The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-07-08
Skulls and Brains.

The weight OF the brain has orren
been held to be the criterion of the
mind, though, apart from the want of
confirmation obtained by investigation,
there are various theoretical difficulties.
The brain, whatever other function it
may have, is undoubtedly source of
power supplied to the muscles, and we
are ignorant to what extent the activity
of the muscular system or the size OF the
body may influence that of the brain.
We know that muscle grows by judi
cious exercise; why, then, should not
the brain, supplying it with the nerve
force necessary for its increased duties,
enlarge pari passus 1t may be doubt
full whether we can prove this is so. 1t
is, think, certain that we can not
prove that it is not so. DIR. LeBon, in
work to which | shall refer again, has
decided that the height of a person has
an effect, though very slight one, on the
size of the brain. He found that the
influence of the weight of the body is
greater, but by no means sufficient to
account for the variations of the brain.
Another disturbing element is age. 1t
has been estimated that after rather
uncertain date, say As years, the brain
gradually dwindles. Again, may not
some wasting disease preceding death
cause shrinking of the organ, and may
not other pathological changes increase
its density? All these sources of error
must make us skeptical as to individual
results. though, at the same time, we
cannot free ourselves from some share in
the general belief that the weight of the
brain is an index of the mind.
The weight of the brains of numbers
of known men, distinguished and other
wise, has been cited for and against
this theory. Cuvier is usually found
heading the list, with II brain weight of
64. 33 ounces. (The average for the male
is between 40 and 50,) One is struck
with the apparent propriety that this vast
intellect should have worked through n
heavy brain. Within the last ten years,
however, laborer has died in En-
gland whose brain weighed 81 ounces.
OF his history and habits little is
known. Though intelligent for his
rank in life, he apparently gave no
signs of fitness for higher one.
His most intellectual trait, if l re-
member rightly, was his fondness
for reading newspapers, probably
the only literature he could OBJ
tain. "Chill penury" may have "re-
pressed his noble rage" if he had any.
He may have been n mute, inglorious
Milton" But who knows whether the
sublime imaginations of the poet betoken
remarkable cerebral development? The
late James Fisk, Jr., had brain weigh
ing fifty-eight ounces, surprising Dan
iel Webster, Chauncey, Wright, Dupay-
tren and mathematician of the first
rank. Indeed, all these, except Fisk,
came after man who from his second
year was reckoncd an idiot. A cele-
brated philologist is below the average,
and a distinguished mineralogist much
below it, In spite Of many exceptions,
however, we find distinguished men
most numerous near the top of the list,
and laborers, criminals and idiots at the
other end of it. y n
Anatomists give very discordant di.
rcctions for determining the sex OF
skulls. In great many cases it cannot
be determined. The female skull, as a
rule, is smaller than the male, and, more
over, the jaws and prominences for
muscles are less developed, consequent
ly the brain case, though smaller than in
man, is larger in proportion to the face.
DR.. LeBon gives some very curious
statistics concerning the capacities of
female skulls. There is no question
that the differences in skull and brain
between the sexes increase with the de-
gree of civilization; but it is astonishing
that, while the skulls of male Prussians
are among the largest, those of the
women are remarkably small; they arc
even smaller than those of the women Of
Polynesia, and but little above those of
the women of New Caledonia. This is q
fact not easy to account for.-Interna'
tionoi Reuiet0.