ACCOUNT OF A FAMILY SHOWING MINOR- 

 BRACHYDACTYLY. 



By H. DRINKWATER, M.U., F.R.S. (Edin.), F.L.S. 



In the autumn of last year (1910) a medical friend resident in 

 Liverpool informed me that a relative of his, whilst making his official 

 medical inspection of school children, had seen a boy whose hands 

 appeared to be of the same Brachydactylous type which I had described 

 in a communication to the Royal Society of Edinburgh in November 

 1907. It naturally occurred to me that some family whom I had 

 already examined had removed to Lancashire ; but as soon as this boy's 

 name was communicated to me I kuew that he did not belong to any 

 of the families already described. 



In December I wrote to the Headmistress of the school which the 

 boy had attended and received the following reply : — 



Deo. 29. 10. 

 Dear Sir, 



Your letter has just reached me having been forwarded from '. 



The boy, whom yovi refer to, has now left school. 



His parents live at -. He is a rather peculiar boy, and dull by nature. 



At school we used to attribute his stupidity to the fact that his parents are related 

 — (first cousins). 



His short fingers did not seem to hinder his manual work, but they are remark- 

 ably short. I remember being told that the grandfather, on the father's side, had 

 also very short fingers. The boy is now 13 years of age and is apprenticed to a 



joiner. Dr very kindly ofiered to have the boy's fingers examined at a 



Liverpool Hospital, but the parents refused their consent. The father is a rather 

 intelligent man and by occupation a salesman at . 



If I can supply you with any further information I shall be very pleased 



to do so. 



I am. 



Yours faithfully, 



W. . 



1 Names and addresses omitted for obvious reasons. 



