The results of an anthropological investigation of the external ear / by Arthur Keith.

  • Keith, Arthur, Sir, 1866-1955.
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The results of an anthropological investigation of the external ear / by Arthur Keith. 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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    In making my observations two other considerations were taken into account. Dr. Beddoe, as I have already mentioned, used the degree of pigmentation as a means of distinguishing racial affinities; I wished to see if there were a correlation ship between the type or form of ear and the colour of hair. I classified the observed indivi- duals into three groups : the fair haired, the black-haired, and the in- termediates. In the black-haired group I placed those with dark or distinctly red hair, and in the fair-haired those in which the red was a fawn or sandy hue. Besides noting colour of hair, I also took into consideration the question of age, and excluded those whom I con- sidered under twenty, and those who appeared to me over sixty, for Schwalbe had clearly demonstrated that the ear enlarges rapidly after sixty, and before twenty it has not attained its adult form and size, nor is the colour of hair finally determined. The method I adopted in making observations was the following. They were made in the street or market place, and I found that, with practice, I could note five points or features on those whom I casually passed. For instance, I noted colour of hair, sex, type of ear, degree of infolding, condition of the auricular tip. In the palm of my hand I carried slips of stiffish paper, of convenient size and ruled into six vertical columns—three for fair, intermediate and black males, and three for the corresponding grades of females. Suppose, for example, that the individual just passed is a man, with fair hair, orang type of ear, infolding of the helix to the extent I have classed as Stage 1, the auricular tip represented by a slight elevation (Stage 3), then the record made (in the column for fair-haired men) was “ Or., 1, 3 ”. The number of individuals I wished to include in each group was 250 of each sex, but in reality the number was twice that, because after observing the points just mentioned in 250 of each sex, I had to begin an equally extensive series for observations on the lobule, tragus, antitragus and the anthebx. Thus at each place of observation I in- tended that my observations should extend over a series of a thousand individuals. Observations on the insane and criminals were made