The guess may be hazarded that cephalhematoma,
hydrocephalus, meningocele, nevi, or an excessive amount of
vernix caseosa were the conditions indicated, but a wider
acquaintance with the meaning of the cuneiform characters is
necessary before any certain identification is possible. The
'pieces of skin hanging from the head' (No. 51) may have been
fragments of the membranes; but there is nothing in the
accompanying prediction to help us to trace the origin of the
popular belief in the good luck following the baby born with a
caul. If No. 53 was a case of congenital horns on the head, it
must be regarded as a unique example, unless, indeed, a form of
fetal ichthyosis be indicated.
"The remaining observations (No. 56-62) refer to cases of
congenital teeth (No. 56) to deformity of the ears (Nos. 60 and
61), and a horn (No. 62)."
From these early times almost to the present day similar
significance has been attached to minor structural anomalies. In
the following pages the individual anomalies will be discussed
separately and the most interesting examples of each will be
cited. It is manifestly evident that the object of this chapter
is to mention the most striking instances of abnormism and to
give accompanying descriptions of associate points of interest,
rather than to offer a scientific exposition of teratology, for
which the reader is referred elsewhere.
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