The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-13
GAVE BRAINS TO SCIENCE.
More Similar Bequests Wanted-Men
With Big and Little Heads.

It may not be generally known that
all over the civilized world there is
strong demand for brains that are a
little above the average III quality;
not intelligence, intellect or genius, but
literally that part of the human organ
ism which is contained within the
skull and is known as the brain.
Scientists who devote themselves to
the study of comparative anatomy
have for the most part nothing better
to dissect than the brains of paupers
and lunatics These, however, leave
much TO be desired and learned people
should be placed at the disposal of
those patient and laborlous men who
are engaged in the vastly important
work of unraveling the secrets of the
workings of the mind.
But it must not be supposed that a
certain number Of such brains are not
forthcoming. Comparatively speaking
they are few, but still more numerous
than most people imagine. In the great
majority of cases they are bequeathed
by their respective owners. On one
occasion Sir William Fowler, the ia.
nous authority on comparative anato-
my, in addressing an audience of cul-
tured men and women, spoke of the
difficulties he and his fellow workers
had to contend with in having little
else than the brains of people of low
intellect TO dissect, and went so far
as to appeal to the audiences TO help
science in this matter in the only pos
sible way.
On the conclusion Of his address sew
eral members of the audience, including
a few ladies, promised to hequeath
their brains TO him, and, it is said.
proved as good as their word. More
than one man of great eminence has
regarded it as something in the nature
of n duty to do this in the interest of
science. Prof. Goldwin Smith, for in
stance, some time ago formally wllled
his brains to Cornell University.
Some remarkable brains have been
sold, not given. An Englishman who
calls himself Datas has disposed of his
to au American university for $4,000.
He is a man of little education. and for
many years worked as a coal miner.
But he has a marvellous memory. es-
pecially for dates, and is now earning
handsome income on the music hall
stage ANY member of the audience
may ask him the date of some occur
renee and is answered instantly. 1t is
considered that his brain must show
some very unusual development, and
there was not q little bidding to secure
it after death.
1t stands to reason that the brain of
a man of intellect offers much richer
field for observation than the brain of
pauper or some other human derelict,
The brains of great men vary very
much, more, in fact, than do those of
nonentities, It is found that men of
encyclopedia mind have large and
heavy brains-Gladstone had to wear a
very big hat-with an enormous bed
of gray matter and numerous convolu-
tions; on the other hand, men whose
genius is concentrated upon one line
of thought are of small brain, and con-
sequently have a small head.
Newton, Byron and Cromwell be-
longed to this class, and each had a
small head. Yet many people imagine
that this is sign Of small mental ca
pacity. A visitor who was shown the
skull of Cromwell was so disappointed
at its size that the caretaker of the
relic endeavored to console him by say
ing that this was the skull of the great
Roundhead when he was boy, Prof.
Symes-T Thompson told this anecdote in
a recent lecture, and he also mentioned
that Newton was so small when born
that he could be put inside quart pot.
Scientific American.