Spitzka and others demonstrate that in such cases other parts of the brain enlarge to compensate for the atrophic portion which is connected with the functionless nerves.

This, considered with his apparently perfect, mental and physical health, leaves no reason to suppose that Oscar's extravagant memory depends upon disease any more than we can suspect all giants of being sickly, though the anomaly is doubtless due to pathologic conditions.

Of course, there is no predicting what may develop later in his life, but in any event science will be benefited.
"It is a popular idea that great vigor of memory is often associated with low-grade intelligence, and cases such as Blind Tom and other 'idiot savants,' who could repeat the contents of a newspaper after a single reading, justify the supposition.

Fearon, on 'Mental Vigor,' tells of a man who could remember the day that every person had been buried in the parish for thirty-five years, and could repeat with unvarying accuracy the name and age of the deceased and the mourners at the funeral.

But he was a complete fool.