Evening star., 1901-05-25
What Might Result.


Frank nstein's creation, pictured by the
imagination of Mrs. Shelley, might result
from such d wholesale attempt at giant
culture as proposed by this French count.
DR.. Thomas Wilson, the learned curator
of prehistoric anthropology at the United
States National Museum. who has made a
scientific investigation of all phases Of
gigantiSm. SAYS that the average giant.
while personally goodnatured. is physical
" weak and not over intelligent. More
over, the bodies and limbs of giants are
rarely symmetrical. DR.. Charles l.. Dana,
the fam Jus naturalist, believed gigantism
TO be a nervous disorder due to an en-
laIgement of what is known as the pitui-
tary gland d growth which in normal per
sens appears a little depression, about
the size of a pea, at the bottom Of the
brain and just above the roof of tn" throat.
It appears to separate from the blood some
material with which it nourishes the nerve
C.nters of the brain. When it is destroyed
the body wastes and growth stops. When
it is enlarged or Over-active excessive
growth results. If gigantism IS a disease
and giants after all are degenerates their
fceble-mndeduess and degeneracy would
perhaps be increased by constant inter-
marriage, just as does the degeneracy of
the criminal and insane classes. If prOpa-
cation became so complete as to deprive
the issue of reason. the race of giants re
suting from such a scheme of wholesale
rterbreedng and selective propagation
Il
neither ornamental nor useful additions to
the human family.
Freak Giants.
Neither the parents, brothers nor sisters
OF freak giants have been particularly alb
normal In height breadth or weight, as
far as is known. M V. Bates, a giant
said to be now living upon a farm in
Kentucky, some years ago toured the coun-
try with various circuses. His height is
feet pa inches He married a fair young
giantess feet AZ inches tall. They had q
child which weighed twenty-five pounds at
birth but it lived only a short time. a
Scranton. Pa. giant. Gilbert. who died in
Elizabeth street, New York, six years ago,
travelled with many shows He measured
feet : inches when laid out by the under
taker. He married girl very nearly his
own height but there Is no record that
they had any children.
Leaving freak giants out OF considera-
tion il Is of course recognized that great
stature can be Inherited The best evil
dence that such a characteristic can be
developed and increased by careful propa-
CATION may be found in the case Of the
great wrestlers of Japan. They are much
taller than the Japanese as race. They
have for centuries been bred by careful Sc
lection. Moreover. careful breeding of
domestic animals proves what Selective pro-
cesscs may accomplish. Beeves bred for
food have been increased two-fold in size
| within the past two centuries. The same
| is accomplished with the vegetable king
| dom, where giants, by careful selection Of
| seed. being grown every year in excess
| of size over their parent plants. Thus have
| the huge apples of today been artificially
| bred from fruit about the size Of the crab
apple.
Man Once 1913 Feet Tall.
| According to estimates based upon biblical
| data Adam was 123 feet inches and Eve
| lis feet inches tall. Accepting this as
true. they We're about the height Of our
modern ten-story buildings, Count de
| Pierrecourt hopes to regenerate the human
species. and perhaps he saw in the remote
| vista of the future possibility Of breed
| ing race of men of Adamic proportions,
TO be sure, his fund is perpetual, and un-