The muscular texture is remarkable for its softness and small degree of resistance. It is by this that it is essentially different from the fibrous texture. It breaks with ease in the dead body. In the living, this rupture is rare, because the contraction which exists in all the violent efforts, gives it a density, by which it gains an enormous increase of resistance, but which it loses when it is no longer in a state of contraction. There are however examples of the rupture of muscles; it is principally in the rectus abdominis and quadratus lumborum that they take place. I have seen one in this last. Observe that this muscle and all those placed between the ribs and the pelvis, are much disposed, from their situation, to these ruptures. In fact, when the pelvis and the thorax are carried in an opposite direction, these muscles are so much the more violently stretched, as in these motions all the superior part of the body forms with the thorax, a great lever, which is moved in an opposite direction to another great lever, which is formed by the pelvis and all the inferior parts; now from their length, these levers are capable of receiving a very great motion, of communicating it consequently to the abdominal muscles which are stretched between the two, and which serve to unite them. Hence how in a violent inclination to the right, the quadratus of the left side can be torn, &c. Observe that but few of the muscles in the economy are found between two levers so great, consequently are capable of being so much distended, and especially of being so with a force greater than that of their contraction; for every muscular rupture supposes the excess of the external motion, which distends, over that of the fleshy fibres which contract to oppose this distension. If the external efforts were concentrated upon a single muscle, they would be able more often to overcome the resistance; but almost always many partake of the effort to support and the resistance to oppose. _Composition of the Muscular Texture._ The muscular texture has been with chemists, a more particular object of research than most of the other organized textures. They have examined it under all its relations. I refer to their works, to that of Fourcroy especially, for all which is not strictly relative to the nature of this texture, for all which considers consequences not applicable to physiology, which we can deduce from the knowledge of the principles that enter into its composition.