Thomas Dwii^ht 29 



joints will u'o far to show the probahility of what one may hesitate to 

 affirm as absolutely certain. 



The following conclusions seem justified by this study of 400 humeri 

 and femora of white adults : 



The heads of the humerus and femur are relatively small in woman. 

 Probably the same may be said of other joints. 



Dorsey's investigations show^ that this anthropological law applies also 

 to savage races (or at least to some of them). 



The number of measurements of male joints smaller than the average 

 female joint and of female ones larger than the average male is insigni- 

 ficant. In the transverse diameter of the head of the humerus the com- 

 bined number is only 1.25 per cent, and in the head of the femur only 

 .05 per cent. 



By rejecting a few aberrant specimens the overlapping in the curves 

 of both diameters of the humerus is reduced to about 17 per cent, and 

 is limited to joints measuring 45 and 46 mm. vertically and to those 

 measuring 41 and 42 mm. transversely. 



The head of the femur is somewhat less characteristic, but still very 

 valuable as a guide to the sex. 



(These measurements were made with the articular cartilage in place 

 and still fresh.) 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



1. Hyrtl. — Topographische Anatomie. 



2. DwiGHT. — Journal of Anat. and Phys., Vol. XV and XXIV. 



3. DwiGHT. — Publications of the Mass. Med. Society. ' 



4. HEPBt'Rx.— Journ. of Anat. and Phys.. Vol. XXXI, p. 116. 



5. DoRSEY. — Boston Medical and Surgical .Tournal, July 22, 1897. 



6. DwiGHT. — Anatomischer Anzeiger, Bd. X, s. 209. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATES 1 TO VI. 



Plate I. — The binomial curves of the vertical diameter of the heads of 200 

 male and 200 female humeri expressed in millimeters. The female curve is 

 on the left. 



Plate II. — Ditto of the transverse diameter of the same. 



Plate III. — Ditto of the greatest diameter of the head of the femur. 



Plate IV. — The binomial curves of the length of 100 male and 100 female 

 humeri (Dr. Hrdlicka's) expressed in centimeters. The female curve is on 

 the left. 



Plate V. — Ditto of the length of the femur (Bicondylar) (Dr. Hrdlicka's). 



The part of the curves drawn with a continuous line represents what they 

 would be after the elimination of certain aberrant overlapping bones. 



Plate VI. — The humerus of a strong w'oman and of a puny man. The sex 

 is evident from the size of the heads of the bones. 



