168 



THE STRUCTURE OF MAN 



At birth 



Up to the 5th year .... 

 From 510 ..... 

 From 10 20 . . 



From 20 30 



From 3040 



From 40 60 



In old people over 60 



In embryos and new-born children on the one hand, and in 

 adults on the other, the vermiform process varies in length in ' 



FIG. 100. THE CascuM AND VERMIFORM PROCESS OP A HUMAN EMBRYO. 

 References as in Fig. 99. 



proportion to that of the rest of the intestinal canal ; and since 

 it is a degenerating organ, it is not surprising to find that it is 

 most strongly developed in foetal times, and does not grow at 

 a rate proportionate to advancing age. In the embryo its 

 length, in proportion to that of the large intestine, is approximately 

 one to ten, and in the adult one to twenty. Further light is 

 thrown on these facts by Eibbert's interesting discovery of the 

 frequent occlusion of the vermiform process. He found it either 

 partially or totally closed in 25 per cent of the cases examined, 



