Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-04-03

Cerebral Developments Of DiHerent Ma
uOns-LHrReness Of Brain the Proof Of
Superiority. n
The popular opinion that a large brain
usually confers superiority ls proved true on
the great scale, whatever exceptions we may
occasionally meet with in individuals. If
the empirical efforts Of ignorant pretenders
have often thrown discredit on the oompar-
ative study of cerebral development as an
index of the character and an explanation of
the rise and fall of nations, still the re-
searches of scientific inquirers have estab-
lished with certainty several general truths,
of no small interest in an chronological point
of view.
For the elucidation Of some of these truths,
the late DR.. Morton, q celebrated physician
OF Philadelphia, a disbeliever in phrenology,
and an eminent ethnologist, labored with
much success. In one of his works referred
to in his biography, just published, he en-
bodied description Of l55 skulls of TOltecan
Indians, and l6l skulls of the various tribes
of their conquerors, the American Indians.
The American types seem to differ essentially
from all others, not excepting the Mongolian.
They are of one race and of one species, but
seem to be divided into two great families
alike in physical character, but unlike INTEL
leetually; for the cranical remains discov.
cred in the mounds from Peru to Wisconsin
must be regarded as belonging to the same
race, and probably to the Toltecan family.
The Tolteeans, as is well known, we're once
the dominant nation on the continent of
America.
AS described by Cortez and his followers,
they were gentle people, of fixed habits,
cultivatiDg the arts, living in large commu
mites, and building extensive cities. A
moDarchicsl Government, a priestly hier-
archy, the accumulation of wealth, and a
well. conducted agriculture, indicated pro-
gress, refinement and culture.
These Totecans had low, receding fore
head, a tlatteDed occiput, high cheek. bones,
with heavy and projecting jaws. The aver
age measurement of their cranial capacity
was seventy-s seven cubic inches, while their
Indian conquerors had eighty. four inches, as
is proved by numerous skulls subjected to
accurate examination. 1t may here be noted
that the Teutonic family, comprising the
Germans, English, and Anglo. Americans
have the highest capacity = ninety. two
inches; the lowest, seventy five inches,
being assigned to the Hotteatots and Austria
lians
Between these extremes we have the Celt,
eighty-seven inches; the Malay, eighty !;
the Chinese, eighty-two, and the Negro,
eighty-three. In illustl alton of the privilege
and power conferred by larger and more
powerful type of brain, it has been often
remarked that in Europe free governments
flourish and endure only among nations so
distinguished, and that on this continent the
Teuton races have fought less and conquered
more than have the Spaniards and French,
with their average of eighty-four and
eighty seven cubic inches Of cerebral ca
pacity. ....-.
The TeutOn, also, has never widely ANAL
gamated with the Indian, while the converse
holds true with the Spaniards and the
French. Hence have sprung the races now
inbabiting New Mexico, which are feeble,
and have heads so small that Americans Of
average cranial size can seldom find native
hat sufficiently large.