LECTURE II. 25 



the difference of opinion in the matter. Measurement on the 

 living individual is, of course, only external, and we all know 

 how human beings differ in dimensions, owing to aliment, 

 condition of life, and constitution; as far as possible, the 

 measurements on the Kving body must be confined to those 

 parts where the bones are nearest the skin, or where aper- 

 tures exist which either lead to internal organs, or present 

 fixed positions. Let us apply this first principle to that part 

 which is of the greatest importance to us, namely, the head. 

 In most cases, the skull and the lower jaw are so near the skin 

 that their shape may easily be felt. The base of the cranium 

 alone is inaccessible, and its important proportions can only be 

 determined on the prepared skull. Of the various apertures in 

 the cranium, the external auditory opening is the one which sup- 

 plies aU the conditions required for a central point. The aperture 

 of this canal is sufficiently narrow to render it easy to determine 

 its centre, and it corresponds very nearly with the aperture 

 in the dried skull, so that all measurements from this point 

 may be transferred from the Kving individual to the cranium, 

 and vice versa. We may, therefore, boldly assert that any 

 system of measurement which does not include the external 

 auditory opening as one of its most important fundamental 

 points, is faulty and imperfect. 



The external margin of the orbit, corresponding to the outer 

 angle of the eye; the centre of the process to which the muscles 

 of the neck are attached ; the root of the nose; the junction be- 

 tween the septum of the nose and the upper hp, which bears a cer- 

 tain relation to a bony process called the anterior nasal spine; the 

 terminal point of the upper jaw between the two middle incisors ; 

 the central point of the projecting chin, so characteristic of 

 man ;* — all these points are easily determined in the cranium, 

 and form a net of triangles, by means of which all other mea- 

 surements may be effected. I merely indicate the principle 

 without giving details ; but you will agree with me that it is 

 to be regretted that many recent measurements are of such a 

 kind as to preclude their comparison with measurements on 



* And some Indian monkeys. — Editor. 



