The morning times., 1897-01-17
WHAT PRODUCED GIANTS?.
DR.. Thomas Wilson Has Written
a Paper on This.
A MOST INTERESTING WORK
He Made List Of the Best Known
Tall People of Medieval and Mod
ern Times Murphy Stood 8 Feet
10 Inches-They Were All Heavy
weights.

Washington, Jan. 9.-Dr. Thomas VIII
son, curator of the department of pre-
historic anthropology OF the Smithsonian
Institution, has about completed a very
interesting investigation of the causes that
produce giants, and is writing paper on
the subject of giants, ancient and modern
This study was brought about by continual
inquiries of people in different parts of the
country in regard to giants. There is
very little precise scientific information
on the subject, and not unit the last few
years has 1T been looked into at all by eth
nologists or Psychologists. Prof. Wilson
says that the giants of nursery tales excite
the admiration and the fear of the infan-
tile population, for they are described as
strong, bold, cruel and voracious. AS n
matter OF fact, giants generally are weak
physically, good-natured personally andnot
overintelligent. They are ofteninactive and
feeble, but rarely evl-mihded.
There has for a long time existed in
many quarters the belief, fostered chiefly
by the tales of Sir Waiter Scott and other
writers 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 accoutrements. This idea also
has been held in regard to prehistoric
man, chiefly on account of early myths.
| Nevertheless the notion that the pre-fIis-
toric man was taller or larger than modern
| man has now been entirely exploded. The
bronze swords OF prehistoric times have
handles smaller than those of today; 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 ambiguously.
| The Greek word which has come to signify
| giant meants originally the races of men
| who were earth born, in distinction from
| those born of God, who had the divine na-
| ture. This statement of the modern scicn
| lists dIsagrees With various inyesti cations
| OF the subject Thus, in 111s, Henriot, a
! member Of the French Academy, published
| 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 personIges of the Bible were of the
| following height: Adam % feet 8 inches;
| Eve, Is feet Q inches 8 lines; Noah, p
! feet; Abraham, 20 Feet and Moses. feet.
| 1t was not uutii the Investigations Of DIT.
Brinton of Philadelphia and DR. Charles l.
| Dana of New York that any precise knowl-
| edge was had in regard to the cause OF
| gGantism, which was stated by DR.. Dana
to be a disease, nervous disorder having
| its seat in the pituitary gland. The gland
| appears to furnish 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 tendency to-
| ward mediocrity or average stature. Tall
| parents have children shorter than them
| selves, and short parents children taller
| than themselves. This rule does not, per-
| haps, extend in its application to the en-
| tire human race, but it appears to apply to
| each race, tribe or group. The avera ge
| stature in Patagonia will tend toward So
| meters; in England, to feet l-2; in
| France, TO 90 meters; among the Bush
| men and the Papuans, as races, feet 4
| inches and 4 feet 3.
| Prof. Wilson speaks OF the mythical giants
| of the Gollen age and the accounts of them
| given by Homer and Hesiod about 600 B.
| C. They concerned themselves in that day,
| as many brilliant theorists do at the present
| time in imagining the birth OF the world
and the origin of man. They described
| the giant gods and goddesscs engaged in
| tie laudablr occupation Of starting the
| infant world and peopling it with beings o {
| great strength and stature and beauty of
| form, who were the representatives, if not
| the proge nitOrs, OF all the virtues and some
| of the vices that belong to mankind. 1t is
not, however until we come to the giants
| of medieval times that there is any informa-
| ton which has a senblance of verify, and
| even here there are large discrepancies
| Prof. Wilson has studied at some length
| tile various authorities, and has made Il
| list of the best known giants of medieval
| and modern times, which he has arranged
| chronologically, thus:
| Name. Date Height
| Evans 1872 feet.