Brain and Intellect.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 573, 22 January 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

Brain and Intellect.

Ik the'current number of the Lanctt remarks the Pall Mall Gazette there is an interesting paper by l»r Lawson. pathologist to the West Hiding Lunatic Asylum, on the relation existing between the we'ght of the brain and the extent of the intellectual powers of human beings It appears from the investigation of the writer and his colleagues that not only persons of great mental capacity, but also lunatics, ocoasionlly possess brains which are considerably heavier than the average brains of ordinary saae people. Tho average weight of the brain, according to Dr Lawson, is commonly accepted to be 49 ounces in men and 44 ounces in women. Jf we remember rightly it is placed an ounce higher for either sex in Quatn's *natoiny. But the point ia unimportant as regards the conclusions at which Dr, Lawson has arrived - ome of the heaviest brains, the weight of which has been accurately ascertained, were those Cuvier, Gl ounces ; Abercrombie, G3 ounces ; Goorlsir. 57.5 onnces ; Sir J. Simpson, 54 ounces ; Daniel Webster, 53.5 ounces ; and Dr. Chalmers, 53 ounces. Against these six names of more or less distinction, Dr. Lawson gives the weights of the brains of six lunatics, who died in the West Riding Luuatic Asylum. They were 5G ounces in two cases, 58 5 ounces, 59 5 ounces, GO ounces and 6L ounces. f*one of these equal in weight the brains of either Cuviei' or Ahercrombie. But Dr. lawson observes that perhaps if all the elements of the case were to be considered, the heaviest adult brain on ecord might be found to be that of a senile dement who died in the West Hiding Asylum at the age of seventy His brain was found to weigh 61 ounces. Following the generally accepted principle that the brain losea weight to the extent of an ounce ia each decennil period, rhis man's brain, after allowance has been made for physiological diminution, may be presumed to have weighed when he was at the age of forty no fewer than 64 ounces. But in this case pathological supplemented phyaiolo^i ifi changes, and the moro rapid atlphy which accompanies senile dementia justifies the conclusion that at the time of his maturity this man's brain may have out-weighed that of Cuvipr. Similarly with regard to the criminal lunatics, though he average weight of brain among a single dozen cm these, examined by Dr. Orange, of I^roadmoor is au ounce and a half under the general male average, there is in that limited number two brains which exceed that of Chalmers in weight, and one which outweighs those of Chalmers, Daniel Webster and i>ir J. Simpson, and is within half an ounce of being equal to that of Gfoodsir Mnall-beacled people may take comfort from thpse statistics. But aßsuming equal quality, superior quantity of brain would, as it is natural to assume on grounds of physiological analogy, unmistakably tell in the result.