Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-11
HE LORE OF SKULLS
GREAT STORY TellERs TO THOSE
WHO CAN INTERPRET THEM.

Il II Charge os The Rochester Aluscs0
q Elumas Osssosogy-Asesent FssAisas
os DeSormipg the Head.
Il is not generally known that prob
ably tho most complete museum of hu-
ma. ostcclogy is located in Rochester
uuder charge Of Professor Charles H.
Ward, who has nm international repu-
tation as IN authority on this question.
Skulls arc great story tellcrs," said
Professor Ward. For instance, the
original Of this cast Of the top of
skull overturned tho theories Of half
If Europe, and probably its discovery
was the ,ncst sensational thing in the
realm 6f science Of the decade. Before
this piece Of bone. which yen can hold
in your hand. was discovered. nothing
had ben found which tended TO show
that human life existed in the pregla-
cial period. in the days Of the cave beaz
md other Gnteglacial fossils. Not
only docs the place where it was found
indicate all this. Int the ckull comes
nearer to supplying the much laughed
nj missing link than anything ever
before discovered. There is no question
whatever that it is n portion of n hu-
man skull. Int the forehead is lower
han that If any normally developed
skull ever found. and the ssiperciliaTy or
supcrorbital arch is heavier than ever
before seen on a human skull. This is
one Of the most marked points of dis
tinction between the skulls OF a gorilla
and Of man.
You can see what mean from this
picture" continued Professor Ward.
Tho arc! il that Of the eyebrow. just
over the eye socket.
"Onc of the most interesting things
in the ology Of skulls is the fashion of
deforming the head prevailing among
the savage races of North and South
America. 1t Is accomplished by pres
surc brought TO bear on the skull
through infancy. The cliff jewellers
aattencd the back Of tho head. Skulls
gulf of Mexico which were divided in
to two lobes. evidently produced hy fas-
tening strap from the back Of the
neck To the forehead Of the infant. If
there had been more travel in those
days. the fashion might have spread.
The fad Of flattening tho front Of the
head evidently prevailed among the
ancient inhabitants Of Peru, Is the
mummy remains clearly indicate, and
this has led to belief that there is
some race connection between the an
cicnt Pcruvians and the Flathead In
dians of today.
"You can see the effect produced Ivy
the process have described from this
picture. Were this deformity produced
ON the head IF n grown man, it would
he followed by insanity and death, bu,
the brains Of the infant gradually nc.
commodGtc themselves to the new con.
iitions. lshould judge, however. that i,
would be difficult to have very highly
developed intellect with skull of tina,
shape. Here. you see. is the skull Of
Peruvian lady Of high rank. W.
know that this was some Inca queen by
the pomp with which she was buried
She paid the usual tribute to fashion
or her parents did, in having her skull
flattencd mp to the latest style.
Here" said Professor Ward. ii.
the skull of n maiden Of Is years. who
with number of he- companions, WI.
knocked in the head with m TX enc
. was eaten on all island in New Zcalant
several centuries ago ut great feast. :
For goodness sake. how could yor
find ont all that
, Simply enough. You can tell i
all for yourself. with q little help. .,
; course we know from the place where il
was found that 1t was i'll land whcr,
, cannibalis;n prevailed. Father fount
no less than seven skulls. all with ,
fracture like this horrid one, where III,
victim was struck with an ax or SOM,
similar implement. Then all have tn
hole knocked in at the base Of the skull
evidently with tho purpose Of extract
! ing the brain. for the human brain i
considered a great delicacy by Gambia
epicures. We know from the sharpness
Of the edges Of the 6rhital cavity ant
other infallible indications that this i
; a woman o skull. for an expert can nj
ways tell a male from a female skull n
a glance. Lastly. you can see b.
counting for yourself that the dentitiol
Of this girl Is skull is not complete. an,
that therefore this is. ~ have said
, the skull Of New Zealand maiden o
II or ~.
IL had . curious instance not lonl
ago Of the way in which an observe
can find Il story in a skull. A skeleto'
was sent me from n hospital in vicnn
to be mounted. The skull had TIC
been opened. Tho man had been take
i'll on tho street suddenly and ha,
been taken 10 the hospital. in polish
ing the skull found u f;pe black lin
which would not come out. opanc,
= the skull and found that tho line was
portion Of the point Of n blade which pre-
jected half an inch in the skull. an
which had broken off ed short that
: would have been impossible to tell G
what the man died unless tho skull ha
been opened rs openedit. Here was
: murder mystery which the law wi
never probe, for the wound was mo,