Degeneracy: Its Causes, Signs and ResultsTalbot, Eugene S. (Eugene Solomon)
History
Degeneracy: Its Causes, Signs and Results
Talbot, Eugene S. (Eugene Solomon)
Abnormalities, Human; Degeneration; Heredity, Human
To these should be added kyphocephaly (lump head), due to synostosis of
the posterior part of the squamous portion of the temporal and the
parietal bones with Wormian bones in the lambdoid fissure. Tapeisocephaly
(low head) is due to synostosis of the great wings of the sphenoid with
the frontal. Scaphocephaly (boat-shaped head. Fig. 17) was a term applied
by Von Baer to skulls which are very narrow and compressed at the sides,
and in which there is no trace of the sagittal suture, but its region is
so elevated that the skull cap has the form of a keel boat bottom upward.
Trigonocephaly (triangular head) is a variety of scaphocephaly in which
depression occurs in place of the keel. Sir Walter Scott had a skull in
which premature closure of the sagittal suture produced the appearance of
scaphocephaly, but compensation for this elsewhere produced a decidedly
different type. Scott presented neurotic phenomena during youth, albeit
the brain disease from which he died had anything but a degenerate origin.
[Illustration: FIG. 16.]
[Illustration: FIG. 17.]
Morton and Catlin claim that while the artificial distortions of the
cranium may play a part in developing synostosis these have no effect upon
the intellectual functions. It has been stated further that there are no
mental data to show the effect of artificial malformation of the child's
head during development. Frederick Peterson expresses the opinion that
this practice only exists among the lower races of mankind. In this he is
in decided error, since, as Barnard Davis pointed out many years ago, the
practice is far more widespread than is usually suspected. It was common
all over Europe, was practised by the Turanians, by the Slaves, by the
Scandinavians, Anglo-Saxons, and Celts. Less than half a century ago
Foville[192] proved that the nurses in Normandy were still giving
children's heads a sugar-loaf shape by bandages and a tight cap. In
Britanny they preferred to press it round. In those districts Foville
found that not only congenital cranial irregularities of all types, but
epilepsy, idiocy, and insanity were exceedingly frequent. As customs like
these survive in folklore long after the original superstition which gave
them birth, it is exceedingly probable that such crop out in descendants
of these races to the present day, to confront the anthropologist with
some remarkable crania. Tylor[193] is of opinion that without respecting
the repressive action of the Government, the Bretons and Normans secretly
continue this practice. Despite the labours of Foville these people openly
defied the Government for ten years.
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