This publieation summarizes an initial unpublished report (1971) on
diagnostie eriteria in dry bones. The relevant study was made in 22
medieal museums in Europe, England and Seotland between 1966 and 1969.
About 670 dry bones were reeorded by over 2000 photographs. Emphasis is
plaeed on ehanges for whieh diagnostie eriteria are proposed rather than
on those for whieh diagnostie problems remain. The ehanges studied were
maeroseopieal not mieroseopieal. This is not areport on the pathological
ehanges in dry bones in medieal museums, but a statement on "Diagnostic
eriteria of syphilis in dry bones" and of eertain other prevalent
ehanges, and their eauses, whieh are needed for differential diagnosis.
'Syphilis' as used here usually refers equally to the 'treponematoses'
whieh inc1udes yaws and treponarid. It is intended as a eomprehensive
guide for archaeologists and anthro- pologists, and as an instrument of
preeision for osteo-arehaeologists. It is not a manual of pathology,
although pathologists may be interested in this revival of the dying
skill of diagnosis of disease in dry bones. All reeords, written, photo
graphie and radiographie, together with the initial 120,000 word report,
have been deposited in the Department of Morbid Anatomy, Institute of
Orthopaedies, London, where they will be available for study. Abrief
introduetion to this study has been published (Haekett, 1975). I would
like especially to thank the President of the Heidelberger Akade- mie
der Wissenschaften, and Doktor H. Götze of Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg,
for the publieation of this monograph.