The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-29

poiogy Is an important ne"
creation in the United States
IeNSli National Museum, and DR.. Ales
- Hrdlcka, a distinguished Amer
lean anthropologist of Bohemian birth
Czech. late of the American Museum OF
Natural History, has been placed in charge
as curator.
The Laboratory of physical anthropol-
ogy," which constitutes the most conspicu-
Gus feature of the division. is already
the best-equipped and best-arranged work
shop of its category to be found on our
continent. 1t occupies a well-lighted space
on one of the galleries of the museum ano
it's equipment comprises many ingenious
instruments to be applied to living subjects
and human remains.
The worlds largest single collection OF
anthropological specimens, accumulated
during more than half century, has been
transferred to this new division. 1t in
cludes between four and five thousand
identified skulls and skeletons of human
beings, sixty mounted skeletons and nearly
two hundred brains The last-named are
arranged in special jars. placed upon tiers
of shelves, and include some specimens OF
rare value Among them are the only two
American Indian brains anywhere in pres
ervation; also those of five wild gibbons
and a perfect brain of a male full-growr
American bison The brains of animals are
preserved and are to be exhibited with those
of the human race for purposes of com
parison. Casts of many will be prepared
and, with good, descriptive labels, exhibited
for purposes. of public education.
Yesterday l interviewed DR.. Hrdlicka
This specialist, although born in Bohemia
has lived in America during more than hall
of his life in which time he has been grad
uated in medicine, has made anthropolog-
zeal Investigations of the insane. of Other
defective classes and of children. He has
led six anthropological expeditions into
Mexico and among our Southwestern In.
dams.
In large case occupying one entire wal
of the laboratory are displayed the various
instruments of precision. Nearly all OF
these have been imported from Paris, not
being obtainable here.
MEASURING BRAIN CAPACITY.
The most interesting part of the para
phernalia is a device for measuring with
the utmost exactitude the cubical contents
of the human skull. Given the capacity OF
a skull, the anthropologist accepts 1t as q
fair basis for calculating the weight and
size of the brain which originally fit into it
and generally speaking. the larger the
brain, in normal cases, the greater the prob
able intellectual capacity, reckoning among
men of the same race The process OF
measuring the skulls capacity was repeated
for my benefit by DR.. nrdlicka.
A standard SKULL" nodded in bronze ano
reproducing the form of some selected hui
man Uranium, was first taken from a shelf
The cubic contents of this metal skull are
known exactly, having been determined
with the aid of mercury, and test is first
made with it before any series of actua
skulls is measured. The hands of the most
Sailed operator will err at times. and he
must prove repeatedly their delicacy OF
manipulation or learn their percentage OF
error.
The STANDARD skull" was held over a boz
filled with dried mustard seed, which was
poured into it through the opening in the
base, through which the spinal cord reaches
the brain. During this filling operation the
metal skull was subjected to numerous
taps and shaking to properly pack the seed
The latter was next poured from the meta
skull into tin double liter measure, whose
base was specially constructed runner
closed at the bottom with a valve regulated
by lever above the handle OF the vessel
The double liter was then placed over {
meters The lever being turned, the seeC
descended slowly into the tube by simple
force of gravitation. A wooden piston wa:
next inserted into the tube to- level the sur
face of the seed, and the capacity of the
skull was registered almost exactly, prov
ing that the method was correct, although
margin of error amounting to ten cubic
centimeterS is always allowable.
So delicate is this test, indeed, that the
same character of seed must be used in al
skulls examined lest a difference in it:
packing qualities produce an error. Fur
thermore the seed must descend by gravity
through an opening of a definite dimension
and always from the same height lest any
varied force of its fall alter its height II
the glass. Hence the use of the Waived fun
mel rather than a vessel from which the
seed would be poured with varying volume
and force.
Had the error of this test been more
than ten centimeterS, a repetition would
have been necessary. But inasmuch as per
lection was almost shown, an actual skull
was next taken from the many hundred:
in the collection. The orbits, or eye-holes
were carefully stopped with cotton, a:
were the various apertures at the base. TIL,
real skull was then filled just as was the
other. of metal, through the large opening
at the base. The same tapping and shak
ing were repeated and the same apparatus
utilized.
MEASURING THE LIVING.
The other instruments mostly used in the
laboratory are what are known as spread
ing and sliding compasses Qhe formel
opening like the calipers of our Bertillor
laboratories and the latter suggesting tn,
scales used in the shoe trade for measuring
the lengths of the feet. also a special tap,
measure, graduated according to the metri,
system. The compasses are used in meas
uring skulls or living heads. as well al
various other parts of the anatomy sucf
as ears, eyeslits, noses. lips, chest diane
tiers and proportions OF hands and feet
Suspended upon one wall of the labora.
tory is a graduated wooden meter EN-.
ployed in the measurement OF height Il
hangs one meter above the level of a small
platform. When carried into the field il
may be suspended from a tree. 1t serves
for measuring either total stature or sit.
ting height. In use a square resting upor
the top of the subjects head is held agains
its scale.
The ''osteometric board is piece of ap
paratus used for measuring the longer
bones The head of bone is applied to the
vertical end of this scale, while a slidns
triangular block is held against the op
posite extremity and against the gradua
tons on the horizontal floor of the instru
ment.
A diagnosis of the sex of human Jaw
bone. as we'll as Its measurements, can bs