﻿4 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol. 
  67 
  

  

  Africa, 
  Belgium 
  Congo, 
  Rec'd. 
  1923, 
  Benj. 
  Burbridge." 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  skull 
  

   of 
  a 
  large 
  adult 
  and 
  is 
  in 
  good 
  condition. 
  The 
  specimen 
  is 
  definitely 
  

   asymmetrical, 
  though 
  not 
  to 
  a 
  startling 
  degree. 
  The 
  cause 
  of 
  this 
  was 
  

   due 
  either 
  to 
  an 
  injury 
  to, 
  or 
  a 
  diseased 
  condition 
  of, 
  the 
  right 
  side 
  of 
  

   the 
  head 
  at 
  a 
  sufficiently 
  early 
  age 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  bones 
  were 
  still 
  plastic. 
  

   It 
  may 
  be 
  mentioned 
  that 
  a 
  slight, 
  chalky 
  deposit 
  upon 
  some 
  parts 
  

   of 
  its 
  surface 
  is 
  probably 
  attributable 
  to 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  cleaning 
  

   rather 
  than 
  to 
  a 
  pathological 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  bone. 
  Direct 
  indica- 
  

   tions 
  of 
  abnormality 
  are 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  (a) 
  A 
  scarred 
  condition 
  and 
  marked 
  lateral 
  shortening 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  

   mastoid, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  of 
  the 
  neighboring 
  exoccipital 
  (measurements, 
  

   foramen 
  magnum 
  to 
  lateral 
  extremity 
  of 
  mastoid; 
  left, 
  72.2; 
  right, 
  

   59.5 
  mm.) 
  

  

  (6) 
  A 
  malformation, 
  encircling 
  the 
  right 
  jugular 
  foramen, 
  of 
  the 
  

   petrous 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  temporal 
  and 
  adjacent 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  basioc- 
  

   cipital. 
  

  

  (c) 
  A 
  marked 
  deformity 
  of 
  the 
  inferior 
  wall 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  auditory 
  

   meatus, 
  including 
  some 
  change 
  in 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  squamosal 
  immedi- 
  

   ately 
  above, 
  resulting 
  in 
  an 
  enlargement 
  of 
  this 
  passage 
  and 
  a 
  lateral 
  

   shortening 
  of 
  its 
  inferior 
  wall. 
  

  

  (d) 
  An 
  alteration 
  in 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  glenoid 
  fossa, 
  dam- 
  

   age 
  to, 
  and 
  partial 
  restoration 
  through 
  healing 
  of, 
  the 
  postglenoid 
  

   process, 
  and 
  a 
  pitted 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  immediately 
  craniad 
  

   of 
  the 
  fossa. 
  

  

  (e) 
  A 
  shortening 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  condyloid 
  neck 
  of 
  the 
  mandible, 
  with 
  

   alteration 
  in 
  the 
  shape, 
  and 
  pitting 
  of 
  the 
  articular 
  surface, 
  of 
  the 
  

   condyle. 
  

  

  (/) 
  The 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  left 
  canine, 
  with 
  complete 
  healing 
  

   and 
  filling 
  in 
  with 
  bony 
  tissue 
  of 
  its 
  alveolus. 
  

  

  (g) 
  A 
  recession 
  of 
  the 
  alveolar 
  margins 
  and 
  septa 
  between 
  some 
  of 
  

   the 
  teeth. 
  

  

  The 
  possible 
  causes 
  of 
  these 
  results 
  should 
  first 
  be 
  considered. 
  

   Healing 
  of 
  all 
  malformed 
  parts 
  has 
  been 
  complete. 
  There 
  are 
  now 
  

   no 
  signs 
  of 
  old 
  fractures 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  evidence 
  from 
  which 
  to 
  

   decide 
  whether 
  the 
  conditions 
  are 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  disease 
  or 
  of 
  an 
  acci- 
  

   dent. 
  If 
  they 
  be 
  due 
  to 
  disease, 
  then 
  this 
  is 
  most 
  probably 
  the 
  

   result 
  either 
  of 
  a 
  severe 
  abscess, 
  an 
  infection 
  of 
  a 
  local 
  wound 
  origi- 
  

   nally 
  slight, 
  or 
  improbably 
  to 
  some 
  true 
  disease 
  of 
  the 
  bone. 
  If 
  the 
  

   original 
  injury 
  were 
  due 
  to 
  an 
  accident, 
  then 
  this 
  was 
  caused 
  either 
  

   by 
  a 
  bullet, 
  which 
  I 
  am 
  inclined 
  to 
  doubt, 
  by 
  a 
  native 
  arrow 
  or 
  

   spear, 
  or 
  the 
  piercing 
  of 
  the 
  fleshy 
  parts 
  by 
  a 
  sharp 
  stick 
  or 
  stone 
  

   during 
  a 
  fall 
  from 
  a 
  considerable 
  height. 
  Even 
  though 
  the 
  theory 
  

   of 
  an 
  accident 
  be 
  accepted, 
  then 
  severe, 
  local 
  infection 
  most 
  probably 
  

   followed. 
  

  

  