THE HUMAN BONES OF THE HEMENWAY COLLECTION IN THE UNITED 

 STATES ARMY MEDICAL MUSEUM AT WASHINGTON, 



1)11. WASHINOTON MATTHHWS, 



SIKGEON, V. S. AUMY; 



WITH UBSEKVATIUNS ON THE HYOID BONES OF THIS COLLECTION 



DR. J. L. WOHTMAN. 



REPORTS PRESENTED TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE 

 SURGEON-GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY, 



DR. JOHN S. BILLINOS, 



SUKGEON. V. S. AKMY. 



• 111 1S87 an expedition was fitted out under tlie direction of Mr. Franlc Cusliing, with funds 

 supplied by the liberality of Mrs. Mary Henienway, of Boston, for e.xploriug certain mins in the 

 valley of the Gila Eiver, in the Territory of Arizona. 



The work of exploration was commenced with a mound of large size, apparently little ir.ore 

 than a rude pile of earth, in the valley of the Salado, oi- Salt River, a tributary of the Gila. This 

 proved to be the ruins of a large earthen house, apparently analogous in structure to the stilL 

 standiug Casa Grande, which lies about 35 miles to the southeast, and these ruins were found to 

 be a part of a congregation of houses or a city, extending abt)ut G miles in length, and from half a 

 mile to a mile in width along the valley. A large number of human bones were fouiul under the 

 floors of the houses, so large a number, in fact, that Mr. Gushing gave the place the name of Los 

 Muertos, or the town of the dead. 



When the work -was fairly under way Mr. Gushing was taken sick, and application was made 

 by the ilemenway Exploring Expedition to the Surgeon-General to allow Dr. Washington 

 Matthews, of the Army, to go out and take Mr. Cushiug's place during his illness, to supervise the 

 exploitations. Dr. Matthews went to Los Muertos in the mouth of August, 1S87. He found that no 

 attention had been paid to the collection or preservation of human bones, which were extiemely 

 fragile, crumbling to dust upon a touch, and which had been thrown about and trampled under 

 foot by curious visitors, so that but little remained of value from the work which had been 

 previously done. Kecognizing the importance and interest of these remains, he set to work to 

 preserve the bones excavated after his arrival as far as possible, and reported the facts to me, 

 suggesting that, if possible, the anatomist of the Army Medical Museum, Dr. J. L. Wortman, 

 should be sent out furnished with means lor preserving these bones as last as they were excavated, 

 and carefully collecting and forwarding tliem to the Army Medical ^Museum for study. 



In accordance with these suggestions Dr. Wortman went out in November, 1887, taking with 

 him a supply of sihcate of soda, glue, paraflin, and other materials for saturating and preserving 

 the bones which should be discovered, and remained with the expedition, visiting several other 

 localities, until June, 1888, when he returned to Washington. 



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