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C. W. M. Povnter 



that found in the races of higher culture. Such a question is of 

 great interest from an ethnological standpoint, but I shall omit 

 the discussion here, both because it is still an open question, and 

 because, since we do not know the significance of the presence of 

 these characters on the mind, we cannot know their value if they 

 are present in the primitive races, and hence the question is not 

 applicable to criminal degeneracy at the present time. The con- 

 clusion of Dr. Mall (1909), from a study of the American negro, 

 is applicable here. He concludes that "With the present crude 

 methods, the statement that the negro brain approaches the foetal or 

 simian brain nearer than does the white is entirely unwarranted." 



§V. BRAIN WEIGHT 



The question of brain weight has been studied from so many 

 angles and so much has been written on the subject that it is out 

 of the question in such a paper as this to attempt an analysis of 

 results in anything like a complete or critical way. By devoting a 

 section to the subject, I do not mean to indicate that it is of great 

 importance in criminal studies, but rather that its extensive litera- 

 ture requires such recognition. Even a superficial study of the 

 literature makes it certain that an unqualified statement of actual 

 weight is without significance from any point of consideration. 

 On the other hand, there is a division of opinion as to the value 

 of brain weight as an index of race, race development or mental 

 attainments. This is partly due to the fact that there are so 

 many factors which undoubtedly play a part in influencing weight, 

 which have not all been included in published figures so that satis- 

 factory comparisons can be made. Age, body weight, height, sex 

 and probably shape of head must all be included in any compara- 

 tive study to be of value for the solution of ethnological or psychic 

 problems. 



I have collected and arranged below the brain weights for sex 

 and race. These figures cannot however be of value in deter- 

 mining the relation of weight to mental superiority of race be- 

 cause other factors, mentioned above, which were not available, 

 are not included, 



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