The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-05-30
RULOFFs BRAIN.

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Result OF the Surgeons Examina
ti0n-Its Weight and the Thickness
OF His Skuu-His Grave Thrice
Opened ON Friday Night.
From the Binghamton Republican, May 2.
The work of dissecting Ruloffs head
was so far completed this morning as to
enable those having it in charge to as
certain the weight of his brain. The
brain weighed fifty-nine ounces, being
nine and a half or ten ounces heavier
than the average weight. The heaviest
brain ever weighed was that of Culver,
the French naturalist, which is given
by some authorities at stxty-fve ounces,
and by some at sixty-four ounces. The
brain of Daniel Webster (partly esti-
mated on account of a portion being
destroyed by disease) weighed sixty,
four ounces. The brain of Dr. Amber
crombie, of Scotland, weighed sixty
three ounces.
The average weight Of a mans brain
is about fifty ounces, the maximum
weight sixty-fve ounces (Cuvier's) and
the minimum weight (idiots), twenty
ounces. AS an average, the lower por-
ton Of the brain (cerebellum) is to the
upper portion (cerebrum) as l is to
s $40. The lower, brute portion, OF
Ruloffs brain and the mechanical pow
ers were unusually large. The upper
portion of the brain, which directs the
higher moral and religious sentiments,
was very deficient in Ruloff. In the
formation of his brain Ruloff was a fe-
rocious animal, and so far as disposition
could relieve him from responsibility,
he was not strictly responsible for
his acts. There 'is no doubt that he
thought himself not very bad man, on
the morning he was led out Of prison,
cursing from the cell to the gallows.
The measurement OF Rulotf's head
around the eyebrows, (supra orbital, }
was tyenty-four and.a-half inches. The
skull was probably the thickest ever
known. In no place was it less than
three-eighths OF an inch in thickness, and
in most places it was half an inch
thick. The usual thickness of man 3
skull is less than one-fourth of an inch.
Ruloff's head was opened in the usual
way, by parting the scalp over the top
OF the head from one ear to the other and
saving off the top. The surgeons who
performed the operation say it required
three-quarters OF an hour to saw around
the skull, and before it was completed
they began to think the head was all
skull.
With the protection Of skull half
an inch thick, and seal p Of the thick
ness and toughness of a rhinoceros
rind, the man OF seven murders was
provided with a natural helmet, that
would have defed the force of any pis-
tol bullet. If he had been in Mirick's
place, the bullet would have made only
a slight wound and had he been pro-
vided with cults vera equal to his
scalp, his defensive armor would have
been as complete as coat of mail.
The cords in Rulof's neck were as
heavy and strong as those Of an OK;
and from his formation, one would
almost suppose that he was protected
against death from the gallows as well
as by injury to his head.
Rulof's body was larger than it. was
supposed to be by casual observers.
The Sheriff ascertained, when he took
measure Of the prisoner for coffin to
bury him in, that he was five feet and
ten inches in height, and measured
nineteen inches across the shoulders.
When in good condition, his weight was
about It's.
1t is very well known that Ruloffs
grave was opened three times last Fri
day night by different parties who want
ed to obtain his head. One Of those
parties was from Albany, and twice the
body was disinterred by persons living
in Binghampton. One company would
no sooner cover up the body, which all
found headless, and leave it, than an
other company would come and 90
through with the same operations. 1t is
now known that the head was never
buried with the body, but was legally
obtained before the burial by the sur
geons who have possession Of it.
The hair and beard were shaved off
close, and an excellent impression in
plaster was taken of the whole head.
The brain is now undergoing harden:
ing process, and when that is completed
an impression will be taken OF it entire,
and then it will be parted, the different
parts weighed, and impressions made of
the different sections.