22(3 



ANIMAL MECHANICS. 



Parturient Women. 



No. 



Chord. 



Seraiangle 

 = 0 



Diameter of 

 longitudinal 

 Curvature 

 — 2p 



1 



Diameter of 

 transverse 

 Curvature 

 = 2p a 



Ratio of Curva- 

 tures 



= 100 X — 

 Pi 





15.22 in. 



43°42' 



22.03 in- 



12.51 in. 



56.8 



2. 



16.13 „ 



55°48' 



I9-50 „ 



9-93 „ 



5°-9 



3- 



15. 60 „ 



37°3 6 ' 



25-51 



x4.r0 „ 



55 3 



4- 



'5-17 >, 



26°oo' 



34-6o „ 



i4-7i 



57-6 



5- 



'7-73 » 



62°24' 



20.01 „ 



12.63 » 



631 











Mean 



56.74 percent. 



The mean of the ratios in the last column gives us, for 

 parturient women, 



Transverse diameter 



Longitudinal diameter ~~ ^ CGn ' 



This ratio agrees very well with the 55.57 per cent., found 

 from the measurement of the abdominal curvatures in young 

 men, and they both agree with the corresponding proportion 

 of transverse and longitudinal tensile strains (58.57 per cent.), 

 deduced by calculation, from the dissection of a healthy young 

 woman, who had borne several children. 



If we compare together the mean curvatures of the several 

 cases, we shall find, as we might expect, a considerable differ- 

 ence depending on height and general configuration of body. 

 But it is worthy of remark, that the mean value of all the 

 curvatures differs very little from the mean maximum curva- 

 ture of the abdomen, voluntarily distended : — 



