Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-07-19
WEIGHT OF BRAIN
DOES NOT DETERMINE INTEL
LIGENCE OF MAN.
May Be Defective in Part and Yet
the Person May Become Noted
for Mental Brill
ancY.
aIlcy.


Other factors besides brain weight
are known to influence intelligence. II
has long been known that the distin-
guished character of the human brain
is the large number of connecting
fbers by which its cells are coor-
dinated. In no other species are they
so numerous or complicated. The cells
constitute but very small part OF the
weight. says American Medicine.
There is now considerable evidence
that the same rule applies among in
dividual men and that those OF great
intelligence have more connections, SO
that their cells can do more and bet
ter team work"
Some investigations have shown the
corpus callosum TO have a large cross
section in men who had shown great
ability. Ii is also known that the
brains of able men are likely to pre-
sent more convolutions and deeper
ones than the average, as If there
were more brain cells as well as more
connections. A few observations IN
the lower races point TO the fact that
their brains are essentially different
in microscopic organizations, partly
accounting for less intelligence.
All these facts will fully explain
why men of intelligence in the higher
races may have brains not notably
heavy, but they do not disproye the
general statement that as a class such
men do possess brains heavier than
the average.
The mistake arises from the fail
ure to recognize that noted men VINO
have shown intellectual power not IN
frequently were sharply limited "a one
or two directions, being very defective
in other directions.
Blind Tom was an IDIOT, In faet-an
extreme case OF what is quite common.
1t the other extreme was Gambetia,
who was not much more than an
orator whose cerebral speech centers
we're found to be highly developed.
The rest of his brain was small and
his general intellectual power en-
I judgments were decidedly defective.
Ability in one or two lines may make
a man famous while he is really very
defective and his brain proves 70 be
: small.
Heavy brains are not necessarily in
tellectual ones e. elephants would be
In a class of geniuses. The mitsf'al
might also be pathologie and the pos
SCISSOR an imbecile.
IL often happens that men Of big
brain and great ability suffer ON
early neglect and are found in Lowry
employments or may remain ignorant
through life. These few facts do not
prove that large brains are worthless
and not indicative Of mental power as
a rule. We can not get away from the
fact that man as an animal is supreme
because of his large brain, that among
races the brainiest are the highest and
that in any case one race the most
intelligent as a rule are those who
have the most brains.
Men of small brains are not the lead
ers and no statistics of the brain
weight of few exceptional men
noted for limited abilities can reverse
the rule. Universities do not create
brains but merely train what exist 50
that the owners are better fitted for
the battle of life Many a man is sent
to college who should be handling a
pick and shovel. and he never amounts
to much, even though he subsequently
makes his living at some very limited
speciality.