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THE TAMIL PEOPLE
15

Professors Flower, Lydekker and Huxley classify mankind according to the smoothness or roughness of the hair, while others like Quatrefages add to these colour, odour &c. Nevertheless, the value of all these data is being seriously doubted by equally eminent scientists. Professor Cox has brought together all their objections forcibly in a very interesting article that appeared in the Modern Review (Calcutta) for 1911. He says 'the cephalic index separates races closely allied and is almost identical for races widely apart.' 'In almost every nation we find almost every cephalic index.' As for the nasal index, M. Colignon after elaborate researches thinks it of minor importance. Professor Sergi of Rome says 'the method of indices is a method only in appearance and it inevitably leads to errors and can produce no satisfactory results.' Professor Ridgeway thinks 'these osteological differences are but foundations of sand.' And above all a writer in the Muenschener Medizinische (quoted by Mr. G. A. Gait, I.C.S.,) asserts that the numerous head measurements collected with endless assiduity by anthropologists have been shown to be worthless. Thus we see that neither the cephalic nor the nasal index is of much value in determining race. The same may be said of hair and colour, as these can be changed in course of time by climate, food and other artificial means and methods. It would therefore be unwise on the part of anthropologists to think they could correctly interpret these physical differences as indications of inferiority or