Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-30
BRAINS AND CORPuLENCY.
A Genius who Proposes 60 Inyesstrase
Their Relations.

Their Relations.
A LoNG-HArREp PHILOSOPHERS AND HIS Nr..
SION NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. As AN Xxx.
DETRIMENTAL FIELD-FAr AND LEAN MrN
AND THEIR COMPARATIVE INTELLIGENCE.
He had o mission and IL had brought him
from a remote village Of the far west 20 the ma.
tons capital He did not come as the represen-
tative OF any body OF men, but in the interest Of
science and the advancement o. knowledge.
The style OF wearing the hair I'm the vicinity
OF his home was entirely In favor OF ,ong fow-
ing locks, and he had not had an on lortunity
since his arrival 20 change Il in c, nformity
with the prevailing mode. The cut OF his
clothes was open To criticism, but he Lad evil
IDENTIFY not given much attention TO su IN con-
Germs, and then besides he had more I'm ,ortaut
matters TO think about The earnest, ,elf-cen-
tered manner. which brought every cast nj {. NJ
versation finally 90 one subject proclaimed this
and " was not difficult to learn what was tha
question OF paramount Importance i'm his esti-
nation. so that when a STAR reporter came I'm
contact with him IL was not many minutes be-
"Did you ever think OF the relations which
brain power bears TO the mere physical Aissues
OF the bodye"
TT THE STAR man was somewhat staggered by
this inquiry, but remarked that he had not
given the subject very much attention.
PERPLExING PROBLEM
''Of course you havnt." replied the man. "a n
he was accustomed to such replies. "But have.
L have thought about IL great deal. IL is "a
very interesting subject when you come TO give
some attention 10 IL, but at the same time IL Is
rather perplexing and intricate one To put
II simply, the problem may thus be stated: Does
ratio to the extent OF the adipose tissue. The
authorities all say that fat is the result largely
OF bodily Inactivity, and that it may be taken
as an indication of sluggish mental powers hut
am inclined to doubt their dictum. Among thu
people living in my neighborhood there are
many exceptions There are fat men who are
smart and fat men who are stupid Then on
the other hand there some bright lean men
AS Wen s as some sluggish lean men, SO that YOU
see from the range OF my observation the die
, ,um OF the philosophers is not At all estab-
coRPuLENr But BRIGHT.
snow, for instance" he went on with in
creased earnestness, as he thrust his finger into
the button-hoie Of the listeners coat, "there Is
my Congressman. He ia, undoubtedly. one Of
the greatest men OF the country. He stands NJ
the head In our section, as suppose that ala
members OF Congress do I'm their respective dis
tricts de can beat the ministers talking, he
knows more than the doctor and the LAWYER and
when he rides around Just before election he
can give the farmers points about soils and Ter
are all very proud OF him. But he is not a lean
man; he Is lat Now, you see, there is Ques-
ton about his intellectual power, for, as have
SAID, ne Is the chief man In our country. Ii,
however, il is true that the accum ulation of fat
Is not accompanied with brain force thon our
Congressman is exception TO the rule But
1 have found other exceptions In our neigbbor-
hood, of course not so notable. Then when Il
read that David Hume. Edward GIbbon, Napo-
leon ana other great men, past and present.
were corpulent am still further At sea on this
question"
CONGRESS AS AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUND.
You are over your head, as IL WERE" re-
marked The STAR reporter. as he tried to move
| of.
"Not entirely, )" replied the stranger. rs he took
another hitch in his finger through the button
hole. II have devised q scheme which I think
doubt. My field OF operation has hitherto been
limited. have come down here where the rem
resentative men OF the nation are 10 be found.
take II that all the members of Congress ara
like our member, the smartest men In their re-
spective districts, and hence, taken as a body,
tives ofthe highest intellectual development OF
the country. 1 propose TO ascertain the weight
OF every member OF Congress and then get tho
average weight of each compa ed with the
total weight. This will demonstrate the exact
degree of corpulency which is consistent with
| inquiry may be pushed even further. You can
| aggregate the weight of the largest members OF
| Congress and strike an average. Or else you
conceded TO have demonstrat ted the possession
OF high degree of brain force and learn the
average pounds avordupois TO each man. some
hundreds of years ago. the same system WAS
applied to the members of the English parlia-
ment, but the inquiry was pursued for par
tlsan purpose, and the result. showing that the
Irish members had more ability I'm proportion
| to their avordupois than others, has not the
Naiue W Inc Investigator tndt such
inquiry ought properly to have have not
been able TO find the figures of this investiga-
ton, but simply the above deduction as re-
member reading IL in some book where IL was
merely referred TO. am going right TO work %
get my materials, and think that the results
will be OF benefit TO the world"
AN IMPARTIAL INQUIRY.
81 suppose that you want to persuade people
to get fat" said THE STAR man, somewhat inn
patient at his long detention.
81 am an impartial, independent investiga-
tor, replied the long-haired philosopher, with
great solemnity OF manner. 81 seek the truth
The data which / obtain may urove that
corpulency is prejudical TO the develop
ment and exercise OF mental powers. shall
not try to evade such a deduction. Whatever
conclusions may be iegitimately drawn from
my investigations will be impartially made
known to the world. But think that Congress
ought to authorize commission conduct
such an investigation. Now don't you think"
But THE STAR man refused to. think. and the
statistical philosopher suddenly found himself
without a listener, and after a moment OF de-
lection frightened up and went in search OF q
new victim.