Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-09-16
ON SOME STRANGE MENTAL
FEATS.

Zerah Colburn was the son of an
American peasant or small farmer
When he was not six years of age, he
surprised his father by his readiness in
multiplying numbers and solving other
simple arithmetica! problems He was
brought to London in 1912, when only
eight years old. and his powers were
tested by Francis Baily and other skill
full mathematicians. From Carpenters s
synopsis of the experiments thus made
the following account is taken, techni-
cal expressions being as far as possible
eliminated (or not used until explain
ed):
He would multiply any number less
than 10 into itself successfully nine
times, giving the results 10y actual
multiplication, not from memory fas-
ter than the person appointed to record
them could set them down. He multi
piled 8 into itself fifteen times, or, in
technical terms, raised it to the six
teenth power; and the result, consist
ing of fifteen digits, was right in every
figure. He raised some numbers of two
figures as high as the eighth power, but
found difficulty in proceeding when
the result contained q great number of
figures.
So far there is nothing that cannot
be explained Cor which could not, if
other facts did not render the explana-
tion invalid) by assuming that the child
possessed simply the power of multi
plying mentally, with extreme rapidity
and correctness, but in the ordinary way.
But the next test removes at once all
possibility of explaining his work as
done in the ordinary manner. He was
asked what number, multiplied by it
self, gave lO6, ,929, and he answered 327,
before the original number could be
written down. This was wonderful
But he next achieved more wonderful
feat still, Judging his work by the usu.
al rules. He was asked what number,
multiplied twice into itself, gave $685.
336, l25-in other words, to find the
cube root of that array of digits; with
equal facility and promptness he re-
piled GAS. Now, any one acquainted
with the process for finding the cube
root-even the most convenient form of
the process, as presented by Colenso
and others-knows that the cube root
of n number of nine digits could not
promptly be determined, with pen and
paper, in less than three or four min
utes, if SO soon. Ii the computor had
so perfect power of calculating men-
tally that he could proceed as safely as
though writing down every step, and as
rapidly with each line as Colburn him.
self in the simple processes before de-
scribed, he would yet need half a min
ute 1T least to get the correct result
This, too. would imply such a power of
mentally picturing sets of figures that,
even if it explained Colburn's work, il
would still be altogether marvellous, if
not utterly inexplicable. We know,
however, that Colburn was not follow
ing ordinary rules, but q method pecu.
liar to himself. In point of fact, he
was so entirely ignorant of the usual
modes of procedure, tha. he could not
perform on paper a simple sum in multi
plication or division.
On being asked how many minutes
there are in - years, he answered, be-
fore the question could be written down,
25,22s, 500; which is correct, if the ex-
ira days for leap years are left out of
account. He Immediately after gave
the correct number of seconds.
We come next, however, to results
which appear much more surprising to
the mathematician than any Of the
above, because they relate to questions
for which mathematicians have not been
able to provide any systematic method
of procedure whatever. He was asked
to name two numbers which, multiplied
together, would give the number 247.-
4SS, aud he immediately named 94l and
26S, which are the only two numbers
satisfying the condition. The same
problem being set with respect TO the
number l7l ,S95. he named the follow
ing pairs of numbers: 5 and A,259;
2 and 24.&S5; SO and 2,905; sS and
2,06s; SIS and +,s9.; 29s and SSH and,