MUTILATIONS AND DEFORMATIONS. In every part of the world to-day, both in civilised as well as uncivilised communities some form of mutilation of the human body is found; but the widest variety of mutilations as well as the most severe occur among the more primitive peoples.
Early historians and writers, long before the Christian era, show that in those days such mutilations as tattooing and cir cumcision, as well as skull deformation, were well known. Some form of mutilation was probably practised from earliest prehis toric times. On the cave walls of France and Spain, where Aurignacian and Magdalenian man painted the mammoth, ele phant and woolly rhinoceros during the closing phases of the last Ice Age (see STONE ACE), are painted hands which indicate the removal of one or more finger joints, a practice common to day in South Africa, India and elsewhere. The reason for this mutilation on the part of prehistoric man can only be conjec tured by analogy with these modern primitive peoples. In the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum in London, there is ex hibited a skeleton of an early man from a prehistoric grave at Gebel Moya in the Sudan. Found close to the jaw is a stone stud exactly similar to the lip studs worn by Nilotic peoples today. Other evidence may be found in folk tales; early paintings and carvings, and by a careful interpretation of objects found in the graves. The motives behind mutilation may be classified as: Tribal Convention ; Adornment; Initiation Ceremonial; Religion ; Punishment and Health.
Skin.—Tattooing consists of puncturing the skin in the pat tern desired and rubbing in colouring material so that the pat tern is indelibly fixed. In New Zealand the Maoris brought tattooing to a very high art, and the intricate patterns with which they adorned their faces were executed with exquisite workman ship and taste. In China, Borneo, India and other parts of the Far East tattooing is prevalent, and thence has been introduced into Europe, chiefly by sailors. Arms, legs, body and face are all considered suitable surfaces for decoration. To-day tattooing saloons exist in London and in many of the bigger sea-ports.
True tattooing, but of a less lasting nature, is occasionally found in parts of Africa, and must not be confused with scarification.
Scarification.—This consists of cutting deep marks into the skin and rubbing in charcoal and other irritant material to keep open the wound which eventually is allowed to heal but which leaves a deep scar. Sometimes the wound is so treated that a shiny "keloid" instead of a flat scar results. Scarification occurs all over Africa for reasons as numerous as they are different. Very frequently small scars are made on the face which serve as tribal and clan marks. Often elaborate patterns are worked out on the chest for purely personal adornment ; these are especially good on the West Coast. Sometimes the object of the operation is semi-magical, women of many African tribes being scarified on the abdomen during pregnancy. At other times, scarification is merely the result of surgical treatment and is the consequence of rather crude cupping methods followed by the application of an irritant powder. In Australia the aborigines scarify their arms and chests, which of ten show great black keloids representing many years of patient work, the wound being opened up from time to time and fresh irritants applied.
Hair.—Depilation by some means or other, has been practised by primitive peoples for hundreds of years, while all modern civilised peoples still continue to remove unwanted hair by various methods. One of the commonest primitive methods of hair removal is by plucking out each individual hair by its root, every time it grows. By starting at an early age the time comes when the hair on the parts so treated could only be grown sparsely even if desired. This plucking is usually done with the aid of special tweezers some of which—as those in use among the Akamba in Kenya Colony—are beautifully made. Depilation by plucking is common all over Africa and in many parts of the East and Oceania, and the areas so treated are more especially the face and pubic regions, and chest and under the arms. Some individ uals even go to the length of removing all body hair.