Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 77.djvu/585

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HAT greatness and loftiness of stature are rarely found together is one of the leading statements of Lombroso's "Man of Genius," and the eminent Italian, in support of his assertion, arrays a respectable list of names. Nor does Lombroso stand alone in this opinion. The notion is a common one—even a proverbial one—and now and again some voice rises from press or periodical with this boding message to the stalwart sons of men.

If the biographies, however, in the average American library afford a just test of its truth, this belief must be gathered to the limbo of popular errors and delusions. So far, indeed, from supporting the statement of the great criminologist, the testimony of biography fixes the average stature of men of eminence at a point above the middle height.

In default of statistical data ready to hand—the dearth of reliable material upon this question being quite marked—the writer has turned through the biographical section of a general public library situated in the city of his residence. Of the lives of two hundred and thirty distinguished men thus examined, those of one hundred and three supplied the information sought either in exact figures or by way of general statement; and of these personages it appears that sixteen were of middle height, fifty-eight above and twenty-nine below. In many instances the stature was merely described as "medium," or above or below, and in tabulating the result we have assumed the correctness of this classification, although it is far from certain that in reality the terms bore the same meaning to all writers. Where, however, the stature was given in feet and inches, we have adopted as the standard of medium height five feet seven inches. This is manifestly too low for America, and is likewise too low for England, since, as we are told by H. H. Donaldson in "The Growth of the Brain," five hundred and seventeen observations among all classes gave 67.7 inches as the average stature for men in England. For the civilized world, however, the average would probably be so far lower than that of England and America as to make the figures we have mentioned a fair standard. Even, however, were 5 feet 8 inches to be used for middle height, the result, so far as the present paper is concerned, would not be disturbed, since none of the statures given fall within this disputed margin. It