213 



34 at the middle, in 75 at the bottom, and in 79 the precise position 

 was not noted. Of the 36 cases of division opposite the 6^^ lumbar 

 vertebra, it was at the top in 32. In the other 4 the point was not 

 noted. 



It is unfortunately impossible to make a satisfactory comparison 

 between these results and those of Schwalbe and Pfitzner, as they 

 apparently have not considered the intervertebral discs. Still as they 

 find the division opposite to the top of the 5'^ lumbar vertebra in 

 20 °/o of their cases, and opposite some port of the 4'^ in only 73,3 "/o, 

 it seems that with them the point of division is somewhat lower than 

 in my series. 



Schwalbe and Pfitzner in their recent interesting^) work have 

 compared their statistics with those of other observers and believe that 

 some of the results are of anthropological significance. I incline to 

 share this belief; but as some of the statistics used are of my collec- 

 ting I feel bound to point out a source of error. These authors very 

 justly lay great weight on the importance of learning the constancy 

 of the averages, but they pass rather lightly over something which is 

 absolutely essential to the matter: namely whether or not the material 

 dissected at a certain place is sufficiently homogeneous to represent 

 the population of that country. They give strong reasons for believ- 

 ing that the material at Straßburg is satisfactory in this respect, 

 but they assume too readily that similar conditions prevail elsewhere. 

 It is a very excusable, but still a grievous, mistake to suppose that 

 the bodies dissected at Boston represent the population of Massa- 

 chusetts. I cannot show this directly because I receive no statement 

 of the nativity of my subjects. When I wish particularly to know it 

 I have to resort to a rather troublesome correspondence. I can, 

 however, prove it indirectly beyond reasonable doubt. Almost all the 

 subjects used at the Harvard Medical School come from either the 

 State Almshouse or a semi-penal institution called the State Farm. 

 The others are so few that they may be neglected, and in fact are 

 of the same class as the rest. In the last reports of these institutions 

 there are tables giving the birth-places of the inmates admitted during 

 the year ending September 30'^ 1893. I have added these together 

 and reproduce what is essential. 



1) loc. cit. 



