320 



CRANIOMETR Y. 



bach. 



humor, approaching nearer to the Grecian divinities. 

 To obviate this in some degree, Dr Barclay, and at the 

 same time Cuvier, proposed two lines, which we shall 

 call 



Dr Barclay's Basi-facial Lines. 



Dr Bar- Jhe first, or superior hasi-facial angle, is formed by 



clay s basi- ^sawing a line along the basilar surface of the palatine 

 process of the superior maxillary bone, to meet the fa- 

 cial line ; where this line is interrupted by the alveolar 

 process, a line may be drawn from the dermal side, on 

 the supposed continuation of the palatine plane. When 

 the palatine plate is concave or convex, the line is sup- 

 posed to be drawn on a plane that passes through its 

 inial and antinial extremities. To measure this angle, 

 an instrument, termed a Gonio-craniometer, has been 

 invented by Dr Leach, Plate CCXVIII. Fig. 7, of which 

 an explanation is given at the end of this article. 



The second, or inferior hasi-facial angle, is formed 

 by drawing a line along the base of the lower jaw, un- 

 til it meets the facial line. If the basilar side be either 

 concave or convex, it is supposed to be drawn on a 

 plane that proceeds from the angles to the basilar or 

 lower side of the curvature. There is still another me- 

 thod of measuring, or rather viewing, the skull, which 

 is termed 



The Norma Verticalis of Blumenbach. 



The Norma Blumenbach states, that in the examination and elas- 

 verticalis sification of his immense collection of the crania of dif- 

 cf Blumcn- ferent nations, he finds it every day more and more 

 difficult, amidst such numerous differences in the pro- 

 portion and direction of various parts, all of which 

 contribute more or less to national character, to reduce 

 these to the measurements or angles of any single scale. 

 Since, however, in distinguishing the characters of 

 different crania, such a view will gain the preference 

 over all others, as offers at one glance the most nu- 

 merous and important points, and such as contribute 

 especially to the comparison of national characteristics ; 

 he has found, from experience, that to be the best 

 adapted to this purpose, which is obtained by placing 

 the different crania, (including the lower jaws, if pos- 

 sible) with the zygomas, in the same perpendicular- 

 line, on a table in a row, and contemplating them from 

 behind. When crania are thus arranged, those cir- 

 cumstances which contribute most to the formation of 

 the national character, the direction of the jaws and 

 cheek-bones, the proportional breadth or narrowness of 

 the head, the arched or flattened form of the glabella, 

 are all distinctly seen at one glance. This method of 

 considering the cranium, is called by Blumenbach Nor- 

 Plate ma verticalis. It is shewn in Plate CCXVIII. Figs. 3, 

 CCXVIII. 4 3 5 f pig, 3_ the skull of a negress from the coast of 

 F'g- 3> 4 > °« Guinea ; Fig. 4, of a Georgian female, distinguished by 

 the symmetry and beauty of all its parts. It is in the 

 collection of Professor Blumenbach, from whose work 

 the annexed outline is taken. The form of this head 

 is of such distinguished elegance, that it attracts the 

 attention of all who visit the collection in which it is 

 contained. It corresponds exactly with the marble 

 statue of a nymph in the collection of the late Mr 

 Townley, of which Blumenbach possesses a plaster 

 east. It is rendered doubly interesting, as it tends to 

 confirm the testimony of the numerous travellers who 

 have unanimously concurred in extolling the beauty of 

 the inhabitants of Georgia and the adjoining country. 



Fig. 5. represents the cranium of a Tungoose, from Orarvome- 

 the north-east of Asia. The margin of the orbits and tr >'> 

 zygoma are elegantly contrasted in the Georgian ; Cranio^co- 

 and the jaws are hidden by the beautiful expansion of p -*' 

 the glabella. In the Negro, the maxillary bones, and — v 

 indeed the whole face, are compressed laterally, and 

 project in front. In the Tungoose, on the contrary, 

 the ossa malae, ossa nasi, and glabella, are situated on 

 nearly the same horizontal level, and are enormously 

 expanded on each side. 



Whilst we are on the subject of the Norma verticalis, 

 it may be proper to mention an instrument invented by 

 Dr Barclay, for measuring the various diameters of the 

 cranium, Plate CCXVIII. Fig. 6. By a combination of 

 all these characters, viz. basi-f acial angles, norma ver- 

 ticalis, and the different diameters, we can, with un- 

 erring certainty, discover the nation to which the skull 

 belongs. 



For a description of the occipital angle, see the ar- 

 ticle Cranium. 



Explanation of Plate CCXVIII. 



Fig. 1, Exhibits the facial angle of Camper, or an Plate 

 outline of the cranium of a Negro, whose angle is 70°. CCXVdl. 



Fig. 2, Shows the inferior basi-facial line of Dr Bar- Fl &- 1_ <»•- 

 clay on the skull of the Babarossa Vulgaris, (Sus 

 Babarossa, Lin.) 



Figs. 3, 4, 5, are copied from the Decades of Blu- 

 menbach. 



Fig. 3, Skull of a Negress from the coast of Guinea. 



Fig. 4, Skull of a Georgian female. 



Fig. 5, Skull of a Tungoose. 



Fig. 6, represents the craniometer invented by Dr Fig. s t 

 Barclay for measuring the diameter of the skull. The 

 instrument consists of two thin slips of brass A A, sepa- 

 rated from each other at their extremities by two little 

 bits of brass or iron. Between these slips, so put to- 

 gether, is a groove through which other slips of brass 

 BB and CC are passed; BB moving backwards and 

 forwards like a shoemaker's instrument for measuring 

 the foot, being kept steady by a spring D. It has like- 

 wise the power of being moved upwards and down- 

 wards, which latter is the only movement allowed to 

 the slip CC, which is also steadied by a spring. These 

 different slips are divided into any number of inches 

 and tenths. The application needs no description, it 

 being precisely that of a shoemaker's instrument. 



Fig. 7, exhibits Dr Leach's craniometer for measur- Fig. t. 

 ing the superior basi-facial angle of Dr Barclay. This 

 angle is described above. AA represent two rods of 

 brass, one turning on a pivot B. The skull is placed 

 in the instrument, the teeth andjalveolar processes being 

 received into the notch F, by which contrivance an 

 imaginary line is carried through the alveolar processes 

 parallel with the palatine plate : (This notch may be 

 closed by the slider E.) When the skull is in this si- 

 tuation, the rod AC is made to rest on the bones of the 

 nose and forehead, (or on the junction of the nasal and 

 superior maxillary bones) ; the end C showing the de- 

 grees of the angle on the semicircle D, without farther 

 trouble, (w. e. l.) 



CRANIOSCOPY, (from y.^m the skull, and mexw to 

 speculate) is'a science which teaches us to investigate the 

 eminences produced in the cranium by the brain, and 

 to discover, by such examinations, the particular part of 

 the brain in which the individual organs, influencing our 

 passions or economy, reside.. 



