191 



Anatomy. — "On th.i> ^iwtKincroIocilcdl .•iujnifi cation of the cninio- 

 rertebral Interval." B_y Dr. J. A. J. Barge. (Communicated 

 by Prof. L. Bolk). 



(Communicated in the meeting of May 29, 1915). 



In the so exceedingly extensive literature concerning the history 

 of the development of vertebral column and cranium two problems 

 chielly draw conliiinally the attention : the so-called resegmenlation 

 of the vertebral column (Nengliederung dcr Wirbelsiiule) and the 

 metamery of the craiiiuui. 



Both problems have been studied circumstantially, and the biblio- 

 graphy of both can boast of classical essays from the best days of 

 mor|)hoIogy. The more remarkable it must be called, that the two 

 fundamental views, that served as a guide to the numerous investi- 

 gators in this departmeni, and. which, ul pn^sent at least, in ]n'inciple, 

 are pretty well generally aduiilli'd, liaxe couslantly been studied 

 separately, and never \l'\ in their mulual relation. 



It is especially to Ibis fact that I wish (o lix the attention in this 

 communicalion, in order lo s1k)w in this wa\' at the same time, how 

 for this reason the signitication of iuiporlant carefully slated facts 

 has remained unobserved. 



Since Goethk and Oken expressed in the "Vertebral theory of the 

 cranium" for the first lime the idea, that llie bones of the cranium, 

 at least those of mammals, could be grouped into a uiimber of 

 segments, which show some similarity with vertebrae, the doctrine 

 concerning the metamery of the cranium has passed through a long 

 period of development. It is superlliious to describe here this histo- 

 rical development already lur this reason that most of the manuals 

 give a summary of this idea more detailed than seems desirable in 

 the short compass of this commnnication. 



It may suffice to point out, that the question that was put wiien 

 this problem was investigated, has constantly \ aried, and that the phases 

 of developuient of this idea can probai)ly be best characterized by 

 the following formulations of the problem. 



J. Are there evidences that prove, that the cranium has been con- 

 structed of a number of segments corresponding to vertebrae? 



2. Is tlie cranium, or at least part of it, formed in its embryonal 

 develojnnent in a sinnlar way and of equivalent material as the 

 vertebral column ?* 



3. Arc there indications, that make it probable, that at least part 



