THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE PELVIS, WITH SPECIAL 
REFERENCE TO OBSTETRIC PREDICTION. 
By D. H. DE SOUZA, Assistant Physician to the Westminster Hospital. 
CONTENTS. 
Page 
(1) Introductory 486 
(2) The relationships of the diameters and bone measurements to one another . . 488 
(3) The finding of the obstetric conjugate and the transverse diameter for the dry 
pelvis ............... 493 
(4) The effects of moisture on the pelvic measurements . . . . . . 499 
(5) The thickness of the soft parts 501 
(6) The finding of the obstetric conjugate and the transverse diameter for the living 
subject 502 
(7) On the application of the formulae to the pelves of dwarfs .... 504 
Summary ............... 505 
Appendices I to IV. Classified Measurements 506 
(1) Introductory. 
The publication by Emmons* of a number of measurements of the female pelvis, 
carefully taken by himself, has afforded us an opportunity of investigating, by 
modern statistical methods, the relationship of the diameters to one another and 
to the bone measurements. As far as we can ascertain this has not previously 
been attempted. The subject has interested us not only from the statistical and 
anthropological sides but especially on account of its importance in practical 
obstetrics. Some of the diameters of the female pelvis can easily be measured 
on the living subject, others not at all, or only with great inconvenience to the 
patient. Unfortunately the two very important diameters at the pelvic brim, 
the obstetiic conjugate and the transverse diameter, fall within the latter category. 
Empirical rules have been given, for example, to determine the obstetric conjugate 
from the diagonal conjugate, a diameter comparatively easily measured, but these 
lack both mathematical treatment and adequate statistical support. We have, 
in the following paper, considered methods of calculating these two important 
diameters from other pelvic measurements more readily obtainable. After making 
due allowance for moisture and soft parts we have left our results in a form which 
can be applied to the measurements as taken from the living subject. 
* Biometnka, Vol. ix. p. 34, 1913. 
