116 SUPPLEMENTAL HISTORY OP MAN. 



in proportion to the size of his body, has the largest 

 brain of all the living tribes; but as this compa- 

 rative view came to be extended to a greater 

 number of animals, many exceptions were disco- 

 vered. Several mammalia, and even some small 

 birds were found to exceed man in these pro- 

 portions. 



These discoveries having entirely overturned the 

 conclusion drawn from the bulk of the brain com- 

 pared with that of the body, Soemmering has fur- 

 nished us with another method, and one which 

 appears prima facie to approach much nearer to the 

 attainment of truth. His plan is to consider the rela- 

 tive magnitude of the brain and the medulla spinalis, 

 or in general of the mass of the brain, and the nerves 

 arising from it. For this purpose the brain must be 

 divided into two sections, the one comprehending 

 that part immediately connected with the sensorial 

 extremities of the nerves, and thus devoted, strictly 

 speaking, to mere animal purposes ; the other, 

 including the remainder of the brain, which is 

 supposed to be the seat of the intellectual ope- 

 rations. 



In this point of view, man appears to possess ad- 

 vantages over the lower animals ; none being found 

 to possess so large a brain, in comparison with the 

 bulk of the nerves, which issue from it. The spe- 

 cies which approach the nearest to man in sagacity 

 possess a larger share of this superabundant brain, 

 which remains after subtracting the quantity deemed 

 necessary, for the supply of the nervous system. 



