The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-02-01
ARE KNOWN BY TaE1R EARS.
crimin.l. May Be Detected by the
Sise and Shape of Their Aural
Appendages.

It is we'll known that lunatics are
distinguished by the peculiar devel-
opment of their ears. "The insane
ear" can be detected at a glance by
an expert alienist. 1t is now claimed
that criminals may likewise be picked
out of a crowd by the distinguishing
marks upon their ears. A new in
vestigator in this field of work, Arthur
Keith, presents some interesting facts
regarding the significance of the varia-:
ton OF human ears. Mr.. Keith, in the
first place, points out how seldom the
ear is described in literature as COM
pared with the space devoted to other
features. He roughly divides the ex-
tremes Of ear types into two classes,
the small, compact ear and the large,
broad ear that often stands out from
the head like "wind sails from the
portfolios of a steamer" The compact
ear he calls the "orang type" and
the broader ear the "chimpanzee
type" According to his classification
the "shell-like" ear of novelists, sup
posedly an indication of high birth, is
nearest the orang type, and he notes
that "of eight peeresses five have ears
OF this type, which certainly lends
some support to the popular SUPPOSE
ton. On the other hand, of five lead
ing lady singers only one shows this
type of ear" AS the broad type fig
ules very little in fiction there seems
to be no popular conclusion regard
ing its significance, SO Mr.. Keith's in
Vestlgation has marked element Of
novelty, observes London exchange.
y In examining the criminal, the in
sane as we'll as the normal classes, in
order to find the ratio of prevalence of
these contrasted ear types Mr.. Keith
discoveries:
"That. taken as class, not as in.
div'duals. criminals show departure
from the sane in their physical consti-
tuition. But what does this really
mean? 1t means, take it, that the
criminal class is recruited in undue
proportion from the group of me n who
manifested 'orang type of ear and
the women who possess the 'chimpan-
zee type A larger proportion of in
dividuals of these two classes is pre-
disposed toward crime than those with
opposite types. But clearly the pres
ence OF the orang type ear in any
individual is of itself no evidence of
this predisposition."
Mr.. Keith, however, not only studied
the variation in the orang and chin.
panzee types, but in that type of ear
which possesses an ear tip or pointed
effect on the outer edge, as we'll as q
weak inner eonvolution, and he says
of the studies:
"All that can be deduced from the
present investigation is that slight,
ly greater proportion of the people
who have ear tips and retrogade
= helices give themselves over to crime
than those in which these two fea
lures are absent. The evidence is Just
!. sufficient to justify the suspicion tina,
v small proportion of criminals ar.
!, criminals because of their physica
: construction, and it is certainly thu
duty of every anatomist to discove,
how such individuals may be recog
+ nized. AS yet all the criminal mark.
l we know of can only be stated in rela
d tive terms of the class and have, un
y fortunately, no application to tn,
. individual"