Wyman,] 460 [April 15, 



seven years old, healthy, mind clear and memory good. The chief 

 measurements of the head are as follows : — 



Length 187 millimetres. 



Breadth 133 " 



Circumference 308 " 



Parietal arch, "over top of head from ear 



to ear" 270 " 



Index of breadth 71 



The deformity, it will be seen, is not great, but the photograph of 

 the patient which Dr. Wheeler sent with the notes of the case, shows 

 the elongated form characteristic of synostotic skulls. 



From a comparison of the above cases, it will be seen that the 

 crania from the foetal period, childhood, the adult and advanced 

 periods of life, present a similar deformity, viz. : lengthening of the 

 head attended with the closure of certain sutures. The closure of 

 the sagittal suture is, however, the only constant condition. The the- 

 ory of the deformity we are describing is as follows : increase in the 

 length of the bead, during growth, depends chiefly upon the deposit 

 of new bone on the edges of the bones in the direction of the sagittal 

 suture; If this be prematurely closed, increase of breadth being Hm- 

 ited, the brain, as it continues to grow in order to be accommodated, 

 compels an increase of the bones in other directions, especially in 

 length ; consequently there results a protuberant forehead and occi- 

 put, one or both. 



If this theory be correct, then it seems clear that the closure of the 

 sagittal suture in the above crania nuist have taken j^lace at very 

 different ages, otherwise their breadths would have been more uniform. 

 In fact, the breadths of the first three differ but little from the normal 

 quantity, measuring 135 instead of 142 m. m., while their length is 

 obviously increased, this being 200 instead of ISO m. ni. 



It appears that the lengthening of the head depends chiefly upon 

 the abnormal growth of the parietal bones, the others I'emaining 

 scarcely altered, as will be seen by the following average measui'e- 

 ments, in which eleven normal adult crania are compared with the 

 three adult synostotic crania described above. 



Frontal. Parietal. Occipital. 



Normal 125 m. ra. 124 m. m. 117 m. m. 



Synostotic 129.2 " 148 " 119 " 



Tlie anomaly, therefore, seems to pertain chiefly to the parietal 

 region of the skull. Is it connected with an anomalous condition of 

 the corresponding portion of the brain ? 



The peculiar appearance noticed in crania IV and V, consisting of 

 radiating canals and foramina, would seem to give support to the 



