The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-04-08
WEIGHT OF THE BRAIN.
Researches Made by DR.. simm. Show
That It Is Not in Relation
with Intellect.

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The weight of the brain varies in
adult and healthy human beings.
Among the white races the average be-
tween the ages Of 80 ami 40, when it at
tains its maximum development, is
l.3oS srammes for men and 1856 for
women. Placing the weight Of the fe-
male brain at 100. the male brain would
weigh 112, other things being equal.
This difference canro, be- ascribed to
the relatively smaller size of women
as compared with men. 1t has been
shown that the height of the sexes is
as 92.7 for women to 100 for man.
whereas the weight of her brain is as
900 to 100. The brain is therefore real
~ lighter in the case of women. This
obtains at all ages.
Tables drawn up by l'roca respecting
347 healthy brains show that this organ
increases up to he age of 40, remains
stationary up to 80, and then loses
weight. Beyond the age of 60 men lose
So per cent. aud women AZ per cent.
of the maximum weight.
The brain increases in proportion to
the vascular activity which proceeds
therein. This explains why the brains
of certain criminals and mad persons
are very volulninous. But Of all the
kinds of activity that which conforms
to the purpose of the organ appears
to be the most eflicacous. Such is the
physiological activity of which intelli-
gence is the result. The weights record
ed by many scientists prove it. The
brain of the great paleontologist. Guy
Ter. which weighed l.S30 grammes, is
held to be an argument in itself, and
fhe same applies to the no less remark
able. though inferior, weight of the
brains of Abercrombie, Bruce and Du
puytren. 1t is because women develop
less cerebral activity that their brains
are lighter.
All this had led to the conclusion that
the weight of the brain increased with
use and with the profession, and cspe-
cially with the degree of intelligence.
At the present time it is somewhat
arbitrarily admitted that there is a rela-
ton between the weight of the brain
and intellectual capacity. notwithstand-
ing that the idea encounters contra
Gic:ory facts now and then. For in
stance, the brain Of Gambetta was very
much below the average, weighing only
loo grammes.
Mr.. j Simms has just collected a num-
Der of other awkward instances. Ac-
corGing to his researches the heaviest
brain on record so far is hat Of a Lon
don ncwsboy. who was rather daft; it
weighing 2.4CO Yrammes. After this
comes the brain of Russian, a poor. ig-
roramt Scandinavian peasant, weight
2.3iu orammes.
The brain of Il dwarf findoo woman
weighed 1900 grammes. which gives her
IL superiority of 10 grammes over the
heaviest brain of man of intellect,
that of Toorgenef, which weighed 2.l30
grammes.
Mr.. Simms las found that the brains
of GO famous persons weighed on an av-
rrage 200 granmcs less than ten brains
Of idiots and five brains Of defective in
tellect. TIe consequently refuses to adj
nit any real relationship between in
telligence and encephalic bulk. He
thinks that question should be recon-
sidered in order to correct an error
which has obtained credit only because
of the reputation Of the man who
promulgated it.
1t is certain that intellect cannot be
weighed by the pound like sugar. The
quality, not the quantity. of the cere-
hral tissue. is the determining factor.
But for the time being there is no way
of measuring tn. y. Herald