November 16, 2009
Chart Showing the Aggregate Number of Idiots and the Proportion of Males and Females, White or Colored, Native or Foreign, at the Ninth Census 1870; also the increase since 1860.
Excerpted from the Statistical atlas of the United States based on the results of the ninth census 1870 with contributions from many eminent men of science and several departments of the government Comp. under the authority of Congress by Francis A. Walker, M. A., superintendent of the ninth census.
(by way of Eminent Man of Science and Art Graham Parker; entire census report at loc.gov)
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Note also:
Insane
Insanity
and the very beautiful
Fiscal chart
Gainful occupations & attending school
[...] An interview with Eminent Man of Science and Art Graham Parker, by way of whom we have seen this lovely chart. [...]
India, you know, I have Stuff to Do today.
But it will just have to wait.
I am now seeking graphic representations of numbers of Morons and Imbeciles counted by the government.
I love this.
Sheila, are you sure you didn’t mean the numbers counted by the Morons and Imbeciles of the government!
Those are counted among the Criminally Insane.
Note that the Library of Congress sells very affordable photographic reproductions of documents such as this. Suitable for framing.
In 1870, the NY state population was about 4 million, Ohio had about 2.6 million residents. However, their, um, idiot circles are similar in size. What I’d like to know: state by state idiocy per capita.
Also, note that in all states there are more male than female idiots. Is that still true?
I know this is hardly scientific, but, can all males here please put their hand up if they are an idiot or indeed aspire to be one!
Incidentally, in case anyone else had wondered, according to the legend in the upper left-hand corner, the circles are proportional by area, not by radius. Mr. Frederick Howard Wines (1838–1912), special agent, knew his business, as one surely must, when one is drawing charts meticulously by hand instead of generating them automagically using Excel or Illustrator.
You may also be interested to know that he was the author of many other works, including The liquor problem in its legislative aspects and The nomenclature of crime; or An analytical list of offenses against the statutes of the United States and of the states of the federal union.
Mr. Wines was one of those scientific busybodies, I suspect.
Not that I wish to disparage science.
Idiots in the aggregate.
Mr. Wines was, I suspect, a man of parts.
There were a number of them, many of who bustled about.
Say what you will about Mr. Wines, but he definitely knew his way around the legislative aspects of the liquor problem.
This Wines title looks interesting:
The Nomenclature of Crime or An analytical list of offenses against the statutes of the United States and of the states of the federal union.
Also, ahem, Phil, if you are counting, I’m holding my up.
Yes, SC, it does. That is why I pointed it out.
Spiky.
I said I was holding my hand up.
I always have my hand up. It’s so much easier.
And you always win at auctions!
If I put up both hands, will I win two auctions at once?
Alas, no–but your odds of getting shot will go down.
Well, in his neighborhood, that’s not a benefit to sniff at.
Idiot circles. Aggregated idiots.
Idiot rings.
Just babbling. Not offering commentary on commentary.
“Good night, Gracie”?