The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-25
ETCHTNGS FROM
CURRENT TOPICS

There is a worthy old man, Lazarus
Morge nthau, now homeless and penniless.
who less than year ago achieved GER
tain noto1iety by founding a society for
the giving of marriage doweries 30 de-
serving orphan gr,s. He baaeved in mat
rimony, and desired TO encourage It
among The poorer classes. But, as is the
fate of many another phfla nthropist Laz-
arus Morgenthau now finds his property
in the hands OF the sheriff and only a
small amount of good accomplished.
Three poor girls were furnished with
doweries, which made them and their
young f1usba nds CONFER able 4n beginning
the ba tie of life. Mr. Morgenthau is now
100 old, being So sears of age, to COM
mence life anew. Tile must accept the
humiliations and disappointments, feel
ing compensation in the happiness OF
the young families to whom he acted as q
philanthropist and Christian. There ARE
cypcs who will chuckle in Moplss to-
pheles kind of way, and insist that ihe ill
luck of Lazarus MoTgenthau came be-
cause of his Ethiopian ideas. But far bet
ter that he should have shown his love for
humanity and have made brave effort
to baghten the lives of The helpless and
the poverty stricken than have lived the
narrow, hear,less existence of the cynto
and pessimist.
Chicago has a new sensation, an eni.fre-
ly novel excitement The Students of the
University of Chicago have organized
am autopsy society for the purpose eff adj
van,ang the science of anthropoicgy. Ills
tlnfa Cd INV l. ha fhatr
bradne shall be furnished the society after
their deaI.h an order that certain investi-
cations of normal brains can be made by
eminent surgeons. Cornell university has
such am organization, and 1T was the de-
sire of Prof. Frederick Starr, who has
charge of class, that the Chicago urE-
versity should follow the example set by
Cornell in ehis matter. Prof. Starr has
become deeply concerned in regard to this
matter, because of the great difficulty Of
procuring the brains of healthy, normal
persons fer dissection ard examination.
Hitherto nearly all the grey matter Sc
cured by Prof. Starr came from the heads
of persons of unsound minds; of abnor-
NAL mental development, or the brains Of
drunkards or pauDers. Prof. Sarr re-
qu.4e.s that The most minute details of the
members lives Stall De KEEP, dHi u eil
full record of the virtues and vices, and
also of their special characteristics, These
histories are to embrace all the years OF
life, beginning with the Infancy OF the
man. The value of each brtIn depends
largely upon the accurate record of ehe
life of the individual.
Thirty members constitute the autop-
sy society, thus far and each man
pledges himself to neither distort or
conceal any particulars which may be
of service to the cause of science.
Every student who is received into this
remarkable organization subscribes to-
the following bequest 81, John Doe, be-
ing of sound mind and in full possession
of my mental faculties, do hereby will
and bequeath my brain in it's entirety
cerebrum, cerebellum, medulla, oblinaga-
ia, pia water ura matters rachnod mem
brane, and all its parts and portions, to
the Autopsy Society," of the University
of Chicago, for use in the laboratories OF
said institution, for~the study of anthro-
pology and the good of SCIENCE
Those persons who have had the oppor-
tunity of listening to the University
course lectures delivered from profess
sors from Chicago's great institution Of
learning, upon such exciting themes as
sociology and Robert Browning, feel that
startling revelations will be made, when
certain craniums are dissected by the
Autopsy Society. 1t is to be hoped that
the result of such Investigations will be
made known to the world.
1t is rot always necessary to use a.
surgeons knife or an x ray to settle the
amount and quality of certain brain de-
velopments. There are unmistakable ex-
ternal sy nptons.
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