Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-06-08

The attitude Of psychology toward the
Aeshy tabernacle Of the soul has gener-
ally been rather dsdainful says Dr.
Edgar @ Beall In the New York Her
aid. Its conception OF mind seems Ia
follow the etymology OF the word
psyche, which means breath or wind;
hence thing having little II any de-
pendence upon psychlcal forms. In
Chicago, however, where there is a Ia
mlllar conjunction OF bulky buildings
and big breezes, It has recently been
sought to show a relation between bulk
Of body and power Of mind. This was
step In the right direction, but the
dlctum, as announced, that heavy
weight people are superior In intellect
IS obviously no more than half true and
so repugnant 10 the lightweight" null
tltudes that vigorous protests are heard
In all parts OF the land
As rule, however these opposing ar
guments coneIst chiefly Of hackneyed
stories about Napoleon, Alexander
Pope Thomas Moore, oliver Wendell
Holmes, Richard Wagner and other
2enuses Of actual or fancIed corporal
dlmlnutyeness, which, unfortunately,
demonstrate merely another half truth
no better than the first.
Here, as often elsewhere IN matters
of science, the conflict OF opinion Is due
10 failure 10 consider all the facts.
Anthropologlsts have, for the most
part, confined their labors IN this direc-
zion simply to various measurements OF
skulls. etc, 10 that the great museums
Of the world have been stocked with
Thousands OF anatomical specimens con o.
corning which nothing Is known except
their meaningless dimensions.
or the frultlessness Of the old anthro-
pology in this respect Professor Alfred
Russell Wallace very APPLY says: 'Ney-
er, perhaps, was 80 much laborious
scientific work productive OF so made
ouate result" On the other hand. the
psychologists have gone TO the other
extreme and have ignored the most i'm
portant physical conditions, with almost
equally valueless results. II ls there
fore, only by the chronological method
OF studying the mind In connection with
Its machinery that either can be rightly
understood.
There is much truth In the old oouplet
Little head. little wit;
Big head not bit
Very large brains are often like man.
moth pumpkins-coarse. fiabby and
porous In structure, and, therefore. In.
capable Of great mental activity or
power Very small heads are always an
evidence Of stunted growth. and. con
sequently weakness Of character and In
tellgence, Hence, the medium sizes are
most frequently the best Other condI-
tlons being equal size Is the measure Of
value IN everything A hve-dolar gold
piece Ia smaller than a silver quarter
yet no one but politician would be
puzzled over the relative worth OF the
two coins And everybody knows that
q gold eagle has double the value Of the
hye-dollar gold piece. The same is true
Of brains OF similar quantity and form
the larger the better.
The proportions OF a head are also OF
the utmost Importance. A brain NAV
be ever so large or fine In quality. and
yet manifest much or little available
talent according 10 the Arrangement OF
us convoluiions Just as a piece NJ steel
IN The form of ball would be compara
lively useless. though n made into an
Ak u might serve 10 cut down q forest
indeed, a perfectly round head would
be niue better than dull nx. ana would
indicate a very brutal character.
certain Inequalities ~ development
are az natural and essential 20 a we'll.
balanced head as the differences IN
length ana strength NJ the fingers 10 d
normal hand This evna'ns WHY marv
man with a Commanding" forehead
Is unable o. c0muete with others loss
importing IN this respect Such a fore.
head might he compared ~ a hand IN
which me little finger has changed
Places with fhe thumb or We might
liken n 70 a large storeroon on a second
iloor With only n narrow stairway lea1-
Ing 10 ne street The goods there might
he excellent, but ihe customers would
he few.
The defect In a head that betravs 20
mental weakness may be very slight
and as likely 10 pass unnoficod hv an.
trained Observers ne an impe-foction IN
the halrsnrlng Of a watch For exam,
pie there f. nothing very striking IN tho
nerrowuess between the eyes Of AmerI.
cons generally as comrarp1 with m
French. yet this popularity reveals y
deHclencv IN th7t p0rt ~ the brain
which gives the sense of FORM and &C.
one Of the CHEZ causes of our railonl'
hackwardness IN matters ~ art. Italso
accounts for GOOD deal NJ the tenacny
WITH which our people cherish the abb
surd bump idea In regard to phren-
ology
IA the development NJ me vital or.
rams largely determines the amount NJ
hutritive force supplied 20 the brain. n
true that stature and weight of body
y very general way indicate capacity
'0r mental ettort gut in judging either