Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-05-14
GAVE GRAINS TO SCIENCE.
More similar Bcquests Wanted
A strong Demand.

More Similar requests Wanted
A Strong Demand.
1t may not be generally known
that over the civilized world there is
a strong demand for brains that are
a little above the average in quality;
not intelligence, intellect. or genius.
but literally that part OF the human
organism 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 bet
ter to dissect than the brains of pau
pers and lunatics. These, however,
leave much to be desired. and ii is to
the interest of the human family
that the brains of cultured and
learned people should be placed at
the disposal of those patient and la
borious men who are engaged in the
vastly important work of unravelling
| the secrets OF the working of the
mind.
But IL 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 famous au-
thority on comparative anatomy. in
addressing an audience of cultured
men and women, spoke of the difi-
culties he and his fellow workers had
to contend with in having little else
than brains of people OF low intellect
to dissect, and went so far as to APP
peal to the audience to help science
In this matter in the only possible
way
On the conclusion of his address
several members of the audience, in
Guiding few ladies, promised to be-
queath their brains to him, and, 1t is
said, proved as good as their word.
More than one man of great emil
nence has regarded il as something
in the nature of duty to do this in
the interest of science. Prof. Gold
win Smith, for instance, some time
ago formally willed HIS brains to
Cornell University.
Some remarkable brains have been
sold, not given. An Englishman who
calls himself Datas has disposed of
his to an American university for
10000 He is a man of little edu-
cation, and for many years worked
as a. coal miner But he has a mar
vellous memory, especially for dates,
and is now earning a handsome in
come on the music hall stage Any
member of the audience may ask him
the date of some occurrence, and is
answered instantly. II is considered
that HIS brain must show some very
unusual development and there was
not little bidding to secure 1t after
death.
1t stands to reason that the brain
Of a man of intellect offers a much
richer field for observation than the
brain of pauper or some other hui
man derelict. The brains of great
men vary very much, more, in fact,
than do those of nonentities. IT Is
found that men OF encyclopaedia
mind have large and heavy brains
Gladstone had TO wear very big
hat with an enormous bed of gray
matter and numerous convolutions;
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 imag-
Inc that this is a sign of small mem
tai capacity A visitor who was
shown the skull of Cromwell was 50
disappointed at its size that the care
taker of the relic endeayored to con-
sole him by saying that this was the
skull of the great Roundhead when
he was boy Prof Symes-Thomp-
son told this anecdote in a recent lee
ture. and he also mentioned that
Newton was SO small when born that
he could put inside a quart pot. !.