June 16, 1916] 



SCIENCE 



869 



The interparietal is found in 2.7 per cent, of 

 Peruvian crania, which is somewhat higher than in 

 non-Peruvian crania. The crania from Pachaca- 

 mae, Ancon, Lima, etc., and those from the coast 

 region in general show this anomaly with greater 

 frequency than crania from other regions of Peru. 



The wormian lambdoids are present in 56.2 per 

 cent, of Peruvian crania. In the other 43.8 per 

 cent., the lambdoid suture is frequently very 

 complicated. It is possible that the presence of 

 wormian lambdoids in Peruvian crania may have 

 been favored by cranial deformation. The 

 wormian bones of the saggital, coronal, squamose 

 and occipitomastoid sutures exist in the crania of 

 Peru approximately equal to that of the crania of 

 other countries. 



With regard to the epactal, he draws the fol- 

 lowing conclusions: (1) The epactal is present in 

 21.6 per cent, of Peruvian crania, which is a much 

 higher proportion than in other crania. (2) In 

 crania of genuine Aimara origin, the epactal ap- 

 pears with less frequency than in the crania of 

 other Peruvian origin. (3) It is possible that the 

 greater frequency of the epactal in Peruvian 

 crania may have had for cause the deformation of 

 infantile crania. The deformation would disturb 

 the nutrition of the bone, weakening the tissue of 

 the occipital; such a trophic change would be 

 transmitted through heredity in the form of a 

 predisposition to anomalies in the lambdoidal re- 

 gion. 



Trepanation of the Cranium and its Bepresenta- 

 tion in Pottery of Peru: Caklos Morales 

 Macedo. 



The evident antiquity of trepanned crania leads 

 to the belief that this was the first operation of 

 major surgery practised by ancient man. An- 

 cient Peru was the place where the art of tre- 

 panning was cultivated on the largest scale. Prom 

 the ancient cemeteries of this country were ob- 

 tained the greater part of the crania that show 

 trepanation, found to-day in the museums of 

 America and Europe. The most interesting and 

 complete collection among these is the one which 

 Dr. Julio Tello obtained in the canyon of Huaro- 

 chiri and which Dr. Ales Hrdlieka exhibited re- 

 cently in San Diego, Cal. The ancient Peruvians 

 have not left us many data with respect to the 

 practise of trepanning the cranium. This is due 

 perhaps to the fact that trepanation was at its 

 height when the ceramic art was but little ad- 

 vanced and to the fact that the Aimara Indians 

 did not cultivate to any high degree the plastic 



arts. The author has found in a cemetery of 

 Casma a piece of pottery which represents the act 

 of trepanation, which may be described as belong- 

 ing to the most ancient and imperfect epoch of 

 the ceramic art of Chimu. 



The piece of pottery referred to is of a black 

 color, of medium size, and belongs to the class 

 called "silvadores" (whistlers). On one side 

 there is a figure of a man seated with a human 

 head between the legs. With the left hand he is 

 holding the head in. position, while with the right 

 he is using a heavy instrument apparently of stone. 

 This instrument is of a length somewhat greater 

 than the width of the head and terminates in a 

 sharp curved edge in the form of a half moon. 



Artificial Deformation of the Cranium in Ancient 



Peru: Carlos Morales Macedo. 



This paper on the practise of cranial deforma- 

 tion among the ancient inhabitants of Peru con- 

 tains several chapters. The first treats of similar 

 deformations among other ancient peoples. The 

 second gives an account of the existence of those 

 operations in Peru during the pre-Columbian 

 epoch. The third relates what the early chroniclers 

 had to say on the subject. The fourth is a study 

 of ceramic art in this connection. The fifth treats 

 of the origin and antiquity of the operation in 

 Peru. The sixth gives a morphological classifica- 

 tion of deformed crania in Peru. The seventh 

 and eighth study two forms of deformation. The 

 ninth analyzes the asymmetry of deformed crania. 

 The tenth describes methods employed for deform- 

 ing the head of the child. The eleventh considers 

 the duration of the compression. The twelfth dis- 

 cusses the motives which inspired the deforma- 

 tion. The thirteenth gives the conditions of the 

 infantile cranium which facilitates the deforma- 

 tion. The fourteenth treats of a mechanical proc- 

 ess of the deformation. The fifteenth treats of the 

 effect on health produced by the deformation. 

 The sixteenth reviews the physiological effects 

 and the seventeenth and last considers the ques- 

 tion of the inheritance of cranial deformations. 



The Fossil Man of Cuba: Louis Montane. 



A young priest of Tunas de Sancti Spiritus, 

 Cuba, discovered in 1884 in the mountains of 

 Banao a primitive burial ground, from which Dr. 

 J. F. Torralba received in the same year a small 

 box of fragments of bones. This place, known by 

 the name of Gruta del Burial, was studied by Dr. 

 Montane. It consists of a cavern 7.50 meters long, 

 4.50 deep, and at its entrance 10 meters high. 



