Chapter LXXXVI: Scaphoid in Munsee and in United States Whites

MALES
--------+---------+--------+------+-------+------+-------+----------
|Number of|Breadth |Height| Stout-|Module|Height-|Stoutness-
|specimens| | | ness | |breadth|breadth
| | | | | |index |index
--------+---------+--------+------+-------+------+-------+----------
| | _cm._ | _cm._| _cm._ | _cm._| |
Munsee | (19) | 4.13 | 2.08 | 2.59 | 2.93 | 50.4 | 62.8
| | | | | | |
United | | | | | | |
States | | | | | | |
whites| (52) | 4.33 | 2.23 | 2.96 | 3.17 | 51.5 | 68.5
--------+---------+--------+------+-------+------+-------+----------
FEMALES
--------+---------+--------+------+-------+------+-------+----------
Munsee | (19) | 3.75 | 1.94 | 2.35 | 2.68 | 51.7 | 62.7
| | | | | | |
United | | | | | | |
States | | | | | | |
whites| (36) | 3.94 | 2.03 | 2.54 | 2.54 | 51.6 | 64.3
--------+---------+--------+------+-------+------+-------+----------

An inspection of the Munsee scaphoid shows a number of interesting particulars. A facet for the cuboid is present in only 23.5 per cent of the cases (15 per cent males and 30 per cent females); among the United States whites its frequency is nearly twice as great, or 39 per cent (40 per cent males and 37 per cent females), and Manners Smith reported an even higher proportion in England.[108]

[108] Quoted by Cunningham, _Anatomy_, 3d ed., p. 245.

The facet for the talus differs quite markedly as to shape in the Munsee and the whites. In the whites, and particularly in the females, it is predominantly more or less pyriform, and only seldom quadrilateral or nearly so; while in the Munsee conditions are reversed and a more or less quadrilateral facet is present in a large majority of the cases, especially in the males, while the pyriform type is scarce.

The tuberosity of the scaphoid differs also somewhat in the two races. In general, it may be more or less pointed, or decidedly blunt, or squarish; the first two forms are common among the whites, while the squarish or angular, rare in the whites, is not infrequent in the Indians. (See pl. 28, _d_.)

The processus plantaris is found generally to be quite pronounced in the Munsee, more frequently so than in the United States whites; and occasionally there exists in the Indian scaphoid an additional tuberosity, separated from the regular one by a groove continuous with that situated between the processus plantaris and the tuberosity.

_Cuboid_

The cuboid bone, though so irregular, can be fairly conveniently measured as to its maximum length, breadth, and thickness. The method of taking the dimensions is explained in the next table.

There are 19 pairs of cuboids in the Munsee material—9 male and 10 female. Their measurements show the usual predominance of the male bone over the female on both sides and in all dimensions; as to sides, however, the differences are very small, the mean diameter being, in fact, equal on the right and left in both sexes.