We observe at once an evident parallelism between genius and height,
with only 11 exceptions out of 85, and some of these 11 may be explained
by the agglomerated population of great capitals (Seine, Rhône,
Bouches-du-Rhône) which favour the development, or rather the
manifestation, of genius, as we have already seen to be the case in
Italy; thus the exceptions in Var, Hérault, Bouches-du-Rhône may be
explained by relatively great density of population, and by the southern
climate, which favours genius in spite of miasmatic influences. At the
same time, if we may agree with Jacoby concerning the favourable
influence of great urban agglomerations, such as Paris, Lyons,
Marseilles, it must be added that it does not appear so clearly in other
centres; thus Nord, Haut-Rhin, Pas-de-Calais, Loire, although possessing
a dense population, do not yield a corresponding number of men of
genius, standing only in the third rank, the Loire, indeed, only in the
fourth.[242]
If we compare the geographical distribution of men of genius with that
of mortality, we note more numerous failures of correspondence (27) with
the height; this is because the statistics of mortality do not indicate
the influence of cretinism which exists in Ariège, the Basses and
Hautes-Alpes, Puy-de-Dôme, the Pyrénées, and the Ardennes, clearly
showing itself in short stature and military exemption for _goître_,
and, as in Valtellina in Italy, accompanied by a scarcity of intellect.
At the same time, all the regions showing high mortality, especially
such as are malarious--the Landes, Sologne, Morbihan, Corrèze--offer a
feebler proportion of men of genius, with the exception of the great
centres; the contrary is found in more healthy districts.
Orographic conditions appear to have great influence. The sunny and
fertile land of Languedoc, all mountainous regions not too much affected
by _goître_--Doubs, Côte-d’Or, Ardennes--or those in which it has not
succeeded in depressing the stature, that is to say, has been unable to
produce endemic cretinism (Jura) give us, when we have put aside all
influence of density, race, and temperature, a most notable proportion
of men of genius. This may be clearly seen in the table on the following
page in which the high figures of _goître_, stammering, and deaf-mutism,
correspond with low stature in Corrèze, Puy-de-Dôme, Ardèche, Ariège,
the Basses-Alpes, and the Pyrénées.
We have seen in Var, Vaucluse, and Hérault that a southern climate,
perhaps on account of its greater fertility, produces a great number of
men of genius; but countries that are cold, but at the same time healthy
and mountainous--Jura, Doubs, Meurthe--give still
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