Trephination of the living human skull in prehistoric times / [Thomas Wilson Parry].
- Parry, T. Wilson (Thomas Wilson), 1866-1945.
- Date:
- [1923]
Licence: In copyright
Credit: Trephination of the living human skull in prehistoric times / [Thomas Wilson Parry]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![At Abiirtss ON TREPHINATION OF THE LIVING HUMAN SKULL IN PREHISTORIC TIMES. Sixty years ago not even tlie most eminent scientist in Europe was aware of the fact that, in prehistoric times, our primitive ancestors used to trephine the living skulls of their fellow tribesmen with implements made of stone. The know¬ ledge of this was rendered possible by a discovery made by a general medical practitioner. And here I should like to say that such of you as are about to enter general practice will find, I think, this branch of our profession of a peculiarly satisfying nature, in that not only does it have for its aim the carrying out of ethical ideals by sound practical methods, but there is scope, at leisure moments, for the study of those wider interests that do not actually belong to our profession, but which are stimulated by the atmosphere created by our education, trend of thought, and environment. Prunieres, a general practitioner of Marvejols in the depart¬ ment of La Lozere, France, was a man who spent much of his spare time in antiquarian research. While examining a large dolmen, near Aiguieres, in 1865, he discovered a skull with a curious hole in it. The hole had smooth, shelving edges which looked as if they had been polished. Prunieres was puzzled as to the nature of this hole and came to the conclusion that, finding the skull in a dolmen, it had belonged to a Neolithic savage and had been converted into a drinking cup, a custom which not infrequently exists among savage tribes, and that this smooth-faced hole had been specially designed for the application of the lips. Now these dolmens were constructed during the third or Carnac stage of the Neolithic period, which ended in north-western Europe about two thousand years before the Christian era. The whole of the Neolithic period is computed to have lasted some twenty thousand years, the third and last division probably occupying from four to six thousand years, so that the age of these dolmens may be estimated as being not less than four and even as much as eight to ten thousand, years old—the last word in these megalithic buildings being that magnificent pile known as Stonehenge, which was erected at the beginning of the Bronze Age. [147/23]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30624009_0003.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
