RECENT DISCOVERIES IN PHRENOLOGY, BY MEANS OF ANIMAL MAGNETISM. I openly avow my belief in Animal Magnetism; first, because I have seen so many FACTS and EXPERIMENTS that I know it to be TRUE, but mainly because the DISCOVERIES and IMPROVE MENTS made in Phrenology by means of it, deserve the candid consideration of every student of Phrenology, as well as every lover of science. For many years, my practice in examining heads, satisfied me of two things; first, that there was considerable unappropriated space between the organs, and, on this account, the organs are not wholly surrounded by those dotted lines which form their boundaries; (see cut on page 54 of the Practical Phrenology;) the open spaces showing portions of the head unappropriated. That cut was made in 1836, so that I discovered these open spaces between the organs, even at that early date. Secondly, I had also still further observed that portions allotted to many of the single organs, often contained a distinct protuberance at one part of them, but a depression at the other; and, in my private classes, have often shown the upper portion of Self-Esteem, next to Firmness, to be deficient, while the lower portion contained a marked protuberance; and so of Secretiveness, Acquisitiveness, and several other organs. These observations prepared my own mind for new discoveries in regard to the organs; and, no sooner had an application of Animal Magnetism been made to Phrenology,* than I eagerly embraced it, not only to test the truth of magnetism in regard to the organs that were fully established, but also, when satisfied on this point, to see which of the doubtful organs stood being tested by magnetism, as well as whether new ones could be discovered. Accordingly, the Rev. Le Roy Sunderland, Dr. Sherwood, and myself, instituted a series of Phreno-Magnetic experiments, a summary of that portion of the results which relates to Phrenolo. * In 1837, I remarked to Dr. Underhill, in Cleveland, Ohio, that if Animal Magnetism were true, it might be applied to the Phrenological organs; and, nothing but an excessive professional practice, prevented my doing it then. In May last, before any such application had been made, when my brother magnetised Miss Gleason, in Boston, I urged him to magnetise the organs. News of the death of his wife received that same morning, and his preparing to come to New York that day alone prevented his doing it |