Maech 16, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



417 



great walkers and did otherwise compara- 

 tively but little, types two and four of 

 tibife prevail. In strong, but also in ra- 

 chitic, individuals there is an inclination to 

 type 3 of the bones. There was but little 

 occasion to inquire into the influence of 

 heredity on the shape of the tibise, never- 

 theless such influence seems very probable. 



The deep fascia: De. Holmes, University 



of Pennsylvania. 



The deep fascia is a firm tense membrane 

 of wide extent and complex function. It 

 lines the interior of the abdomen, protects 

 the various orifices, forms ligaments for the 

 organs and a floor for the pelvis, sheathes 

 vessels and muscles and binds muscles into 

 groups, divides regions into spaces and sets 

 off organs by themselves, so that differenti- 

 ation into fascial compartments means also 

 differentiation into function. The trans- 

 versalis fascia is a continuation of the fascia- 

 lata and forms a fibrous bag for the abdo- 

 men continuous posteriorly with the lumbar 

 fascia. It is the real pelvic floor rather 

 than the levator ani muscle. The subdi- 

 visions of the muscles of the thigh, leg and 

 foot, and of the axilla, arm, forearm and 

 hand indicate the separate office of each 

 group. In the cervical region the three 

 divisions of investing, pretracheal, and pre- 

 vertebral, indicate similar conditions; the 

 prevertebral layer being of especial value 

 in conserving the action of the esophagus, 

 larynx and trachea. The especial object of 

 the paper is to direct the attention of the 

 members of the Association to the greater 

 importance of the fascia, and also to main- 

 tain that whenever we find its distribution 

 separating the structures, we may regard it 

 as an indication of an equal separation into 

 a distinct function. 



The facial expression of fatigue and violent ef- 

 fort : Dr. R. Tait McKenzie, McGill 

 University. 

 In fatigue, as observed in a foot-race of a 



mile, we see the following changes : The 

 lips are slightly parted, the teeth open, 

 eyes semi-closed, brows contracted, as in 

 mental concenti-ation, the upper half of the 

 orbicularis acting with the corrugator sup- 

 ercilii. As the race proceeds, the lips are 

 drawn down by the depressors and up by 

 the levator proprius and zygomaticus minor. 

 The corrugator acts stronglj'. As the re- 

 spiratorj' need increases, the nostrils are 

 dilated by the levator labii superioris 

 alseque nasi, accentuating the expression 

 of grief. This expression then passes away 

 and the face becomes apathetic, the mouth 

 gapes and the jaw drops, the upper eyelid 

 tends to droop. The lowering of the upper 

 lid is counteracted either by throwing the 

 head back, or by bringing into action the 

 occipito-frontalis. This give rise to an ex- 

 pression of astonishment in the upper part of 

 the face. In extreme exhaustion or collapse, 

 the jaw drops, the upper lid comes down, 

 the face becomes expressionless. When a 

 violent effort is made the expression comes 

 more nearly to correspond to rage. 



A note on the relation of the external carotid 

 artery : Dr. Wm. Keilleb, of Texas. 

 Text-book descriptions of the relation of 

 the external carotid (with the exception 

 of Cunningham's description in his ' Dis- 

 sector's Guide') are incorrect: (1) In 

 describing the ramus of the jaw as an inter- 

 nal relation when it is really external. (2) 

 The structures described in text-books as 

 lying in front are really external. (3) The 

 statements as to its relations to the parotid 

 gland are misleading. (4) It is at first 

 anterior, and slightly internal to the inter- 

 nal carotid, then winds backwards and out- 

 wards till it lies on its outer side. (5) 

 Most of the structures described as lying 

 behind it are internal. 



Sow best to teach anatomy to the third year 

 medical students : De. Keillee. 

 Brief sketch of a course of dissections of 



