foot all the weight of the body and of the leg
itself, and places his hand on his thigh and throws his head forward
and repeats the movement towards the point of the upper foot,
quickly lifting the heel of the lower one; and with this impetus he
lifts himself up and at the same time extends the arm which rested
on his knee; and this extension of the arm carries up the body and
the head, and so straightens the spine which was curved.
[32] The higher the step is which a man has to mount, the farther
forward will he place his head in advance of his upper foot, so as
to weigh more on _a_ than on _b_; this man will not be on the step
_m_. As is shown by the line _g f_.
[Footnote: See Pl. XXIII, No. 1. The lower sketch to the left
belongs to the four first lines.]
376.
I ask the weight [pressure] of this man at every degree of motion on
these steps, what weight he gives to _b_ and to _c_.
[Footnote 8: These lines are, in the original, written in ink]
Observe the perpendicular line below the centre of gravity of the
man.
[Footnote: See Pl. XXIII, No. 2.]
377.
In going up stairs if you place your hands on your knees all the
labour taken by the arms is removed from the sinews at the back of
the knees.
[Footnote: See Pl. XXIII, No. 3.]
378.
The sinew which guides the leg, and which is connected with the
patella of the knee, feels it a greater labour to carry the man
upwards, in proportion as the leg is more bent; and the muscle which
acts upon the angle made by the thigh where it joins the body has
less difficulty and has a less weight to lift, because it has not
the [additional] weight of the thigh itself. And besides this it has
stronger muscles, being those which form the buttock.
379.
A man coming down hill takes little steps, because the weight rests
upon the hinder foot, while a man mounting takes wide steps, because
his weight rests on the foremost foot.
[Footnote: See Pl. XXIII, No. 4.]
On the human body in action (380-388).
380.