Abstract
Bulletins de la Sociétéd' Anthropologie de Paris, tom. v. fasc. iv. 1882.—Discussion on M. Ball's case of cretinism, in which the axiom advanced by M. Lunier was generally accepted, that, while idiocy is hereditary and congenital, cretinism is endemic.—M. Gustave Le Bon, in defending the accuracy of his determinations of the comparative weight of the brain of boys and girls against the charges advanced by MM. Budin and Manouvrier, explains his methods of determination, which, in his opinion, confirm the conclusions contained in his earliest memoir on the subject: viz. that (l) while male and female children differ very little in weight at their birth, when, if the weight of boys be taken at 100, that of girls will be 94.28, the difference between the sexes in adult life may be at least three times greater; (2) that at the same age, with equal stature and weight, the female brain will be found notably inferior in weight to that of the man.—On the cranial dimensions of the savage Stiengs, or Moïs, of Cochin China, by Dr. P. Neis, who finds that this people exhibits the low mean cranial capacity of 1400, with a cephalic index of only about 75.–M. Capitan records the results of his experiments on the methods of trepanning employed in prehistoric times. He has experimented both on the living and dead subject, using a flint instrument, with which he reproduced perforations similar to those observed in prehistoric crania. This was effected by boring and incision, as well as by scraping, and in both cases the animals operated on recovered rapidly and completely from the operation, although Broca had maintained that the removal of any part of the cranial surface could not possibly have been effected on the living subject by such instruments as were used by primitive man.—Dr. Collignon describes the nature of the human remains found at Cumiéres, Meuse, belonging to the Neolithic age, among which are seven well preserved skulls, and various long bones, including two platycnemic tibiæ.—Dr. Heurot's report of the ossuary of the polished stone period, discovered in 1881 at Liry, in the Ardennes, was laid before the Society by M. Mortillet, who drew attention to the extraordinary projection of the lower jaw observable in one of the crania, which in this particular seems to fore-shadow the present and future evolutionary change, rather than to accord with the ordinary type of the receding anthropoidal chin of the prehistoric ages. In the course of the discussion arising out of Dr. Heurot's communication, M. Legnay described similar burial places examined by himself at Le Grand Compant, near Luzarches, and at Vaureal, Pontoise, where, as at Liry, a passage composed of upright stones, and covered in with wood, gave admittance to the true sepulchral chambers.—M. Topinard reports on his examination of Le Questionnaire de Sociologie et d'Ethnographie, issued by the commission appointed by the Society for its elaboration; and while he approves generally of the plan followed, which is that suggested by M. Letourneau, he has drawn attention to numerous points omitted by the latter, who, by his mode of defending the proceedings of the Society, and attacking M. Dally, gave an aggressively personal character to the discussion, very unusual in meetings of the Society. Owing to want of unanimity among the members, the method to be followed for the French system of instructions for travellers still remains undecided.—The Galibis of Cayenne, who have long been established in the Jardin d'Acclimatation of Paris have been made the subject of an exhaustive study by M. Manouvrier, whose detailed communications of the numerous observations and determinations in regard to the sociology, language, and ethnology of these tribes led to a somewhat lengthy discussion on the rationale and early extension of the practice of the couvade, which has been observed among the Galibis of French Guiana, as well as among the Basques, and appears to have prevailed under various modifications among several ancient peoples.
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Scientific Serials . Nature 28, 261–262 (1883). https://doi.org/10.1038/028261b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/028261b0