Torso nerves. Historical anatomical artwork of the nerves (white) of parts of a human torso. At lower frame, a side view of the abdomen (front of body at left) shows muscles (red) and connective tissue (grey) covering muscles. These are the superficial or cutaneous (skin) nerves. At upper frame are the intercostal nerves running between the ribs. It is a frontal view (by dissection) of the left-hand ribs at the back of the body, which are attached to the spine (at left). The intercostal nerves are direct branches from the spinal cord. Artwork from The Nerves of the Human Body (Ed. Jones Quain, London, 1839).