Ɛpsilon

From Francis Galton   8 April 1880

42 Rutland Gate

April 8/80

My dear Darwin

I will take Faulds’ letter to the Anthro: & see what can be done.1 indeed I myself got several thumb impresses a couple of years ago, having heard of the Chinese plan with criminals but failed, perhaps from want of sufficiently minute observation, to make out any large number of differences.2 It would I think be feasable in one or two public schools where the system is established of annually taking heights weights &c also to take thumb marks. by which one would in time learn if the markings were as persistent as is said.3

Anyhow I will do what I can to help Mr Faulds in getting these sort of facts & in having an extract from his letter printed4

I am so glad that my “visuality” enquiries seem interesting to you. I get letters from all directions & the metaphysicians & mad-doctors have been very helpful.5

Very sincerely yours | Francis Galton

Our united kindest remembrances to you all.

1
CD had forwarded a letter from Henry Faulds discussing the use of hand- and fingerprints (see letter to Francis Galton, 7 April 1880 and n. 1). CD had suggested that Galton might take Faulds’s letter to the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.
2
In his letter to CD of 16 February 1880, Faulds had mentioned the Chinese practice of taking fingerprints of criminals.
3
Faulds had argued that while a person’s face changed over time, finger rugae (ridges) remained the same (letter from Henry Faulds, 16 February 1880).
4
No article mentioning Faulds’s work, or extract from his letter, was published in the Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.
5
Galton had sent questionnaires on the power of visualising to various people including CD (see letter to Francis Galton, 7 April 1880 and n. 3).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12567,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12567