A Discussion on the Significance of Muscular Anomalies. 61 



be unsuited foi- terrestrial progression. The erect attitude would tend 

 to shorten the presacral region by the pressure downwards of the 

 trunk. The lowering of the Vertebral -Column below the level of 

 the pelvis, which often happens in people when engaged in certain 

 agricultural operations, might tend to lengthen the presacral region. 

 Hence in order to arrive at some suitable conclusion it would be 

 necessary to know something of the occupation of the individuals. 

 The idler may have a shortening presacral region, and the agricultural 

 labourer a lengthening one. Let us suppose a definite shortening to 

 be continuous, and that the presacral region diminishes by one hun- 

 dredth part of an inch in a Century, this would represent a shortening 

 of a little more than half an inch in 6000 years, oscillations may 

 occur, and a lengthening of last century may give place to a shorte- 

 ning of this, just as the school girl may cause a lateral curvature by 

 resting on one leg, and then a curvature of an opposite kind by 

 resting on the other leg. Going back to the dim and distant past, 

 our ancestors of more pronounced arboreal instincts may have vari- 

 ously altered their presacral region, before they finally consented to 

 live and act as men. Those who preferred progression along branches 

 by "hand over hand" movements would be in the way of lengthening 

 the anterior region, and if they had the power of progressing by using 

 the posterior limbs as grasping apparatus, and our very remote ance- 

 stors had no doubt this gift, then an additional means was at their 

 disposal to lengthen the region referred to. The change to solid ground 

 would reverse the process, until the agricultural stage was reached. 

 There would then be a tendency to elongation, which would yield to 

 an opposite tendency in those whose work forced them to observe the 

 erect attitude of the more contemplative. 



There are varieties not easy to explain except by making references 

 to the condition in the lower types. 



An Astragalo -scaphoid bone has been found well developed in 

 both feet af the same man. The bone is not found in any mammal 

 and in only some reptiles. 



The condition of Ectopia vesicae may be in part explained by 

 supposing the urino-genital aperture to separate further forward than 



