CRANIOMETRY. 319 



c'raniorae. intellectual powers. See Craniometry, Cranioscopy, find the angle 100° ; when beyond this the face appears Craniome- 

 try- and Cranium. monstrous ; when below 70°, it is that of a brute. tr y- 



v '"" r ~f~ mm ' CRANIOMETRY, (from kwsw'ov, the skull, and y-ir^ia, This criterion of Camper's, is subject to some very ^~*~\'~ mm ' 

 to measure,) the art of measuring the skulls of animals, essential objections. It is sufficiently obvious, that 

 so as to discover their specific differences. It is of late this line is only applicable to such varieties of the hu- 

 only that this subject, which opens an important and man race, as differ from each other in the various de- 

 most interesting field of investigation, has been cxami- grees of prominence of the jaws ; and that it will not 

 ned with that attention which it deserves. The first at all exhibit the characters of those which vary in the 

 attempt at any general remarks on the subject is contain- opposite way, viz. the greater or less breadth of the 

 ed in a paper entitled, " Sur la difference du grand h'O'i face and cranium. For it frequently happens, that cra- 

 occipital dans I'homme etlcs aulrcs animaux," by Dauben- nia of the most distinct nations, which differ toto ccelo 

 ton, in the Memoirs of the French Academy of Sciences, from each other on the whole, have the same facial an- 

 for 176'4. In this paper he endeavours to point out gle ; and on the contrary, that skulls of the same n&- 

 tlie differences existing between man and other animals, tion, which agree in general character, differ very much 

 without any definition of the characters separating the in the direction of this line. Thus in the D cades ojf 

 races of mankind from one another; and nothing far- Blumenbacli, we have represented the crania of a Negri* 

 ther was done until the time of Camper, who, in 179 J j al 'd of a Pole, in whom the facial angle is exactly the- 

 attempted a more systematic arrangement of the national same ; and yet the general characters of the two skulls 

 forms of the cranium; but unfortunately he did not pos- are widely different. In the former, the skull is nar- 

 sess a sufficient collection of skulls for this purpose. The row and almost keel-shaped ; in the latter, broad and 

 differences he has pointed out regarding the degrees of square. In the same work, two negroes skulls of very 

 prominence of the jaws, therefore, afford very insuffi- different facial angles, when viewed in front, most in- 

 dent criteria for determining the numerous points of contestibly betray their Ethiopic origin, by the same 

 distinction which characterise the crania of different characters of a narrow and compressed cranium, and! 

 nations. arched forehead. Camper himself, too, has employee? 

 It is very obvious, that a very close connection exists his two lines, in the plates subjoined to his work, in so 

 between the bones of the skull, and the features, or ex- arbitrary and inconstant a manner, changing frequently 

 ternal parts of the face which they support ; therefore the point of contact, on which their whole utility must 

 a careful examination of the crania of the different spe- depend, that he clearly appears to be hesitating and un« 

 cies, will throw considerable light on the subject of va- certain in their employment. This is not all ; did Cam- 

 rieties of the human race ; for when freed of their soft per foresee that this line might change its position while 

 parts, which are inconstant and less regular in their the form of the head continued the same ? " In the 

 formation, they exhibit the firm and solid foundation of young skeleton," (says the celebrated anatomist Dt 

 the head, they can be conveniently handled and exa- Barclay, in his Anatomical Nomenclature, page 150.) 

 mined, considered in various points of view, and com- " where the bony meatus is entirely wanting, and 

 pared with one another. Such a comparison shews us where the line must consequently be drawn from the 

 that the different races are no less distinguished by middle of the ring to which the membrana tympani is 

 form of head, than by colour and features. Hence ana- attached, will its direction be found the same, with re* 

 tomists and naturalists have attempted to lay down gard to the face, as in the adult ? Certainly not. The 

 Some scale of dimensions to which the various forms of membrana tympani, or bottom of the external meatus, 

 the skull might be referred, and by means of which is more forward, inward, and downward, than the ori- 

 they might be reduced into certain classes: how far fice where it is joined to the concha; and therefore the 

 ■they have succeeded, we shall endeavour to point out. direction of this line, with regard to thehead, must vary 

 Of these, the Facial Line or Angle of Camper firat with the changes and relative situation of the meatus ; 

 Claims cur attention. a, situation which is known to be different in different 



Ta^t.t t t^t, ^t, r .. „„ animals. In the cat, for instance, it enters horizontal- 



I'acjal Line of Camper. , . , ., -, ', ., ' , . . 



ly ; is more basilad than the zygomatic arch ; and its 



Facial line The cranium being placed laterad, two imaginary basilar margin is more basilar than the base itself, of 

 of Camper. li nes are drawn on its surface to meet each other at a advances farther in the basilar direction. In the baby- 

 particular pomt. The one proceeds horizontally through roussa, the meatus is long; runs from the tympanum, 

 the meatus auditorius externus and the floor of the nos- in the coronal, lateral, and inial directions ; or rises up- 

 trils ; the other from the most prominent portion of the wards, outwards, and backwards, supposing the erect 

 forehead above the nose, to the front of the alveolar posture of the animal, and the base of the head, to be at 

 margin of the upper jaw-bone. The angle formed by right angles to the vertebral column. In this animal, 

 the junction of these two lines is termed Camper's fa- the external orifice of the meatus is more- coronal than 

 cial angle, wliich- this illustrious anatomist conceived the zygoma, or more towards the crown of the head, 

 would point out the specific differences in the crania of If in these two instances, therefore, we were, in the 

 men and other animals. By this measurement, manner of Camper, to draw the horizontal line from 

 The angle of the European forms an angle of . . 80° X H mid ^ of the m ' ifice «f the meatus, we should draw 

 of the neirro 70 xt " om different points ot the head, or from points that 

 of the orang-outang * 58 do not correspond in relative situation. The other point 



of some monkeys °' 4/> to w ^ c h ** * s drawn is likewise variable with respect to 



of some mammalia, 'only' ' ' .' 20 P osl V on - In man and quadrupeds it is found near die 



J maxillary curve. In birds it is often at one extremity 



The boundaries of the facial line in the genus Homo, of the maxilla, sometimes in the middle. In cetaceous 



are 70° and 80° ; a smaller angle than the former con- animals, the spirucula, or breathing holes, run in a di- 



stitutes an approach to the monkey. It may, however, rection obliquely from the base towards the corona, and 



be extended far beyond the latter, and still have a plea- terminate in the face near the glabellar part of the crtv 



smg, nay fine effect. Thus in the Grecian statues we niiun." The angle would, in such cases, be larger tfc i 



