Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 1902

SIR FRANCIS GALTON (1822-1911) Hereditary genius: an inquiry into its laws and consequences. Macmillan 1869 vi, 390 pp., illus. 22.1 cm.

Galton was one of a handful of nineteenth-century scientists who gained prominence in a number of scientific pursuits. Born into a well-to-do family and receiving a classical education, Galton first achieved a reputation as a geographer and explorer. Later he turned to meteorology and was the first to note the importance of anticyclones in weather forecasting. In his late forties, Galton began his work in the study of human attributes, the field for which he is best known and out of which derived the science of eugenics, a term coined by Galton. This work on the genetics of intelligence is a compilation of biographical data of eminent men and their genetic history. In assessing the role of heredity, Galton unfortunately disregarded such obvious factors as socio-economic status and opportunity for education.

Cited references: Cushing G82; Garrison-Morton 226; Osler 1599 (London ed., 1892); Waller 15950