TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 125 
especially by premature or retarded union of the cranial bones along their sutural 
lines and at their synchondroses. He arranged the sutures connecting the bones 
of the skull-cap into a vertical transverse group, a median longitudinal, and two 
lateral longitudinal groups; and agreeing with Professor Virchow, of Berlin, he 
stated that should a premature ossification take place in one, or more than one, of 
the whole, or a part, of a line of sutures, then the growth of the skull correspond- 
ing to, and in a direction perpendicular to, the line of synostosis will occur, and 
diminished length, or breadth, or height, as the case may be, will be occasioned. 
He illustrated this proposition by describing a peculiarly elongated and laterally 
compressed form of skull, to which, along with Professor Von Baer, of St. Peters- 
burg, he applied the name scaphocephalus. Four as yet undescribed examples 
of this peculiar boat-shaped s had come under his notice. The whole of these 
crania were characterized by possessing the following characters :—absence of a 
sagittal suture, and consequent blending of the two parietal bones; absence of 
parietal eminences ; lateral compression ; great elongation. He then discussed at 
length the two theories which had been advanced to account for the production of 
such a form of skull; and concluded that the balance of evidence was in favour 
of the theory that it originated from a premature union of the sagittal margins of 
the two parietal bones, and consequent compensatory growth of the skull in the 
antero-posterior direction, rather than from the development of the bi-parietal bone 
from a single median vertical centre. The author then directed attention to the 
importance of attending to the above proposition in ethnological inquiry, more 
especially with reference to the production, through its action, of various aberrant 
forms of skull in individuals of any given nationality, which may cause them to 
.. a shape of head quite different from that of the race to which they belong. 
e pointed out, moreover, that obliteration of the sutures to a greater or less ex- 
tent exists in the crania of the Flathead Indians, which have been distorted by 
artificial means; his observations agreeing with those of Professor Daniel Wilson 
in this particular. He was of opinion that the pressure occasioned the tendency to 
premature union of the bones in these cases. The author did not think that persons 
possessing crania the form of which had been modified by premature synostosis 
necessarily exhibited any special tendencies to cerebral disease or deficiencies in 
their mental capacities. The paper is printed at length in the ‘Natural History 
Review,’ January 1864. 
On the Means of passing unharmed through Noxious Gases or Vapours. 
By Joun Wurtz, Surgeon, Finchley. 
Tt consists of two flexible pipes fixed in a metal covering, which is fixed over 
the nose and mouth. Each of these pipes is furnished with a valve of vulcanized 
india-rubber, one of which is fixed so that it can be moyed only inwards, and 
the other only outwards. These valves are elastic, and of so light a material that 
they are opened and shut by the force of the air, moved to and fro in the act of 
breathing ; and, therefore, when the air passes through these pipes, the person 
inhales only through one pipe, and exhales through the other. Having the end, 
which is farthest from thd bay: of that pipe by which he inhales in a pure atmo- 
sphere, the air which enters the lungs is pure, though the dein is surrounded by 
noxious vapour. This inhaling-pipe may draw its supply from the open air at any 
distance from the body, or it may be supplied from a bag carried on the body. 
By this plan, the supply is limited to the size of the bag; by that, the supply is 
limited by the length of his inhaling-pipe. The flexible valve of the exhaling- 
pipe completely prevents ingress of the surrounding gas, and therefore the pipe is 
short; it need not be more than half an inch in length. The part of the apparatus 
which I have described, and which I call the “ ori-nasal cover” and air-pipes, is 
fixed in that part of an air-tight hood which covers the face. A tippet, made of 
waterproof cloth, is joined to the hood. Two circular pieces of glass are fixed in 
the hood for enabling the man to see. Every part of this air-proof hood where 
the metal is fixed is water-tight. When this apparatus is about to be used, a soft, 
thick kerchief is to be wrapped smoothly sab the neck. The hood and tippet 
is then put on. A band is bound round the head and face, over the hood, to keep 
