A CLINICAL STUDY OF THE SKULL. 51 



palpation that, so far as they are concerned, the clinical aud ana- 

 tomical study can be pursued on identical lines. Respecting the 

 details, especially such as are seen in the sutures, it is ouly neces- 

 sary to say that the topography of the general surface has been 

 based, by common consent, on the arrangement of the parts at 

 or near the sutures, and I have concluded to give the details of such 

 localization the first place. 



The names proposed for the suture-divisions, eminences, and de- 

 pressions are easily adapted to the nomenclature of Broca. AVhile 

 it is acknowledged that multiplicity of terms is undesirable, I see 

 no way out of the difficulty in presenting new names, since accu- 

 racy of description is impossible without them. 



It is hoped that by their aid not only the vertex, but the scalp as 

 well, can oe mapped out for cliuical purposes. 



The sagittal, coronal, and lambdoidal sutures show peculiarities 

 of the several parts entering into their composition which are 

 worthy of special description. 



To speak first of the sagittal suture, it is found that the portion 

 which answers to the parietal end of the anterior fontanel and to 

 the suture a short distance back from this opening is simpler in 

 composition than the adjacent part of the suture.^ It measures 1 

 to 2 centimetres in length. It is convenient to call this the bregmal 

 portion. 



The second portion of the sagittal suture is the longest and con- 

 tains, as a rule, the largest serrations. These are either denticulate 

 or lobate. The line answers to the region of the parietal tubera, 

 and measures from 4 to 6 centimetres in length. In the normal 

 cranium it represents the highest portion of the glabello-inial curve, 

 and may receive the name of the iiitertuberal j)ortion of the sagittal 

 suture. 



The part of the iutertuberal portion which lies back of the breg- 

 mal for a distance of 1° to 1" o™'" is often of a distinct type of ser- 



^ Out of the 66 negroes' crania with open sutures examined 21 retained 

 sinuate and 45 serrate bregmal portions. 



