ON COMrOSITE PHOTOGRAPHY AS APPLIED TO CRANIOLOGT. 1 1 1 



of, but no good means of applying^ it siifrgcsted itself until the reversible ether spray apparatus 

 came under our notice; since then we ha\e had time to experiment on only 10 skulls. Table II 

 shows the result of these experiments. As far as they go they appear to mark a decided improve- 

 ment in the process. But the imj)roveuient is probably not so great as the figures seem to indicate, 

 for the measurements on the varnished skulls are our latest, and we have observed that our dex- 

 terity in pursuing our own method is daily increased by ])ractice. The varnish does not entirely 

 prevent the absorption of water by the skull, but it probably so retards the absorption and return 

 of the water as to nearly eliminate the errors arising from these causes. Excellent results have 

 been obtained without the use of the varnish — a maximum variation of 10 cubic centimeters, a 

 mean of 5.20 cubic centimeters. (See Table 1.) The application of varnish is a means that requires 

 more experiment ; perhaps the use of a difl'erent gum would be better, and perhaps it would be of 

 advantage to use a larger amount, but in the majority of skulls this could not be done at one 

 sitting. Furthermore it would be necessary to allow for a larger amount of solid gum in the skull 

 when we come to measure. 



The putty should be of firm consistency and as dry as may be compatible with due plasticity. 

 If, in some dry skulls, it does not adhere well, the external table may be oiled a little. One 

 slight trouble with the use of putty is this: In pressing it into and extracting it from the nasal 

 fossffi it is impossible to keei) from injuring the turbinated bones where they are present. In the 

 majorit}' of the skulls of our collection the turbinated bones are already so injured that it is 

 unnecessary to exercise any care of them; but the advisability of preserving them in some cases 

 has not been lost sight of, and a means has been devised to keep them intact when desire<l. This 

 is to till the nares with a semisolid oleaginous substance that can be forced well uj) into the nasal 

 fossae without breaking the bones. Simple cerate will do well in warm weather and lard in cold 

 weather. This filling should be used only in the nasal fosste proper, and the coating of putty should 

 comiiletely conceal and sustain it on the outside. It is removed by passing a stream of hot water 

 through the nose; and, if motives of economy prevail, the unguent can be skimmed ofl" the water, 

 preferably after the latter has cooled. A large skull will require all of the ten pounds of putty to 

 cover it, smaller skulls proportionally less. To put on the putty properly and expeditiously 

 requires some practice, particularly in tilling the foramina at the base. It would be well for the 

 beginner to apply it first for a few times to the base of the sawed skull, looking only at the outside 

 until he thinks his task is completed ; then let him inspect the inside of the fragment and see what 

 sort of work he has made of it. Again he may proceed, looking Irom time to time at the inside 

 to see how he is doing each i^art of the work. It is stated in the instructions that the skull must 

 be placed base downwards when the cap of putty is put on the vertex; this may seem unnecessary, 

 but experiment has shown it to be essential. If you place the skull vertex downwards on the 

 sheet of putty and attempt to draw the latter up around the skull you will not make it stick closely 

 one time in ten. The close adherence ot the putty to the skull is of course of prime importance. 

 If, when the skull is full, you observe a single drop leaking anywhere through or around the 

 putty, your work is a failure, stop it at once, clean off the skull and put it away to dry for another 

 day. 



The bread-board and rolling-pin are those ordinarily used by pastry cooks. They are best if 

 made of hard wood. They should be thoroughly oiled in the beginning and the oiling should be 

 renewed from time to time. They should be well scraped with a blunt wooden instrument when 

 the day's work is done. We have found that these implements in wood answer well enough, but 

 perhai)S it would be better to have a roller and slab of glass, china, or stone. 



It is, as before intimated, important that the skull should be filled very rapidly as well as very 

 accurately. Our present arraugeuieuts of tin vessel, reservoir, tube, and stopcock are designed to 

 attain these ends, but better means may perhaps be easily devised. To fill the skull entirely 

 through our small stopcock takes too much time, hence the use of a tin vessel with a wide orifice 

 to put in the greater part of the water ; but when j'ou come to the last few drops at the brim of the 

 foramen magnum, it has been found that they can be added more accurately and conveniently 

 through the orifice of the small stop-cock fed from a reservoir not too high, for a strong pressure 

 jnakes the water unmanageable. 



The Bauke measiiriug-glass, as we received it, was not emootU aud level op the bottom, and 



