598 THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE BRAIN. 



It has been truly said that there are many exceptions to this general 

 law, especially among people of culture and learning, "who often pre- 

 serve to extreme old age all the fullness and vigor of their faculties. 



"The brain of such men, as the late Prof. Gratiolet observes, 

 remains in a state of i)erpetual youth, and loses little or none of the 

 weight which belonged to it in the prime of life" (Thurnam). The ratio 

 of brain weight to body weight varies. In lean persons the ratio is 

 often as 1:22 to 27; in stout i)ersons as 1:50 to 100. The human brain 

 is smaller in comi)arison with the body the nearer man approaches to 

 Ms full growth. 



As to stature, the weight of the brain, in both sexes, is relatively 

 smaller in short persons than in tall ones. The difference between the 

 two is about 5 per cent, /. e., the brain of a num of short stature being 

 represented by 95, that of a tall man would be 100. 



The average weight of the adult male brain is about 10 per cent 

 greater than that of the female. N^or is this difference due to the 

 difference in stature of the sexes. The difference, as was shown by 

 M. Parchappe, is greater than can be accounted for in this way. 

 While the stature of woman is only S per cent less than that of man, 

 her brain weight is 10 per cent less. 



In relation to this question of the difference of cranial capacity due 

 to sex, it is very interesting to note the remarkable fact, pointed out 

 by \^ogt, that the difference increases in favor of tlie male as the de- 

 velopment of the race proceeds, so that the male European excels 

 mucli more the fenmle than the negro the negress. 



In the words of V'ogt, " The lower the state of culture, the more 

 similar are the occupations of the two sexes. Among the Australians, 

 the Bushmen, and other low races, possessing no fixed habitations, the 

 wife partakes of all her husband's toils, and has, in addition, the care 

 of the progeny. The sphere of occupation is the same for both sexes; 

 whilst among civilized nations there is a division both in physical and 

 mental labor. If it be true that every organ is strengthened by exer- 

 cise, increasing in size and weight, it must ecjually apply to the brain, 

 which must become more developed by proper mental exercise." 



Le Bon has pointed out that the difference existing between the 

 cranial capacities of the male and fenuile modern Parisians is almost 

 double that whicli obtains between the ci'anial capacities of the male 

 and female inhabitants of an(dent Egypt. These facts show the inti- 

 mate, and mutually reacting, relations of civilization and brain weight; 

 advancing civilization leading to increased development of the brain, 

 and the enlarged brain making the people capable of higher and 

 broader culture. 



The avei-age brain weight in diff'erent races of men has mostly been 

 studied by the indirect method, /. e., by the investigation of cranial 

 capacities. Skulls having a cranial capacity of 1350-1450 cubic centi 

 meters are classed as mesocephalic; those under 1350 cubic centimeters 



