386 JAMES CRAWFORD WATT 



I have, therefore, undertaken to work out the special anatomical 

 details of muscles, vessels and nerves in one of the deformed 

 limbs, in the hope that light might be thrown on some of the 

 primitive conditions of these parts, and also with the purpose of 

 adding a definite and exact contribution to the present inade- 

 quate knowledge of this abnormal condition. '^ Indeed the 

 inquiry into several types of malformation and structural anom- 

 aly has repeatedly thrown light not only on the malformation 

 or anomaly itself but also upon the normal process of develop- 

 ment the disturbance of which it represents." — (Ballantyne) . 



PRESERVATION 



This specimen was not obtained until about one week after 

 its birth, and in the meantime had been kept immersed by the 

 undertaker who sent it to us, in an embalming solution which, 

 as far as can be ascertained, was practically a 10 per cent for- 

 malin solution. In the laboratory it has been kept in 80 per 

 cent alcohol. No injection of the blood vessels was attempted, 

 and though this has added somewhat to the difficulty of dissec- 

 tion, good results have been obtained. 



PARENTAL HISTORY 



The parental history, as far as could be ascertained, is prac- 

 tically negative concerning the deformity iri this foetus. The 

 parents are about twenty-five years of age, in comfortable cir- 

 cumstances, have good mentality and are free from venereal 

 diseases as far as known. There have been two miscarriages 

 previous to this one, with no deformities. 



EXTERNAL APPEARANCE 



The body of the foetus (figs. 1 and 2) is that of a well de- 

 veloped child born at the end of the seventh calendar month of 

 pregnancy. It is well formed, healthy looking, and apart from 

 the upper limbs has no superficial evidence of abnormality. The 

 sex is male, and no aberrant development of the external genitals 

 is present. The back is strongly curved, the head bent forward. 



