The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-21
BIG AND LITTLE HEADS.
Their Dimensions Are Not Certain Indications
of the Mental Activity Of Their Owners.
Epcei.l to the lrd,ana,olIs Journal

EpcciaI to the 1rdianaaols Journax
My, YORK, Nov. pa tall. bread shouldered
man, with gray hair and whiskers, and the gen
eral air of a worldly innocence that character
ICES the scientific person, visited the Aztec fair.
The mataGors swords and Cabaleros spurs
failed to attract his attention, and he was not
interested IN the frying of tortias
by buxom female descendants of the
Montezumas Adjusting his spectacles
across his nose. and taking brief
survey Of the hall with his beamLg blue eyes,
he rubbed his palms together. andin gratiied
way. softly murmured. "Ohi this saves me quite
ajourney, and drew note book and small steel
tape from his pocket Marching mp tothe near
est hombre, who was industriously fashioning
silver wire into delicate jewelry, the tall man
gently, but firmly drew the tape line around the
astonished greasers head. carefully noted the
measurement and made an entry in his
note book Smiling blandly and reassuringly
upon the exhibit he proceeded TO measure the
Mexicans heads in various ways and make notes.
Before the bewil6ered fellow could collect his
wits. the tall man had moved on to the next
booth and slipped his tape around another skull,
serenely obvous TO the sensation he was Great
+ Ing among the p0HZt0u MeXlcanS. AT laSE ne
tackled a vaquero who could speak English and
wanted 70 know the purpose OF the measure
ments. The investigator explained that he de-
voted his whole time 90 travelling over the world,
measuring peoples heads, and some day he would
write book abont 1t, showing what folks have
the biggest heads of the lot not counting prom
Using young actors or newiy-elect Congressr en-.
The vaouero was disappointed to learn that the
tall man was not an eccentric American philan-
thropist with amlable desire to present new
oar m N
was DR.. Sims, who long ago retired from practice
and took mp theorizing and investigating. In re-
ply to my questions the doctor said: These chaps,
/ fird. have very small heads and consequently
small brains. They are not Aztecs, of course,
but belong to the mixed Spanish and Indian race
of Mexico. The fact that their heads are
small is only another proof OF my theory, or
rather OF my generalization from long obserya-
tion. that the lar gess heads in the cold coun
tries and the size of skull and weight diminish
as you approach the equator. | have measured
heads from Lapland to Egypt and from India to
New Zealand, and the result proves the truth of
the general statement The Lapanders have
the largest heads, and the equatorial races the
smallest But the Lanlander is by no means
prodigy OF mental activity. In fact he is in
elined to be rather stupid. Now, l have discov-
cred that the brain has nothing to do with the
operation of thought The mind as it is called,
is not located in the brain. The brain is a vital
organ. like the heart, and supplies heat to the
body through the nerves. Sever the nerves in
Sleeps neck, and the heat of the body dimin-
lshes IN regular proportion. so many degrees a
minute The experience of arctic explorers has
shown that men with big heads endure the cold
best. The brain Is a life-giying organ.
1t is the dynamo that sends heat and
electricity along the nerves to all parts of the
body. In cold climates more beat is required,
and heart and brains are bigger than in warmer
climates People living near the equator re-
.quire little body hoat, and their heads are
small But the intellect is not affected by the
size of the head. Big men have big heads, but
the smart men are not all big, by any means.
The biggest brain that ever was weighed was
that of congenital idiot The next heaviest
was Ivan Tourgenieffs The latter was Rus
Sian and Russians have big heads because their
country is cold Icould cite facts by the hour
TO prove my theory, and some day the
anatonIists will all agree with me that the old
notion of brain power is entirely erroneous :"
The Doctor sighted another foreign head across
the hail. and, whipping out his tape-line, he
disappeared in the crowd, walking over small
people without noticing their protests in his
anxiety not to lose sight of the new specimen.
j. REID ROBERTS, A. r. A.