The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-26
From The Philadelphia american and Gasette
The Human Brain.

The question whether the intellectual faculties
have any dependence upon, or bear any proportion
to- the relative weight and magnitude OF the brain,
is one that has long engaged the attention OF phi
losophers, without, however having been in any
degree satisfactorily decided. The notion of such
dependence and such relation, however, is an ex-
tremey common-and therefore, doubtless, a very
natural one; il is proverbial to say Of a man OF
great mind that he has big head, and OF weak
man that he has a small one; and when we hear OF
the brain Of such savant as the celebrated Cuvier
having been found TO weigh some half pound
more than the average ofordinary brains, and re.
member how diminutive those OF idiots often are,
feel almost that the point IL settled, and the the
DRY established as a law Of nature General obser-
vations, however, not 30 favorable 20 the n.y.
pothess as isolated ones; and the further the scru-
tiny lie carried, and the more exactly the expert
ments performed, the greater appears TO be the
difficulty of ascertaining any precise rule on the
subject This, IL seems 70 Is shown very clearly
by the researches Of our distinguished townsman,
DIR. s. G.. Morton, who has taken the lead OF all
Psychologists in the practical study OF the human
skull, particularly in regard TO Its capacity, and
has, by his numerous publications, added vastly to
the sum Of our knowledge, and obtained world
wide reputation, which was never better deserved,
because never more laboriously earned.
The last tables published by DR.. Morton present
results which are highly interesting, although
some Of them in opposition both 20 preconceyed
opinions and 10 the supposed rule of relation. Thus
the general fact is true that there he difference IN
the size Of the brains of the different Of
the uncultivated. The Caucasian family, for ex-
ample, have brains averaging capacity Of 80 Gu
bic inches; while those of the Hottentots and Alor-
ans only average IS The Chinese have aver
age Of SO; the aboriginal Americans 70. But in
opposition TO all this we have the equally general,
and somewhat incomprehcnsibe fact, that the bar
barous races now in existence have larger brains
than the civilized nations Of the early ages. This
IL so far true that the scmi-savagc Arabs OF the
desert now boast brains of 50 cubic inches, while
the old Egyptians, the builders Of the pyramids,
had brains Of but so inches; and our wandering
red men of North America, including the "Dlg-
gers" poor Devils or Shoshonces, they are
variously called, of the Rocky Mountains, rise 70
an average of ~ inches, while the ancient Peru
vians and Mexcans, who we're semi-ciyilized,
dwelling in cities and worshipping in temples, had
but rs and 10 inches
There are other facts which appear from these
tables, OF an equally curious character. Dr. Nor
ton divides the modern Caucasian group into six
families, OF which the hrst in order 0s IN brain, II
the Teutonc family represented in his lists by Ger
mans, English, and Anglo Americans. OF these
the first and last named up TO 80 cubic inches,
while the English exceed both by no less than two
cubic inches. Cousin John will, perhaps, exult at
his fancied superiority; and Jonathan may stare
and feel indignant. Neither, however, should be
precpitatc. There IL another and still more ano-
nalous fact exhibited in these tables, which Will
suggest equanimity and caution which Is that
the native Africans, ssvagos though they be, have
similar Of onQcubic inch OF brain over their
civilized descendants in the United States, the Tor
lncf stahung At an average Oh o. 'he oue' onJ VI
50 cubic inches.
These facts wholly irreconcilable with the
idea Of the intellectual powers being proportional
20 the mass of the brain. We have every reason 70
know that neither the English nor the African race
has degencrated in any way, physically or intel
lectually, in the new world
The experiments Of DIR. Morton are directed &c
ascertain the cubic contents Of the brain. The
older Psychologists attended tots weight, and they
constructed tables, though very imperfect ones
showing the average-or supposed average
weight OF the brain, as compared with the rect o.
the body; and this in the lower animals, az
well in man. Now every one knows that the
relative weight Of chds brain is greater than thai
of an adult; and this Is initial fact, which, o.
course, does not speak very avoraby for the theory
BY table (taken chiefly from Halter and Cuvier, )
in Prof. Dunglison's wei known work on Physiolo
gy, appears that the brain Of child, at ak years
DID, equals 22d part Of its body that OF am adult
l-35th part Unluckily for human dignity, al.
though some Of the monkey and baboon tribe sinh
as low as TO ll0ith part others Of that race have