The Washington herald., 1908-06-01
Condition of Bones.

The shafts Of the long bones generally were wen
preserved. but softened: the canceous ends Of the
bones and most Of the small cancellous bones were
either quite soft or bad disappeared. Some Of the
vertahras Were intact: Others were not found; the
patellAe Wero present The skull contained a soft.
rather friable putty-Iike mass that 70 the naked
eye suggested brain; a portion was reserved for
mioroscrpical examination. The soft parts Of the
thOraI and abdomen Wcre converted en- masse into
adipocere. On breaking into the apex Of the LEFT
lung. cavity was found.
Some measurements were taken % the skull
The glabello-ocriptal length was Is en- bparie,al
az en- haslo-h-egnatic height. iA3 en- The
left zygoma being broken. the biDgomatc diameter
could not b taken nor the nasio-mcntal height
because Of the entire absence Of teeth from the
upper Jaw and the atrophy q The alyeolar process.
The lower CANNES were present but the rest OF the
lower alycolar process was likewise atrophied
The length q the following long bones was
measured: Right humculs. g en-; left humerus
Si night radius. 2s: left radius G5; night fensrir
- en-. left femur. ss: right tibiA IS en- left
uhia, @5 These measurements show that the
right humcrus and tibiA were shorter than the
left, while the right radius and femur were longer
than the left The height Of the left innominate
was 225 en-
Following ManOuvrier's table Of stature relations
he following estimate Of the stature q the de-
erased IS made; Based on individual bones the
rght and LEFT humerls. radius, femur and tibia
eight in al. We have varying results naney ls9 400
en-. HiOei. Hal& 1850. iD.A, l77.S6. l724
l7s.g5.
''Deducting two en- from each 81 these meas.
urcments on account Of that difference between
the length Of cadaVer and the living Individual
and emitting the second and third place decinals
we have the following: ls7. ~. ISL l6s. IT'S
Lot IOl, and E6e. q difference Of II en- or
more than four inches between the lowest ana
highest figures. Dr. A. Hrdlicka, clrator OF uhvsi-
cal anthropolosy OF the United States National
Museum. suggests in view OF this difference. that
II would Dc more exact 20 take the average az tha
estimates based on the two humeri only. namely
lG and ~ This average Is ICES en-. or 5559 feet
This estimate IL may be added accoTds with the
smal size Of the skull
The longer left hImes, together with the longer
rght fenur suggests that ven likely the dec ased
was lett-handcd.
Condition OF Brain.
The miGussOpical examination Of the hrain vas
made by Nh. J. s. Neate. Of the mnss1i.. with
the following results:
The material was hardened In MuIler's fluid
and fogmalin dehydTated in alcohol thence TINS
ferrcd to chloruHOrm. and inhl;rated with paraan.
Sections were stained with difficulty: a prolonged
staining with hematoIylin yielded the best result
Under the nieruecope the major portion Of the
material IS 20 consist Of >feltwork Of sster-
taculAr Tissue roSrrbllng neJTuGiia: in this rame-
work are 70 DO found groups Of largo cells IN more
or less orderly arrangement, and in some cases
exhibiting nuclei and Vacnoles. These large cells
are oTold. pear-shaped. and in a few instances A
multipolar arrangement can be discerned n.snl-
bling in type that Of large nerve or gangion cells
As 10 the Identification Of the organA the char
acteV 81 the slstentacular tissue together with the
presence therein Of large cells arranged In gruu1rs
some Of which are multipolar Is think, strong
pTesJmptive evidence that the material examined
represents Testges Of some part Of the central
nervous system
Suffered from Rheumatism.
DIT s. G. Evans surgeon, L. S. N. who was
present at the examination. says in a letter TO me-
The fact that tho material found In the skull was
certainly the remains at least, Of brain tissue. as
shown by the microscopic examination made by
DR.. Spear at the time 8 rather remarkable
To my mind, however the most practical point
had evidently suffered 10 some extent II not Sc
ve-ely. from rheumatism OF one Of the manifesto
tons OF uric acid diathesiS The undoubted evil
dence Of cavity in the lung. In spite Of the
changes therein and the fact that said cavity was
at the apex. would also tend 10 prove death from
pneumonia or phthisiS
In conclusion would invite attention II the re-
suit OF the micOscopical examination Of the bTain
as having probably some medico-legal value.
Respectfully. ID. S. LAMB,
"PatholoSit. Army Medical Museum
A true COPY Of report on file IN this ofice.
r. NJ OREILLY,
Surgeon General. United States Army