Evening star., 1925-08-04
MRS. GARDENERS
BRAIN PRESERVED
Cremation Denied, Is Sent to
Cornell for Test as
Will Directed.

Despite apparently authoritative
statements Yesterday that the bra in
of Helen II. Gardener, former civil
service commissioner. had been ere
mated with her body. 1t developed
beyond doubt today that 1t had heen
removed at Walter Reed Hospital and
Will he sent 10 Cornell University in
compliance with the terms of her will.
The disposal Of Mrs. Gardener 5
brain remained In considera BILE doubt
until late this morning. when state
ment was issued by Guy Moffett, one
Of the executors, denying that her
testa mentarN wish had not been COM
piled with.
Officials at Walter Reed Hospital
where the post-mortem opera ton
was performed positively refused TO
shed any light on the ma tier. laying
that they were bound in this respect
by strict Army Medical Corps orders.
Reia tives to whom they referred in
Quiries We're out of the city.
Moffett's Statement.
Mr.. Moffett's statement follows:
The statements that the brain of
Mrs. Helen n. Gardener was Gre
mated with the body. and that her
wishes concerning it's removal had
been disregarded. are untrue.
In accorda with he provisions
contained In her will that her brain be
removed and sent to Cornell Univer-
sity for scientific study. the brain Wa
removed before crema tion nd will be
sent to Cornell University.
In her will Mrs. Gardener speci-
fed that Dr. Robert Y. Sullivan per
form the operation. but a later request
OF Mrs. Gardener asked that the op-
Grafton take place at Walter Reed
Inr al H. t.
several weeks before her death
The strange bequest. 1t became
known today. was in line with be.
lief that had interested Mrs. Garden.
er deeply all her life-the varia tions in
brain cells due TO sex.
Hoped for Theory Test
Interested for more than decade
in the theory that woman's brain was
structurallv different from that OF
man. and that because OF this her
mental processes and development
were inferior to that OF the opposite
sex. Mrs. Gardener hoped that the
theory might either he proved or dis.
proven by post mortem examination
OF her own brain.
The story OF Mrs. Gardeners firm
belief that woman's brain is the equal
OF that of man and that even IL there
did not admit. there was no difference
in mental capabilities. was told TODAY
by associates Of Mrs. Gardener in her
work al the Civil Service Commission.
Always thorough in every under.
taking, Mrs. Gardener first beca me
Interested In the subject OF relative
brain capacity many wears go when
DR.. W. A. Hammond. then surgeon
general of the United States. who was
an opponent of the higher education
OF women. declared there was a funda-
mental difference between the brains
OF men and women. Accepting this
as challenge, Mrs. Gardener began
an exhaustive investigation OF the
subject. She had read widely in both
law and medicine. but WAS neither
lawyer nor physician. so TO follow
her thesis along authoritative lines
she sought the advice of famous
brain specialist OF the day, DIR. f.. G.
Spitzka OF New York.
Asked 10 Questions.
Knowing he WAS busy and that he
would not he interested unless spe-
cific and definite questions were pro-
pounded for him. she fra med 10 oues-
tons. which so interested the spe-
cialist that he went to work with
Mrs. Gardener in an effort TO clea r
up thN iil tdF science
could 60. This is funda mental work
which has never before been done :"
Or. Spitzka is quoted as wing when
Mrs. Gardener handed him her list Of
questions.
The feminine leader and Dr. Spitzka
worked together for more than a year.
studying and conducting research
work into all available suthoritati tive
observations on the subject Insisting
upon accuracy in detail and proper
presentation of her Sc. Mrs. Garde-
ner had it passed upon by famous
lawyer OF the day. He assured her
that her procedure was quite correct
and said that legal procedure is based
upon common sense, and Mrs Gar
dener had used common sense in her
argument.
The result OF Mrs Gardeners stud
les was the book Sex in Brain" q
contradiction OF the theory that wom-
ans brain is structurally different.
and therefore. inferior to that of ma n
For Mrs. Gardener adhered CLOSELY
to her theory and attempted to prove
it in legal and physiological way in
her dying beQuest. Even after death
her argument continued, and she Of
fered her brain as the final clinchine
point in the thesis she held for so
many years and on which she had
spent so much time and thought.
SCHOOL EXPECTS BRAIN.