, 1874-06-07
TIE SCIENTIFIC MAN.

TIE SCIENTIFIC MAN.
! Wa are familiar with Hu11ey's famous deiui.
| ton of the scientific mind AIr. Francis Galto1
has supplemented it with an essay on s'The
Nature and Nurtureof Men Of Science" in which
be discusses the habits, tastes, modes ot
| thought, and bodily characteristics of the
"priesthood OF the future" He sent cate.
CORY Of questions to 18U Fellows OF the Royal
Society who are OF scientific repute. The
lis replies furnish tho data from which
ha draws his differences. The first notable
characteristic OF the scientific man is energy.
One scientist w1ites: "Haye roWed myself in q
skin l05 miles in twenty-one hours whilst under
graduate in Cambridge. Rowed in every raco
years in the University crews." The foes OF
physical culture at college will please notice this
reply. Another man "walked many time fifty
miles day without fatigue, and kept up five
miles an hour for three or four hours." Still
another 'e1celed at school and college
in athletic sports, especially in jumping
eighteen feet); almost incapable Of men,
tai fatigue up to the age OF 38;
usually engaged in literary work until long after
midnight This man is surpassed however,
by one who writes: "As boy Of II worked
for three months ali day and all night with not
more than four or five hours. Sleep When full
OF subject and interested in it, have written
for seven or eight hours without interruption"
rhoE al In ri; 7,
early life, as boy, was engaged in business from
twelve to fourteen hours day, yet always found
time to study and make my own Instruments.
Later on my studies and scientific work were
always accomplished after business hours, and
it Was generally my habit to commence after
dinner, and to work at science until 2, 3, or a.
NJ, and to begin business again at ga. m- I
never thought Of rest if had anything in hand
Of interest" Oddly enough energy seems to
be related in some way to emalness Of the skull.
The average circumference of the skull OF an
English gentleman is from 2214 to 22]]4 inches
Thirteen Of the noted English scientsts have
skulls under "a inches. Only eight have them
q inches and over. The former are the more
Q0~AA41f
proved Whatever may be the case With indi-
7iduals Of the same nation, the small l-ekulled
races do not exceed the others in energy.
It would be natural to suppose that such
workers would suffer from il1-nealth, but this is
not the case. On the contrary, the second scien-
tidc characteristic, according to Mr. Gallon, is
good health. One-fourth Of the men who have
answered his queries have EXCELLENT OF good =
health; another fourth have "good or fair"
and still another hare had "gocd" health since
reaching manhood. The remaining fourth arc
not in such prime condition. The parents Of
scientists have generally beon very healthy. |
Hence Mr.. Galton deduces that II ia an imposBi- |
bility for the children Of invalids to gain emf
nence. The school Of thought to which hs be- |
longs would dedrce from this the duty Of the |
State to forbid marriages between invalids.
The next characteristics are steady pursuit OF
purpose and business habits. The fifth is inde-
peudeuce Of character. This is very strongly
developed. Mr Ga1ton thinks that only two OF
bis correspondents have too little Of it, and that
City Of them have too much. One says that his
Is opinions are in almost all respects opposed to
hose in which 10 was educated" Another
writes that he has ia preference for whatever
3 not in fashion," Many Of them belong to m
fashionable sects,-Quakers, Unitarians, Nora
7ians, Bible Christians, sendemanians, etc.
Scientists are not emotional "In uaoy
aspects thoir character is strongly anti
They are ''dovoid Of p:rtiaanship,"
IT, Cation thinks. The Saturday Reuieto takes
esue With alr. Galton here, and wisely. Bcien-
lists are bitter in their craftsmanship. Huxley's
looks are disfgured by lavish abuse Of Owen.
Tyndau has been expelled from the English
I1pine Club for slanderiug another scientific
member Of it. The fact ia that Mr.. Gallons
ata, furnished as they are by the very men
1hom they depict, are inevitably more or less
ose-colored, and consequently untrustwortly.
The final characteristic is an innate lore OF
ctencc. Many Of the writer's cannot remember
hen their studies began. The Saturday Recie,o
CRY justly remarks that all these peculiarities,
ith the single exception Of the last, mark near
all prominent men. whether scientific or not {
says: "If Mr. Gallon had sent out his cir
ulars to 180 eminent merchants, engineers, sol
ors, cotton spinners, or artists, he would prob
Dly have received pretty much the same replies c
from his $50 Fellows Of the Ro:aI Society,"" y
he essay-writer built more broadly than he Il
1ew. In sketching tho "nature and nurture
men OF science" he described the nature and b
1rture OF the men WHO make their mark, in b
iance and out Of it. a,
It is an anomalous state Of things that, while g
ore are more houses to rent than thore we're =, ;"
fore tho 1st OF May, the boarding-houses are 81
IL of discontented and homeless people. In II
~ York and Boston, where much the same b