The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-01
GENIUS AND STATURE.
Physical MediOcrity Genius Seems to
AbhOr.



We may safely conclude from the figures
that the faith cherished by many, that
nearly all great men are Httle-a very ven
cradle faith indicated by the ancient
sayings collected by Burtons Anatomy of
Melancholy concerning great wits with lit
tie bOdieS-iS absolutely incorrect. Some de-
duction must doubtless be made in view of
the fact that our medium is made on the
basis of the general population, while the
majority OF men OF genius belong to the
tend to equaliZe the two extremes but
that it would not destroy the slight pre-
emience of the tall man of ability is per-
haps Indicated by the fact, shown by the
Anthropometric committee, that the stat
ure of ninety-eight Fellows of the Royal
society (who from the present point OF view
may be counted as men OF genfus) was
nearly half an inch above that of the pro-
fessional class to which they usually be-
long. At the same time it is clear that
the belief in the small size of great men
was not absolutely groundless. There is
an abnormally large proportion of small
genius seems to abhor. While among the
ordinary population the vast majority of 6S
per cent. was Of middle height. among men
of genius, so far as the present investiga-
ton goes, they are only y per cent, the
tall being Al per cent, instead Of TO- and
the short 81 instead of Is
The final result is, therefore. not that
persons of extraordinary mental ability
tend either to be taller or shorter than the
tend to exhibit an unusual tendency to
variation Even in physical structure, men
of genius present a characteristic which on
other grounds may take to be funda-
mental in them; they are manifestations of
the variational tendency, of physical and
psychic variational diathesis.
There are certainly at least two types of
short men of genius: the Slight, frail, but
fairly symmetrical type approaching what
is called the true DWARF, and the type of
the stunted giant Ga type also to be found
among dwarfs proper) The former are
fairly symmetrical but fragile; generally
with little physical Vigor health, all
their energy being concentrated in the
brain. Kant was of this type. The stunted
giants are usually more vigorous, but lack
ing in symmetry. From being deicately
diminutive persons they suggest tall per-
such the brain and Viscera seem to flourish
at the expense of the limbs, and while alb
normal they often have the good fortune
to be robust both in mind and body. Lord
Chesterfield was a man of this type, short
for his size, thck-set, with a head big
enough for Polyphemus;' Hartley Cole
ridge carried the same type to the verge of
caricature possessing large head,
sturdy and ample form, with ridiculously
small arms and legs, so that he was said
to be ''indescribably elfish and grotesque."
Dryden-"Poet Squab'-was again of this
type as was William Goodwin; in Keats the
abnormally short legs coexisted with a
small head. The typical stunted giant has
a large head; and such stunting of the
badly has, indeed. a special tendency to pro-
duce large heads, and therefore doubtless
those large brains which are usually asso-
ciated with extraordinary intellectual
power.