[ 497 ^ 
Boftes by that time are become folid and firmly fcriit to- 
gether, fo as to be no way capable ef further growth 
or extenfion : and hence it is thefe Maladies are inci- 
dent to Children, and them only, whilft their SfeuUs 
are fott^ pliant, and truly membranous, rather thari 
bony. And daily experience aflures us, that unleS 
fuch difeafes be timely removed, either by the Phyfi- 
dan or Chyrurgeons art, or overcome fo early by the 
ftrength of Nature, as the Children have time enough 
to outgrow this difproportion in their heads, by the 
bulk of their Body coming up to it e re it arife to too 
exorbitant a degree of magnitude 5 they all dye in their 
Infancy, and their unfhapely Skulls are ^afily diftiti- 
guifhed from all others, by the large Fmtanell, or open 
in the Mole of the head, that remains menibranous,and 
never becomes like the reft of the Skull a bony fub-^ 
ftance. And that they cannot poffibly arrive at Man- 
hood is plain 5 for this monftrous and unequal growt&i 
or rather fwelling of their Heads, meeting with nb^ 
check, but ftill every day increafing upon them, wheii 
it arrives to fuch a certain degree , that its extrava- 
gant dimenfionSo become irreconcileable with the natu- 
fal functions of the Body, the OEeonomia Animdis 
muft inevitably fink under the preffurc of fo great a 
load, and the whole Machine tend to its diflblutioH, 
as not being able to bear any longer with fo highly 
morbid a difpofition, m fo principal and fo extremely 
neceffary a part to life as the Brain, the Fountain of 
all Spirit, Senfe and Motion. 
I lhall not deny but by one accident or other, fome 
difproportion between the Head and reft of the Body^in 
fuch as are grown up to the compleat ftature of man, 
does fometimes happen 3 fo v/e hear of thofe that have 
had their name from hence, and have been called 
Grojlheadsy and we fee remarkable inftances of the like 
every day : for 'tis in the Laws of Nature as in the Civil 
H h h h 2 Laws 
