K. Pearson to F. Galton, [7th Feb. 1909].- External URL
- Correspondence Details
-
Sent From (Definite): Karl PearsonSent To (Definite): Sir Francis GaltonDate: 7 Feb 1909
- Current Holder(s)
-
Holder (Definite): University College London: Special Collections
- No links match your filters. Clear Filters
-
Sent fromKarl Pearson
7 Feb 1909
Description:
[note in pencil: ‘Found following 7.2.09’]
‘I am in a state of most irrepressible excitement! I believe I am on the trace of a far reaching clue, namely the effect of presence or absence of internal pigment, especially of brain centres in mammals. I think it is going to explain why deaf-mutism, imbecility & albinism occur in the same stocks. Don’t reveal my secrets! But I believe the ordinary albino has internal pigment; the imbecile lacks internal, but not external pigment at one or more brain centres, and the deaf-mute lacks pigment in the membrane of the perilymph chamber, the “retina” so to speak of the ear. The imbecile, deaf-mute albino, who spins like a waltzing mouse lacks pigment everywhere. The waltzing mouse is a partial albino. The partial albino cat with blue eye & white coat is a deaf-mute. The wall eyed horse tends to ‘spin’. The perishing of the internal pigments of the brain leads to senile insanity. Most of us only lose our external pigment with age. Everything fits in and it ought to give a grand connected theory of degeneracy. Of course it may all prove a dream!
On Friday night there was an autopsy on an albino & much may turn on it, if the internal pigments are shown to be there. Mott is examining the pigmented centres in the brains of imbeciles & deaf-mutes for me.
Of course it may all collapse, but so far it seems to be the first connected theory of why imbecility, albinism & deaf-mutism run in stocks. I expected that imbeciles would “spin”, and I find from enquiry that the “spinning imbecile” is a known type. There is an American at Colney[?] Hotel Mott tells me who continually spins like a whirling Dervish. I shall put that down, if my theory works out as akin to Hamilton’s prediction of the “conical points” of the wave surface!!!!’
-
Sent toSir Francis Galton
7 Feb 1909
Description:
[note in pencil: ‘Found following 7.2.09’]
‘I am in a state of most irrepressible excitement! I believe I am on the trace of a far reaching clue, namely the effect of presence or absence of internal pigment, especially of brain centres in mammals. I think it is going to explain why deaf-mutism, imbecility & albinism occur in the same stocks. Don’t reveal my secrets! But I believe the ordinary albino has internal pigment; the imbecile lacks internal, but not external pigment at one or more brain centres, and the deaf-mute lacks pigment in the membrane of the perilymph chamber, the “retina” so to speak of the ear. The imbecile, deaf-mute albino, who spins like a waltzing mouse lacks pigment everywhere. The waltzing mouse is a partial albino. The partial albino cat with blue eye & white coat is a deaf-mute. The wall eyed horse tends to ‘spin’. The perishing of the internal pigments of the brain leads to senile insanity. Most of us only lose our external pigment with age. Everything fits in and it ought to give a grand connected theory of degeneracy. Of course it may all prove a dream!
On Friday night there was an autopsy on an albino & much may turn on it, if the internal pigments are shown to be there. Mott is examining the pigmented centres in the brains of imbeciles & deaf-mutes for me.
Of course it may all collapse, but so far it seems to be the first connected theory of why imbecility, albinism & deaf-mutism run in stocks. I expected that imbeciles would “spin”, and I find from enquiry that the “spinning imbecile” is a known type. There is an American at Colney[?] Hotel Mott tells me who continually spins like a whirling Dervish. I shall put that down, if my theory works out as akin to Hamilton’s prediction of the “conical points” of the wave surface!!!!’
-
