INHERITANCE OF DIGITAL MALFORMATIONS IN MAN. 71 



as seen in the radiograph, present precisely the same condition 

 as already noted in the hands and all that has been said in 

 regard to the relative length of digits and phalanges in the 

 hands applies equally to the feet. No dissections have iDeen 

 made of the hands or feet, hence we are deprived of the light 

 that the musculation might throw upon the question of which 

 is the missing phalanx; but, judging from the length, size 

 and form of the proximal bones, especially the size and form 

 at the base, it appears that the bases of the distal phalanges artic- 

 ulate with the heads of the first row. Yet one is hardly 

 justified in saying that either the one or the other segment is 

 missing. It is safer to say, simply, that there is a reduction 

 in the number of phalanges. 



On account of the reluctance to submit to examination, I 

 was able to take measurements of only three adult males, one 

 adult female, and some children. The numbers measured are 

 too few for the results to be of any particular value, except to 

 give some notion of their relation to the measurements of nor- 

 mal individuals. Those measured are fairly representative of 

 all families. We give, in table ii, the measurements of the 

 female and the average of the three males. There was very 

 little variation in the males. The height of the males, 159 cm. 

 or 5 ft. 3 in., is much below the average height of normal men. 

 In the table of measurements, I have placed normal measure- 

 ments secured by calculating the proportions of a normal indi- 

 vidual of the same height. The average span of the arms, or 

 reach of the males is but 146 cm. while normally it should be 

 165 cm. The reach is 92% of the height against 104% in nor- 

 mal man. The reach of the female is but 86.6% of the stature. 

 As will be seen, the reduction in the number of phalanges does 

 not account for all this difference in reach. It is distributed 

 almost equally between the arm, forearm, and hand. The 

 difference in reach is 19 cm.; in whole arm, 9.5 cm,; in upper 

 arm, 3.1 cm.; in forearm, 3.2 cm.; and in the hand 3.2 cm. 

 The reach diminished by the sum of the lengths of the arms 

 would leave the width of the body about normal. On account 

 of the short arms the body has the appearance of being very 

 long, but by consulting the table it will be seen that the height 



