344 Life and Lfttera of Frnnch Calttni 



what he terms the "typical means." Tlie normal curves for the age-arrays 

 are not fitted to the arithmetical means, but to the "typical means.' Galton 

 does not describe how he obtained either "typical means" or normal curves; 

 probably but not certainly his "typical means" are not "modes," but what 

 he later termed "medians," and his normal curves were then found from 

 the (luartiles. The metlian oi typical mean in all cases corresponds to a less 

 stature tiian the arithmetic mean; and there is thus some little evidence 

 that the arrays are asymmetrical and are not normal curves. Galton 

 emphasises the jioint that we have really not a mere system of arrays, but a 

 continuous fretpiency surface. Further he points out that the variation of 

 these arrays widens as the jige increases, a condition we now know to be 

 incompatible with a normal frequency surface. It is a strikinj; fact that in 

 this firet anthropometric surface Galton should have acttially run up against 

 the line of meclians generally diverging from the line of means, when the 

 variability of the arrays is not constant, i.e. that he should have come across 

 the asynmietrical fre(juency surface, which is still proving a hard nut to crack. 

 We have seen how (Jalton \irged anthropologists io turn from the sole 

 discuasion of external physical character to the mental characters in man, 

 such as personal equation and rapidity of judgment'. He early perceived the 

 importsmce of the school not only for anthropometric physical but for anthro- 

 pometric psychical measurements, and he endeavoured to enlist the .school- 

 master in the service of p.sychical anthropometry. He rightly looked upon the 

 school as not only an institution for educating the young, but as a lalwratory 

 for studying their mentality, and so by increased knowledge of psychical 

 character improving education. In 1880 Galton wrote a strong letter on thi.s 

 point to Nature- as a result of his receiving from Mr W. H. Poole, then 

 science master of Charterhouse, very valuable material on visual images (see 

 our p. 237). It seemed to Galton — as it has often seemed to some of us who 

 do not fully realise the pressure of school routine work — that other school- 

 masters might emulate the exceptional Mr Poole. 



"The observation I desire" — writes Oalton — "to uiuke is that as every hospitjil fulfils two 

 purposes, the primary one of relieving the sick, and the secondary one of advancing pathology, 

 so every school might be made not only to fulfil the primary purpose of educating l)oys, but 

 also that of adviuicing many branches of anthropology. The object of schools should be not 

 only to educate, but also to promote directly and indirectly the science of education. It is 

 astonishing how little has liecn done by the schoolmasters of our great public schools' in this 

 direction, notwithstanding their enviable opp)rtunities. I know absolutely of no work written 

 by one of them in which his experiences are cla.ssi(ied in the same; scientific spirit as hospital 

 caw's are by a physician, or as other facts are by the scientific man in whose special line of 

 imiuiry they lie. Yet the routine of school work is a daily course of examination. There, 

 if anywhci-e, the art of putting questions and the practice of answering them is develojied to 

 itii highest known perfection. In no other place are persons so incessantly and for so long 

 a time under clos*- inspection. Nowhere else are the conditions of antecedents, age, and 

 prettent occupation so alike a« in the Iwys of the same form. Schools are almost ideally perfect 

 place* for statistical inquiries If a schoolmaster were now and then funnel imii^iKIi' hikI 



' AddrcoH to Section H, Kritish Association, 1877: see our p. 228. 



• May 6, 1880, Vol. xxii, p. 9. 



• The Mtreits laid on the appointment of classical and elerical fieiuls, to the nepleet of scientific 

 oandidatex, largely accounts for the matter. 



