DOI article:
Derry, Douglas Erith: Anatomical report (B)
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18103#0033
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of a young woman, there was a thick layer of some reddish material
found on the leg bones, which was evidently responsible for the dis-
colouration. When rubbed down in the palm of the hand, it left a
brick-red stain, similar to that found on the bones themselves.
Samples of this pigment were collected and preserved for chemical
examination. That it belonged to some garment, probably of leather,
originally dyed this colour, and placed round or over the body previous
to burial, rather than to a similar dress worn during life, was shown
by the fact that the flexed elbows were included amongst those parts
which were stained, but no part of the bones above this point: in other
words, it was not a garment worn round the waist, as at first sight
appeared to be the case, but a covering put on after the body had been
flexed for burial.
It was remarked on removing the upper innominate bone in this same
case, that the sciatic notch was distinctly masculine in character, and
the preauricular groove, though wide, was very shallow. The interest
of this was accentuated when it was found that there was a young
foetus (estimated at about four months) with head downwards, lying
between the two femora. As these two bones were acutely flexed on
the abdomen, the foetus obviously had fallen between them from the
abdominal cavity, and had therefore not descended into the pelvic
basin. In the course of last season's work, Dr. Wood Jones found a
female pelvis, containing a foetus, in which the notch was quite mascu-
line and there was no preauricular groove. These cases are significant
in view of the well-recognized association between the size of the
sciatic notch and preauricular groove and the sex of the individual.
Another case of considerable interest found in this cemetery was
that of a young woman about 21 years of age, whose lumbar vertebra;
showed the following pathological condition. The first three vertebrae
of the series were involved in the disease, which consisted in an ulcera-
tion of the centra of the vertebrae. The inflammatory process had
completely destroyed the body of the second lumbar vertebra, which
was firmly ankylosed to the first vertebra. The latter, owing to the
loss of support from below, had fallen forward, so that its upper surface
faced anteriorly, and it rested upon the surface of the third. The
centrum of the latter was much eaten away by the disease, and formed
with the superimposed centrum of the first lumbar, and the pedicles
and laminae of the second, a large abscess cavity. When these three
of a young woman, there was a thick layer of some reddish material
found on the leg bones, which was evidently responsible for the dis-
colouration. When rubbed down in the palm of the hand, it left a
brick-red stain, similar to that found on the bones themselves.
Samples of this pigment were collected and preserved for chemical
examination. That it belonged to some garment, probably of leather,
originally dyed this colour, and placed round or over the body previous
to burial, rather than to a similar dress worn during life, was shown
by the fact that the flexed elbows were included amongst those parts
which were stained, but no part of the bones above this point: in other
words, it was not a garment worn round the waist, as at first sight
appeared to be the case, but a covering put on after the body had been
flexed for burial.
It was remarked on removing the upper innominate bone in this same
case, that the sciatic notch was distinctly masculine in character, and
the preauricular groove, though wide, was very shallow. The interest
of this was accentuated when it was found that there was a young
foetus (estimated at about four months) with head downwards, lying
between the two femora. As these two bones were acutely flexed on
the abdomen, the foetus obviously had fallen between them from the
abdominal cavity, and had therefore not descended into the pelvic
basin. In the course of last season's work, Dr. Wood Jones found a
female pelvis, containing a foetus, in which the notch was quite mascu-
line and there was no preauricular groove. These cases are significant
in view of the well-recognized association between the size of the
sciatic notch and preauricular groove and the sex of the individual.
Another case of considerable interest found in this cemetery was
that of a young woman about 21 years of age, whose lumbar vertebra;
showed the following pathological condition. The first three vertebrae
of the series were involved in the disease, which consisted in an ulcera-
tion of the centra of the vertebrae. The inflammatory process had
completely destroyed the body of the second lumbar vertebra, which
was firmly ankylosed to the first vertebra. The latter, owing to the
loss of support from below, had fallen forward, so that its upper surface
faced anteriorly, and it rested upon the surface of the third. The
centrum of the latter was much eaten away by the disease, and formed
with the superimposed centrum of the first lumbar, and the pedicles
and laminae of the second, a large abscess cavity. When these three