Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-13

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The Lines of Measurement
''In men noted for great attainments anc
intellectual capacity all the diameters anG
arcs OF the skull are far above the normal
averages. In other words, their heads are
larger. In many criminals the diameters
and arcs are below the normal average, and
there is also great ,abnormality in shape, es.
pecially in hereditary criminals. One side
of the head may be larger than the other,
the forehead may retreat, or there NAV be
some other lack Of symmetry and propor.
ton. Often the teeth, jaws and ears are de-
! formed.
LOCATION OF THE FACULTIES.
GAIL the higher mental faculties are To-
Gated in the frontal lobes of the brain, and
these naturally have direct proportion to
the length and breadth of the forehead.
Just back of this region are the muscular
centers and the centers for cutaneous sensa-
tion. The muscular abilities of a person,
together with all OF his intellect in which
there is muscular element, are directly
proportioned to the size of this part of the
skull. In a person who has been par
alyzed on one side of the body in infancy,
the skull is fattened on the opposite side
and these muscular centers have disap-
peared. This might be called the middle
region of the skull, that part over the top of
the head between the ears. Directly behind
the ears and a little above are the centers for
remembering that which is heard, and here
are undoubtedly located some of the muscu-
lar faculties, for instance the wonderful
memory of musical compositions such as
was possessed by Blind Tom.
''The memory OF everything seen is stored
tl IL IL
therefore, people of great perceptive power
and who we'll remember all their perceptions
will be found to have large development
on the back OF the head. 1t has been noted
that in people born blind this part OF the
head is smaller than it should be. In con-
tradistinction to quack phrenology the per-
ceptive' power is located here in place of
Calls philoprogenitivenes and bump of
amativeness. Gall located the perceptive
power Immediately over the eye behind
which is a cavity in the bone containing no
brain
AVERAGE SKULL MEASUREMENTS.
"The average circumference of an adult
mans skull is 2O1S inches and of an admit
woman's 1897 inches. The average length
of the arc from the root of the nose over the
top of the head 20 the most prominent point
on the back of the head is in man 125s inches
and in the woman 12H. The average length
of the arc from one ear to the other, over the
highest part of the head, is in a man 125S
inches and In a woman 12H. The average
antero- -posterior diameter, that is from the
middle OF the forehead in straight line to
the hindmost part of the head, is in man
inches and in woman 6A. The average
diameter through the widest part of mans
head, from side to side in a straight line, is
5A inches and of woman's head 81 inches.
These are only few OF the more import
ant measurements taken. l never made less
than II measurements and three drawings
of each head. But in the most careful
studies sometimes from 80 to 130 separate
arcs and diameters are measured. 1t will
be seen that the head of woman is on an
average smaller than that of a man, just as
her brain weighs several ounces less While
it may be taken as a general rule that
head of large dimensions is associated with
unusual capacity in some one or other
direction, 1t is of course not always the
case. One can easily imagine or may even
have met with persons with large heads who
seemed to enjoy considerable emancipation
from the bonds of intellect, and one can
readily conceive of much OF their brain
substance being replaced by more ordinary
TISSUES or substances required to prevent the
lOrmaIlOn OF vacuum.
PACKING OF THE BRAIN.
''The skull bones may be twice as thick
as usual; or there may be an unusual
amount of fluid in the cavities of the brain
and its coverings. Again, a person with
rather small head may have more thinking
centers to the cubic inch of brain than the
other, less fat, less water. less packing of
every kind, as in the case of Gambetta,
whose brain was rather small. The word
packing is an excellent one to use in this
for it describes the condition
perfectly. Just as delicate china or glass
vessels are packed away in sawdust, hay,
ETC., for shipping, so the fragile cells con-
tanning memories and thoughts are packed |
away IN an enormous quantity OF substance,
known as connectiye-tissue which differs |
relatively little from hav and sawdust in |
structure as seen under the microscope, and |
which serves an equally efficient purpose.
Hence an idiot is occasionally, though in |
deed rarely, seen with an unusually large |
head; but in the packing of his cranlum,
structures were left out by the |
thoughtless workmen, and only the hay and
sawdust slowed away.
There is great variation in the shape of |
heads even under normal conditions.
Some persons are spoken of as long-headed
and others as rounG-headed. This has
reference to the shape of the head when
looked at from above or when seen In the
impression made by the conformateur of the
halter. In the round-head the transverse
and antero posterior diameters are nearly
equal, and what is lost in length is gained
in breadth. 1t is the same with the long head
What is lost in breadth is made up in
length.
A MIssHAPEN cRANIUM.
"If the head is markedly abnormal in
shape, the brain is probably defective in
ome way. A person with a misshapen
head is likely to be criminal, crank or at
east very eccentric parsonage; and at the
anne time il the head be large he may have
talent or genius in addition to
lis perverted morals and idiosyncracies.
Thus the Emperor of Spain, Charles ",
vho was one of the greatest monarchs Of
Europe, had an abnormally shaped head
md lace, while having extraordinary
.bilities in many ways he was subject to fits