Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-01-24
The Pace of Mind.

1t is a familiar idea, says the London
Spectator, that there are quick-witted
people and slow-witted people, but it is
rather a startling addition to the no.
tion that the pace of mind may be
measured by inches and clock, and
that if we could establish a mental Ep-
som or Goodwood, We should find cer-
tain number, and 10 more, of men and
women who could pretend to ''enter"
for the cup. Mr.. Francis Galton, F. r.
s., in his address as president of the
Anthropological Department of the
British Association, this year. treated OF
this matter withhis usual originality, as
a branch of the study ''of those groups
of men who are sufficiently similar in
their mental characters to admit of
classification" What singular fact
in Illustration is the following, to which
he calls attention. There exists-well
recognized by astronomers-a.p phenom-
enon called personal equation" In
making the common observation of the
exact moment when star travels
across the fine vertical wire, intersect-
ing the field of view of telescope,
some observers always anticipate the
event, and others allow it to pass be-
fore they succeed in noting it. This,
Mr.. Galton says, is by no means the
effect of inexperience or maladroitness,
but it is persistent characteristic Of
each individual, however practiced in
the art of making observations he may
be-" The difference between the time
of a mans noticing the event, and that
of its actual occurrence is called 'per-
sonal equation" and it is carefully as
certained for every assistant in every
laboratory. and is published along with
his observations. 1t is not too much
TO say that the magnitude of a mans
personal equation thus indicates very
fundamental popularity of his consti-
tuition.
In similar way, a measurement may
be made of the length of time taken to
receive an idea and act upon it, by ex-
hibiting signal, and calling on the OBJ
server to press stop as quickly as he
can on seeing it. A little time is always
lost in this process, and still more APP
preciable interval, if there be any alter
native, such as black or white signal
to be observed. A series of such expe-
riments, made on a considerable num-
ber of persons, of both sexes, and of
different ages, statures, classes, and ma
tionalities, would, we think, afford in
tcresting and not wholly useless results.
In the first place account should be
taken OF the obvious advantage pos
sessed by short people, in the lesser dis
tance which their sensations and voli-
tions have to travel along their nerves
to and from their brains-the velocity
of such travelling not exceeding the
rate of an express train- Mr.. Galton
says that this fact accounts for the SUI
perior Quickness of small animals in
evading blows. Surely he might add
that it offers an explanation of the pro-
verbal dullness and imperturbability
of giants, and the special animation
and sharpness generally observed in
little men and little women. Between
five feet high and seven feet and half
there may well be the proportion of two
TO three in the rate of transmission of
perceptions from the foot to the brain;
and if this needs to be doubled by a re-
turn message down the motor nerves
from the brain to the foot ito deliver a
kick), the result would he that Just
double the time would be needed by
the big man as by the little. Children
naturally lose the benefit of their small
stature, from want of full command
and correlation of their faculties.