. British and Foreign Medical Review; or, Quarterly Journal of Practical Medicine and Surgery. Fig. 6. migration took place northwards from Mexico; and they allocated them-selves at the south-western corner of North America, principally inFlorida. They were exterminated by the French in the year 1730. Thesingular form of their heads was partly due to artificial compression;employed, probably, under the idea of increasing a natural grace. Thiswas effected by means of a bag of sand placed upon the forehead, whilstthe occiput lay upon a sort of mould, of which it gradually took the formunder the
. British and Foreign Medical Review; or, Quarterly Journal of Practical Medicine and Surgery. Fig. 6. migration took place northwards from Mexico; and they allocated them-selves at the south-western corner of North America, principally inFlorida. They were exterminated by the French in the year 1730. Thesingular form of their heads was partly due to artificial compression;employed, probably, under the idea of increasing a natural grace. Thiswas effected by means of a bag of sand placed upon the forehead, whilstthe occiput lay upon a sort of mould, of which it gradually took the formunder the slow but constant influence of this pressure. In contrast with the vertical flattening of these crania, we may noticethe extraordinary horizontal flattening practised by the tribes borderingon the Columbia river, termed Flat-heads. The cranium, of which alateral and anterior view is given in fig. 7, is the most extraordinary ex-. Fii. ample of this compressing process which has come under Dr. Mortonsobservation. The vertical diameter is reduced to little more than fourinches ; the top of the cranium presents a flattened arch not far removed 1840.] Mortons Crania Americana. 483 from a horizontal plane; and the face is protruded until the facial angleis reduced to t)6°, the lowest grade probably ever observed in a humanskull. The compression has also destroyed, in a remarkable degree, thelateral symmetry of the skull. The following account of the mode inwhich it is effected, is quoted by Dr. Morton from the account given byMr. Townsend, who journeyed among these tribes: The mode in which the flattening is effected varies considerably with thedifferent tribes. The Wallamet Indians place the infant soon after birth upona board, to the edges of which are attached little loops of hempen cord or leather,and other similar cords passed across and back, in a zijfzag manner, throughthese loops, inclosing the child, and
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