620 
The importance of paleopathology is that it 
gives an opportunity of studying evidences of 
disease over a great period of time, and espe- 
cially is this true in regard to the data offered 
by paleontology. That the study of these evi- 
dences may aid in the solutions of problems 
which are at present not solved is evident when 
we consider that many epidemics which sweep 
the world, such as the one just past, are doubt- 
less the result of an accumulation of changes 
over a long period of time. It is well known 
in medical history how whole populations have 
been swept away by scourges, which, had the 
people understood them, could have been 
avoided, and in the future when we come to 
understand all of the events of past history we 
may be better prepared to avoid future condi- 
tions of a like nature. 
A disadvantage under which the student of 
paleopathology works is that the results of epi- 
demics are scarcely ever recorded especially 
in paleontological material. The presence of 
tsetse flies in the Oligocene of Colorado sug- 
gests the possibility of trypanosomiasis among 
the herds of artiodactyls and perissodactyls of 
the early Tertiary but it can be considered 
merely suggestive. The search for such evi- 
dences is, however, just begun, and we may in 
future learn more of the epidemics which, in 
the past, must have swept through the herds 
of early animals. 
The careful description, illustration and 
study of ancient cases of fracture, of diseased 
Jones or any evidences of pathology is ex- 
tremely desirable and will advance the study 
of paleopathology. Evidences of disease may 
be detected in the positions assumed by ani- 
mals at death, the opisthotonos, the pleurotho- 
tonos and related phenomena. It is a question 
open to discussion whether the opisthotonic at- 
titude is a manifestation of disease, but it is 
as suggestive of neuro-toxic disturbances as 
may well be. Whether the position assumed 
by the fossilized skeleton is the same as the 
animal assumed at death, how much is due to 
shifting before fossilization, are matters of 
minor importance to the student of medical 
history who is chiefly impressed with the fact 
that a dinosaur preserved in the opisthotonic 
SCIENCE 
[N. 8. Vou. XLVIII, No, 1251 
attitude suggests to him the spasms seen in 
many recent diseases. The student of medical 
history is interested in a Mesozoic fracture be- 
cause it extends his knowledge of traumatism, 
and if the study of the fracture is complete it 
adds to his knowledge of general pathology. 
The relation of disease to extinction, and 
other more important relations, may be cleared 
to some extent by a study of paleontological 
material. The part disease has played in the 
evolution of forms, whether retarding, chang- 
ing, or ending their development also attracts 
the attention of the student of paleopathology. 
Medical history, like all other histories, is 
based on an accumulation of data from widely 
different fields, and it is the privilege of paleon- 
tologists to add to the great wealth already 
accumulated, more data as to what happened 
among the animals with which they are fa- 
miliar, representing the inhabitants of the 
earth millions of years ago. The subject is 
worthy of more careful consideration than has 
been given it in the past. Paleopathology has 
attracted scant attention among paleontologists 
but eminent students such as Cuvier, Soem- 
mering, Goldfuss, Schmerling, Leidy, Willis- 
ton have found the subject of interest. It re- 
mained for the men who had been trained m 
pathology, men like von Walther, Mayer and 
Virchow, to show the exact relation of patho- 
logical lesions among extinct animals to the 
general problems of disease which are interest- 
ing men to-day. 
Roy L. Moonie 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, 
CHICAGO 
A RECENTLY DISCOVERED ART CAVERN IN 
FRANCE 
Unpber the auspices of the French Académie 
des Inscriptions and over the signature of 
M. Ch. Dauzats, there appeared in Le Figaro 
of September 7 an interesting notice of another 
remarkable discovery of ancient cave paintings 
in southern France. A translation of the ar- 
ticle follows: 
These are the most ancient records of hu- 
man art, as M. Salomon Reinach was remark- 
ing yesterday when congratulating Count 
Begouen who, with his three sons, has just 
