Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-05-13
wALL WORK GUARANTEED.
STUDYING GIANTS.
Nursery Tales Shattered by Science
Recent Investigations.

Nursery Tales Shattered by Science
Recent Investigations.
Dr. Thomas Wilson, curator of the de-
partment of prehistoric anthropology
of the Smithsonian Institution, has
about completed very interesting in
yestigaticn of the causes that produce
giants, and is writing paper OH the
subject of giants, ancient and modern.
This study was brought about by con-
tinual inquiries of people in different
parts of the country in regard to giants.
There is very little precise scientific in
formation on the subject, and not until
within the last few years has it been
looked into at all by ethnologists or
Psychologists. Prof. Wilson says that
the giants of nursery tales excite the adj
miration and the fear of the infantile
reputation, for they are described as
strong, bold, cruel and voracious. AS
matter of fact, giants generally are
weak physically, good-natured person
ally, and not overintelligent. They are
often inactive and feeble, but rarely
evil-minded.
There has for long time existed in
many quarters the belief, fostered chief
ly by the tales of Sir Walter Scott and
other writer's about the times of the
Crusaders, that the men of the Tenth
and Eleventh centuries were gigantic
in stature, and must have been so to
carry their heavy armor and accoutre-
ments. This idea also has been held in
regard to prehistoric man, chiefly on ac-
count of early myths. Nevertheless,
the notion that prehistoric man was
taller and larger than modern man has
now been entirely exploded. The
bronze swords of prehistoric times have
handles smaller than those of to-day;
in fact, the grip is too small for the
hand of our average man.
The Bible uses the word "giant" many
times, but Prof. Wilson says that upon
an investigation of the use of the word
it is found that it has been used am
biguously. The Greek word which has
come to signify giant meant originally
the races of men who were on earth
born, in distinction of those born of
God, who had the divine nature. This
statement of the modern scientists dis
agrees with previous Investigations of
the subject. Thus, in 171s Henriot,
member of the French academy, pub
lished work on the great decrease in
stature and physical conformation of
the human race between the creation
and the Christian era. According to his
calculations at that time various per-
souages of the Bible were of the follow
ing heights: Adam, 1913 feet 9 inches;
Eve, 118 feet 9 inches 9 lines; Noah, 1877
feet; Abraham, 20 feet. and Moses. 10
feet.
1t was not until the Investigations of
DR.. Brinton, of Philadelphia, and DIR.
Charles L. Dana, of New York, that any
precise knowledge was had in regard
to the cause of giantism, which was
stated by DIR. Dana to be disease,
nervous disorder having its seat in the
pituitary gland. The gland appears to
furnish some material necessary to the
proper growth and action of the nerve
tissues, and separates from the blood
some substance having an important
use in the human economy. In healthy
persons, when the pituitary gland is not
considered, there is one rule which
seems to be borne out by experience,
and that is a tendency toward medi-
ocrity or average stature. Tall parents
have children shorter than themselves,
and short parents have children taller
than themselves. This rule does not,
perhaps, extend in its application to the
entire human race, but it appears to
apply to each race. tribe or group
Washington Cor. N. Y. Sun.