ANATOMICAL STRUCTURE OF ANTHROPOID APES. 205 



impression of human beings whose bodily and 

 mentiil development has been arrested. According 

 to Virchow's experience, all the cerebral disturbances 

 are concentrated in the cerebrum in these micro- 

 cephalous cases. The anterior portions of the 

 cerebrum are affected to the greatest, and the 

 posterior to the least, extent. Those parts which 

 are developed latest suffer the most, while those 

 which are the first to be developed generally escape 

 disturbance.* 



Klebs, Schaaffhausen, and others have sought to 

 show that the mothers of microcephalic children 

 have suffered from severe pains of the uterus during 

 pregnancy. x\ll scientific men consider that spasms 

 of the uterus distinctly affect the development of the 

 brain of the offspriiig. Flesch thinks it possible that 

 these spasms of the uterus may have something to do 

 with the origin of microcephaly.f But he also asks 

 whether this morbid condition of the uterus may not 

 have been produced by a previously diseased con- 

 dition of the offspring. This observer is, moreover, 

 still more inclined to make the influence of the 

 father responsible for the occurrence of microcephaly. 

 In view of the fact that there is much reason to 

 suppose there has been a compression of the uterus, 

 and in default of any better suggestion, Flesch feels 

 justified in looking for a compression which has 



* Verhandlungen der herliner Anthropologischen GeseUschafi, 

 p. 283 : 1877. 



t Correspondenzilatt der deutschen Anthropologischen GeselU 

 schaft, p. 134 : 1877. H. Gerhartz, Ueber die Ursachen der Micro- 

 cephalie. Inaugural dissertation. Bonn, 1874. 

 10 



