44 J. V. HULTKEANTZ 



ment 3-2 (Vol. IL, p. 450) that he was »of middle stature». But, on 

 the contrary, it does not agree well with a statement of Collin that 

 SwEDENBOEG was of a »tall and erect stature» 32 (Vol. II., p. 423), nor 

 with Sheaesmith's testimony lo (p. 196) in which Swedenboeg's 

 length was valued at »about five feet nine inches», i. e., about 175 

 cm. It may, however, here be observed that these testimonies were 

 not given before 1817 and 1801, respectively, consequently several 

 decades after Swedenboeg's death, and that they probably refer to the 

 length of the body with shoes included. 



A further investigation of the figures given in the table, brings to 

 light, first, that the thigh bones are comparatively long (at least relatively 

 to the proportions of present-day Frenchmen); secondly, that a notice- 

 able disparity exists between the bones of the two sides. The right 

 humerus is about 7 mm. longer than the left, while in the case of the 

 lower extremities the figures show a difference amounting to 2—3 

 mm. for each bone in favor of the left side. There exists therefore a 

 crossed asymmetry of the extremities of the type which, according to 

 Hasse & Dehnee ü and others, is found in the majority of male indi- 

 viduals. The difference in length between the bones of the lower ex- 

 tremities also agrees with the most usual conditions, whereas that be- 

 tween the two humeri is relatively considerable. The great prepon- 

 derance in favor of the right arm may in some measure indicate that 

 SwEDENBOEG was right-handed, for the investigations of the last-named 

 authors have shown that pronouncedly left-handed individuals, almost 

 without exception, have a longer left than light arm. 



