596 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



and the United States increased from 28 in the fifteenth century to 187 

 in the eighteenth century, the ratio of eminent women per ten million 

 of population also increased from 6.1 to 15.3 in the same period. Those 

 who refuse to lose faith in woman's ability may find encouragement in 

 the fact that the gain of the rate per ten million of population of the 

 sixteenth century over the fifteenth was 19.6 per cent. ; of the seven- 

 teenth over the sixteenth, 27.3 per cent.; of the eighteenth over the 

 seventeenth, 64.5. An interesting conjecture is whether the complete 

 record for the nineteenth century will give a gain per cent, over that of 

 the eighteenth correlative with the increased social and educational ad- 

 vantages which women have attained. 



It 



Curat; I. Distribution of Eminent Men and Eminent Women 

 in Periods of Half Centuries. 



Curve I. shows the distribution of distinguished women and dis- 

 tinguished men in periods of half centuries, the figures for the men 

 being taken from the previously quoted article by Professor Cattell. 

 In comparing the distribution of eminent men and eminent women 

 through the centuries, three facts must be borne in mind. (1) One 

 thousand eminent men were studied, and only eight hundred and sixty- 

 eight women, so the male curve might be expected at all points to rise 

 higher than the female. (2) The eminent men represent a much 

 higher degree of selection than the women. (3) The study of eminent 

 men was made in 1903 and no living persons were included. These 

 facts do not, however, make it impossible for us to note certain simi- 

 larities and dissimilarities. 



