On deformity of the lower jaw in the cachalot (Physeter macrocephalus, Linn.) / by James Murie.

  • Murie, James.
Date:
[1865]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On deformity of the lower jaw in the cachalot (Physeter macrocephalus, Linn.) / by James Murie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Fig. 1. This second specimen (fig. 1) is another illustration of the same kind of twisting as the one already described, and resembling it in being towards the right side; but in this case the jaw has been sawn across merely to preserve the interesting part of it; though, from the proportional size of the piece, compared with adult specimens in the same museum, one has no hesitation in referring it also to a young animal. The total length of the bone in a straight line is 23 inches, but following the curve it is as much as 33 inches. It contains nine- teen sockets for the teeth. The ramus of the jaw seems normal as far forwards as the symphysis; thence inclining at a slight angle out- wards for about a distance of 14 inches, it makes again a sudden sharp turn outwards, and then a second as quickly backwards, so as to resemble a hook in figure. The plane of the bone is also very much altered in position; this is best observed by following the course of the alveoli and sockets of the teeth. The extremity towards the ramus (where the jaw is cut across) has the alveolus in the na- tural position; but the fourth and fifth sockets forwards from this exhibit a slight inclination outwards; and this alteration of the sockets and plane of the bone goes on to the centre of the concavity of the twist, where they are no longer above, but on the middle of the side, and with a direction backwards (fig. 1 a). From this they still continue to alter in position to the extremity of the hook, where [3]