Bridgeton pioneer., 1912-10-03
BRAIN OF The
LATE DR.. NIECE
Dr. Spltzka Reports That It
Weighed 1910 Grams.
LISTED WITH 100 OTHERS.
Ivan Turgenev's Is Far In the Lead.
Ben Butler, oIney, the Mathemati- =
clan, and Thackeray Ranked High,
Webster and Schubert Low.

Webster and Schubert Low.
Colonel Henry G. Riser, chief clerk
Of the geological survey and executor
under the will of DR.. w J MCGEE,
the government anthropologist and SON.
<n-1aw of Simon Newcomb, the astron-
omer, has been officially notified by DR..
Anthony Spitzka, the Philadelphia
brain anatomist, that DR.. McGee's
brain weighed 40 grams.
DR.. MCGEE, who died recently, left
a will directing that his brain be given
to DR.. Spitzka and his body to Jeffer-
son Medical school for scientific and
morphological examination. Dr. Nc
Gee also willed to DIR. Spitzka the
brain of Major ]. w. Powell, former
chief of the geological survey, which
was examined by DR.. Spitzka in 1903,
but had since been In the custody Of
DR.. MCGEE. DR.. Spitzka also took a
death mask Of DR.. MCGEE for scientific
study and preservation.
The weight of DR.. McGee's brain-a
fraction over three pounds-is greater
than that Of the average man and
ranks well up among the brains Of
most of the men of action, art or
science concerning which there are ac-
curate data. In list of 100 eminent
men, prepared by DR.. Spitzka, the
average weight of brains was 1,46965
grams, or 59.65 grams above the weight
of DR.. McGee's brain.
Turgenev Heads the List.
DR.. Spitzka's list Is as follows, the
brain weight being given in grams:
Ivan Turgepev, poet and novelist POP;
G. Cuvier, naturalist, 1880; E. H. Knight,
physicist, 1874; a famous theologian in
Freiburg university, 1,8OO John Aber-
crombie, physician, 1,7S6; B. F. Butler,
lawyer and general, 17s5; Edward Olney,
mathematician, 1,701; Herman Levi, COM
poser, 1850; William Thackeray, novelist,
1,658; Rudolf Lenz, composer, 1636; John
Goodsir, anatomist, 1,629; Hosea Curtice,
mathematician, 1872; c. G. Atherton Unit
ed States senator, 1,6O2; W. V. Siemens,
physician, 1,G00; George Brown editor
1856; A. Konstantinoff, litterateur, 1855;
r. A. Harrison, chief justice of Canada,
| 1850; F. B. w. V. Herman, economist
1880; ]. K. Riebeck, philologist, 1850; Hans
Buchner, hygienist, 1850; K. Spurzheim
phrenologist, 1853; Lavollay, publicist
| 1850; Edward D. Cope, paleontologist
| i,545; G. Mcknight, physician and poet
| 1,545; Harrison Allen, anatomist 1881; j.
Y. Simpson. physician, 1881; P. Dirichlet
| mathematician. 1870; c. A. De Morny
| statesman, 1920; Daniel Webster, states
man, 1878; Lord John Campbell, lord
chancellor Of England 1,517; Chauncey
Wright, philosopher, 1876; NJ. schleich,
writer, 1903; Thomas Chalmers, theolo-
CLAN, 1903; Garrick Mallery, ethnologist
and soldier, 1903; Edward c. Sequin, neu-
| rologist, 1902; Napoleon III, 1.5OO; K. H.
| Fuchs pathologst, 1900; Louis Agassz,
naturalist, LASS; G. Giacomini, anatomist,
| 1,4sS; De Morgan, mathematician, 1,494;
X, f. Gauss, mathematician, 1,492; Letour-
neau, anthropologist, 1,49O; John w. Pow
| ell, geologist 1,4SS; X. V. Pfeufer physi-
clan, LASS; Wulfert, jurist, LASS; Paul Bro
| ca, anthropologist, 1,4S4; G. De Mortillet,
| anthropologist, 1,4s0; P. Aylett, physician,
1,474; Lord Francis Jeffrey, jurist, 1,471; L.
| Asseline, journalist, 1,46S; M. D. Skobe-
lev, general, 1,457; c. H. E. Bishoff, ply
| slclan, 1,452; Hugo Gylden, astronomer
| 1,4o2; La Marque, general, 1,449 F. R "
| kobell, geologist and poet, LAS Mihalo-
VICE. embryologist, LAO; H. v. Helmholtz
physiologist LAO; Du Puytren, surgeon,
| 1.4S7; F. A. SilJestrom, physicist LAP;
Franz Schubert, composer 1920; A. T.
| Rice diplomat 1,41S; J. E. Oliver, mathe-
matician, LAG; Melchior Meyr, phioso-
| pner, l,415; Joseph-Leidy, morphologist,
L4lo; Philip Leidy. physician, 1,415; George
Grote, historian, 1,410; Nussbaum, sur
| geon' l,4l0; w MCGEE, anthropologist
| LAO; John Huber, philosopher, 1,4O5; c.
bapnage, mathematician, 1,403: Jules AS
| sezat' journalist, 1,403; A. Bertillon, an
thropologist, 1888; c. " Kupffer anato-
mist, l'4OO; FIR. Goltz, physiologist, 1895;
| Couoereau, physician, 1850; William Whe-
| We'll philosopher, 1889; Henry Wilson,
vice president, 1889; Rudinger anatomist,
| aSSo; s. Zilagyi, statesman, 1850; H. T. "
| ocnio' htterateur, 1874; A. A. Hovelacque,
anthropologist, 1873; T. L. w. v. Bischoff,
anatomlst, 1870; K. F. Hermann, philolo-
gist, l,S5S; Liebig, chemist, 1852; V. Scha-
elntWeit, naturalist 1850; ]. P. Fellmeray-
er' historian, 1,340; John Hughes Bennett,
physician, 1882; Max v. Pettenkofer, chem
ist' !,S20; Seisel, sculptor, 1872; J. G. Ko-
iar' oramatist, l,300; r. E. Grant astrono-
mer, l,29O; Walt Whitman poet, 1882; Rob-
ert Cory. physician. 1876; Edouard Sequin,
psychiatrist, 1857.
Cranial Capacity a Different Thing.
Like the late Benjamin F. Butler, Dr.
McGee had very large head, and the
weight of his brain, while ranking
nlgh among the brain weights Of this.
ilst OF famous men, is not as heavy
as the size of his head indicated Dan
lei Webster, according to tie studies ,
made by DR.. Spitzka, had a large head
and heavy brain, but hia brain did
not begin to fill the cranial cavity. The
cranlal capacity of Webster was 1850
cubic centimeters 1t is estimated by
Dr. Spitzka that in his prime Webster
mad a brain that weighed 1,735 grams,
whereas after death it weighed 200 odd
grams less.
DIR. Spitzka has ascertained by anal
ys1s OF the brain weights given in this
table of 100 that the average weight
OF the twelve men in the list concern
ed with exact sciences, such as as
tronomers and mathematicians, was
1,o32 grams. All had brains heavier
than 1,400 grams. Next came four
teen men of action, statesmen, political
leaders and military men, with an aV'
erage brain weight of 1,490 grams
The average brain weight of twenty
six men employed in the creative arls'