KLETciiKK.i ABNUKMAL CKANIAL APERTURES. * 9 



excepting the forehead, but in the greater number of instances one of the 

 parietal bones has been the chosen site. There is a very interesting skull 

 in the Muse'e Broca [crane de Vaur(ial (Oise)], which, in addition to a large 

 depression in the frontal bone, presents a remarkable instance of trephining 

 on the occipital, two-thirds of that bone having disappeared. Part of this 

 opening is' due to the surgical operation, the elliptical edges, about half of 

 the original aperture, exhibiting the characteristic ivory-like surface of cica- 

 trization, while the remainder has been removed by post-mortem trephining.* 



In no instance has an artificial opening been observed excepting where 

 the bone was covered by the hairy scalp, and that the purpose was to avoid 

 noticeable disfigurement seems a justifiable conclusion. It is also another 

 argument against possible origin from wounds in battle, as in such cases 

 the forehead was the part most liable to be injured. 



Broca states that the operation nuist have been performed just as fre- 

 quently on the female as on the male. 



It is necessary to inquire what other causes may account for abnormal 

 cranial apertures. 



I. There are congenital deficiencies. These are generally found in 

 tlie parietal bones, and are nearly always symmetrical, being found in both 

 bones. A single congenital aperture has been sometimes observed through 

 which hernia of the brain and meninges has taken place. In such cases 

 the edges ai"e everted and show a more or less diseased condition. 



II. Disease of the bone may produce openings which may afterwards 

 become cicatrized, and thus resemble the ajjertures in question; but disease 

 of the bone always extends beyond the limits of the perforation produced, 

 and leaves indelible traces. A close examination of these trephined neolithic 

 skulls shows a perfectly sound condition of the bone in the vicinity of the 

 aperture in all cases." 



III. Traumatic sources have been already discussed and disn)issed. 

 Even the cavalry saber of to-day could not produce such results. It does 



"Ldsions osseuses dc. I'homme pr(51iistoriqne eu Frauco ct, eu Alg(;ric, par Jules Le Baron. Paris. 

 1831, 4"^ (these), p. 47. 



^lu this Broca was mistaken. A very remarkable instance of trephining in connection with 

 disease of the bones of the cranium was communicatetl to the Soci^t^ d'anthropologie by M. Parrot, in 

 \r;Hl. A descriiitiou of the relic will he found farther on. 



