Along a longitudinal line:
- The nasion (point of meeting of the nasal and frontal bones).
- Subnasal point (meeting of nasal septum with upper maxilla).
- Upper alveolar point (between the two upper incisors at their point of insertion).
- Lower alveolar point (point corresponding to the above, in the lower maxilla).
- Mental point (middle point of the chin).
- The following craniometric points are situated laterally.
- Auricular point (corresponding to the auricular foramen; in living persons it is situated on the tragus).
- Malar point (on the malar bones).
- Zygomatic point (corresponding to the zygomatic arches).
- Gonion or goniac point (angle of mandible).
The face also may be studied by inspection—prosoposcopy; and by measurement—prosopometry.
Prosoposcopy.—We proceed to inspection according to two norms: A. facial norm; B. lateral norm or norm of profile.
A. Facial Norm.—If it is a question of a living person, we make complete inspection of the visage, from the roots of the hair to the chin. First of all we direct attention to the forehead, which will give us an index of the development of the anterior region of the brain; next, we observe whether a plane passing longitudinally through the median line would divide the face into two equal halves (facial symmetry).
From an æsthetic point of view, the three following vertical distances ought to correspond in length:
Height of forehead (from the roots of the hair to the nasion).
Length of nose (from the nasion to the subnasal point).
Labio-mental height (from the subnasal point to the point of the chin). And in regard to width the three following horizontal distances ought, according to the æsthetic laws of art, very nearly to correspond (especially in the female face):
Width of forehead, between the two external orbital points.