PRACTICAL PHRENOLOGY.

PHRENOLOGY*

POINTS out those connexions and relations which exist between the contitions and developments of the BRAIN, and the manifestations of the MIND, discovering each from an observation of the other. Its one distinctive characteristic feature is, that each class of mental functions is manifested by means of a given portion of the brain, called an organ, the size of which is the measure of the power of function. Thus the benevolent feeling is manifested and indicated by means of brain in the frontal part of the top of the head, (see cuts,) and in proportion to the development of brain here, will be one's spontaneous flow of kind, obliging feeling, and so of every other quality of mind.

Its classification of the mental faculties also furnishes a complete system of intellectual and moral philosophy, by resolving all the operations of the human mind, whether simple or complex, into their primary elements or faculties.

That these phrenological relations either do, or do not exist, and therefore, that phrenology is either fundamentally true or else untrue, is a self evident proposition; and by applying to it, as we proceed, the following philosophical axioms, which are the proper tests and touchstones of the truth of any and every science, the truth of phrenology, or its want of it, can be speedily and certainly ascertained.

Axiom 1. If phrenology is fundamentally true, it forms an important part of this great system of things called the universe, developing those laws and unfolding those principles, physical, intellectual, and moral, in accordance with which "God created man," and also the whole range of animated beings. Consequently, as every portion of the universe originated in the same Divine Mind, and as each part of it is adapted to every other part, phrenology, if true, is adapted to, and must therefore perfectly harmonize with, every other fact and principle in nature with which it is capa ble of being compared.

But if it be erroneous, then, since God is the author of nature, and man of phrenology, the two will clash with each other, because man could never devise a system of facts and principles capable of dovetailing with the laws and operations of nature. Truth will always harmonize with truth, but with truth only. Error cannot tally with truth, nor with error. Hence, by comparing phrenology with the known principles and operations of nature, its truth or erroneousness can be ascertained from its harmonizing with them, or being in opposition to them.

2. If true, its origin is Divine, and, like every other portion of the Creator's works, its own inherent beauty, simplicity, perfection, and naivete, will stamp it with the Divine impress; but if not true, it is human in its

*Derived from the two Greek words "Phren," which signifies mind, and "Logos," discourse; the two together signifying the science of mind, or its aws and phenomena as manifested and indicated through the brain.

engin, and therefore necessarily a bundle of imperfections and absurdities throughout.

3. If true, it develops the constitutional principles, and analyzes all the phenomena of the human mind, beautifully unravelling the whole web of thought and feeling, and fully explaining the vast and entire range of the mental manifestations, besides unfolding the laws of physiology; but if untrue, its fallacy can easily be detected by its inability to accomplish these ends. To effect these otherwise unattainable objects is, "par excellence," the peculiar prerogative of phrenology; and its success or failure here, is the certain criterion of its truth or erroneousness.

4. But if phrenology be partly true and partly false, if the Deity made one part, and man imagined the balance, then, "like a house divided against itself," its own inherent absurdities and self-contradictions will constitute its own refutation.

DEFINITION OF A FACULTY.

A mental faculty is a primary power of the mind which exercises one, and but one, distinct and homogeneous class of functions, having for their object some specific end in man's physical or mental constitution, such as love of offspring, memory of occurrences, appetite for food, &c., and which is exercised by means of a given portion of the brain, called its organ.

The following are a few of the facts and arguments, briefly stated, which establish the truth of phrenology.

I. THE BRAIN IS THE ORGAN OF THE MIND, OR THE PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT OF THOUGHT AND FEELING.

FIRST. That there exist a most intimate connexion and relation between the thinking, feeling principle of man and his body, is a matter of observation and sensation; the state of each reciprocally affecting that of the other. That this connexion must be manifested either directly through the medium of the body as a whole, or else by means of some particular portion of it, is also self-evident. But every other portion of it except the brain, is exclusively occupied in performing other functions than the mental, whilst the location and structure of the brain, its connexion by means of the nerves with every portion of the system, and also every thing appertaining to it, point it out as the "dome of thought," "the palace of the soul."

SECOND. The blood is the great medium for the re-supply of vital energy, it being most abundant wherever the greatest re-supply of this energy is required. Now the exercise of mind, besides being the chief end of man's existence in this world, and a source of much more intense pleasure and pain than the exercise of his muscles, causes a far greater expenditure of the vital energies than the exercise of the latter. If therefore the brain were the instrument of the mind, it would use up much more blood in proportion to its size than any other portion of the body. Accordingly, we find that from ten to twenty times more blood is sent to the brain in proportion to 'ts size, than is sent to any other equally large portion of the system.

THIRD. A slight pressure upon the brain suspends the mental operations rendering the patient unconscious of every thing; and by the removal of this pressure the mental powers are instantly restored, whilst this effect cannot be produced by pressing upon any other portion of the system.

FOURTH. Injuries and morbid states of the brain palpably affect the ope rations of the mind, as we shall see hereafter, whilst this effect cannot be

produced by wounding or inflaming any other portion of the body, except by sympathetically affecting the brain.

For additional proof of this proposition, see "Phrenology Proved Illustrated, and Applied,” pp. 7—10. This work will hereafter be frequently referred to as follows, P. P. pp. 7-10.

Corolla. A plain inference deducible from this proposition is that there can be no exercise, no manifestation of the mind, without a corresponding exercise and action of the brain, and, vice versa, that every action of the brain must produce an exercise of mind, every change and condition of each producing a corresponding affection of the other.

All the operations of nature are uniform throughout. If a particular organ exercises a single function of a given class, it exercises every function of that class. The eye sees, and does all the seeing, and nothing else, so of the stomach, lungs, and every organ and function of the body, and indeed of nature throughout. Consequently, if the brain exercises a single function of the mind, if a single thought or emotion is manifested through the medium of the brain, then is every emotion, every thought, every mental operation manifested by means of the same brain. Either the relation between the two is perfect, and complete, and entire throughout all their most minute phenomena, or else there is no relation, no mutual exercise, no dependence whatever.

II. THE MIND CONSISTS OF A PLURALITY OF INDEPENDENT FACULTIES OR POWERS, each of which exercises a distinct class of functions.

Since our design is to show what phrenology is, rather than to prove its truth, and since fully to establish this fundamental proposition would require more space than we can devote to it, we will only stute briefly the facts and arguments which support it.

FIRST. A plurality of mental powers would allow much greater variety and perfection of the mental operations than could be attained if the mind were a single power.

SECOND. If the mind were a single power, it could be doing only one thing at the same time, but if it be a compound of several powers, each could be in simultaneous action. Our own consciousness assures us that we can attend to more things than one at a time-that we can be looking and thinking, walking and talking, feeling and acting, &c., all simultaneously THIRD. Were the mind a single faculty, it must necessarily be equally asleep or awake upon all subjects at a given instant, which would preclude the possibility of dreaming; but if composed of several, one might be partially active, and another dormant, at the same time, which would produce dreaming.

FOURTH. In case the mind were a single power, and had become wearied by one kind of action, it could no more obtain rest by turning to something else, than a man who had tired himself out by walking east, could rest himself by walking north. But the mind is relieved by changing its studies, pursuits, &c., and therefore consists of a variety of powers, whicn, by acting in turn, spell each other, and thus rest one another.

FIFTH. Different kinds of memory, or a retentive recollection of countenances and a poor one of names, or a good memory of ideas, and an indifferent one of details, or an accurate one of places, and a deficient one of colours, establish the same point; because, if all kinds of memory were per formed by the same power, it would be equally retentive of every thing. SIXTH. Insane persons are often deranged only upon a single subject, whilst they are sane upon every other. Now were the mind a single powe

and the brain a unity, sanity upon one subject, and insanity upon another, could not co-exist; whereas, were it a plurality of powers, and the brain, of organs, a given organ, and with it its power, might be deranged, whilst the others remained in a healthy state. See axiom 3.

SEVENTH. Were the mind a single faculty, it would be equally powerful when applied to every thing, in which case partial genius, or a talent for one thing and not for another, could not exist together, but every one would be equally gifted with mathematical talents, and poetical talents, and mechanical talents, and so of every species of intellect, but if the mind were a plurality of powers, one power might be, and would be likely to be, weak, and another strong, which would produce just that diversity of disposition and talent which actually exists among men. See axioms 1 and 3.

I will relate a single fact illustrating this point, which occurred at a public test-examination in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, December, 1837, before an audience of over two hundred persons. It being a blindfold test-examination, some anti-phrenologists had gone several miles to procure for the occa sion a mathematical fool. After having examined Captain Bennet, and ascribed to him superior talents and moral worth, this fool was sent up as a contrast. At first I hesitated, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, you must indeed excuse me from proceeding." "Go on, go on," was the unanimous response. I replied, "Well, if I must, I must, but I tell you what, if I do, I shall make a big hit or a great mistake; that is all. First, then, his reason. ing powers are small, so that he cannot think, or reason, or understand any thing. He is a natural fool, and destitute of the moral organs at that. Secondly, but here is large calculation. He delights and excels in reckoning figures in his head."

Here Dr. Sawyer interrupted, by asking "how he could be a fool, and yet excel in arithmetic. This is contrary to reason.' I replied, "Reasonable or unreasonable, it is the fact. I appeal to those who know him if it is not." "It's so, it's the fact," responded several who knew him. "He is a perfect master of arithmetic, and will sit up half the night propounding and solving sums, and takes the greatest pleasure in it; but doesn't know enough to take care of himself," said one who knew him well. I replied, "You see, doctor, what the fact is. Now, will you have the goodness to explain how this is, for you are under just as much obligation to do so as I am." It was a poser. He gave up beat. "Now, sir," said I, "I will explain this matter. The mind consists of a plurality of independent faculties, each of which is exercised by means of particular portions of the brain. In this case, causality, which thinks, is small; hence he is a fool; but calculation, which is independent of it, and reckons figures, is very large, and he is great in figures." III. THE BRAIN CONSISTS OF AS MANY DIFFERENT PORTIONS CALLED ORGANS, AS THE MIND DOES OF FACULTIES.

To suppose that the mind consists of a plurality of powers, and yet that each power uses the whole brain in succession, is a palpable absurdity Throughout all the operations of nature, we find a distinct instrument or organ for every class of functions, and also every distinct class of functions to be exercised by its particular organ. Thus, instead of our seeing, and hearing, and tasting, and smelling, and feeling, all by means of one and the same apparatus, each is performed separately by its appropriate instrument. This arrangement is universal, and the plain inference is that the same is true of each of the other mental powers, including the organs of the brain. These two last propositions might have been stated in one, the truth of each being inseparable from, and established by, that of the ot! er, and the

two together constituting the very essence and substance-both the foundation and the superstructure, as also the characteristic feature, of phrenclogy Establish either, and you thereby establish the other, and with it the truth of phrenological science; overthrow either, and you thereby overthrow the other, burying the entire science in the fall.

If the brain be a unity, then the pathological or diseased condition of any portion of it must affect the brain as a whole, and prove injurious to the nind as a whole, affecting equally its every function and operation; but in case the brain is an assemblage of parts or organs, it is plain that the injury of one of them will affect that particular class of mental functions which is exercised by it, and that only. Now, since this class of facts is of that positive," ad hominem," knock-down character which will at once establish or refute the doctrines of phrenology, and the force of which no candid or reflecting mind can gainsay or resist, the author will narrate a few which have fallen under his own observation. See cover, and also Am. Phren. Journal, vol. II., No. 11, pp. 508, and also P. P. pp. 18 and 19.

IV. THESE FACULTIES ARE POSSESSED ORIGINALLY IN DIFFERENT DEGREES OF POWER RY DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS, AND ALSO BY THE SAME INDIVIDUAL. See an account of the mathematical fool, p. 8, and P. P. pp. 20-24, where this proposition is discussed. See also, the endless diversity of talent and disposition existing amongst men.

V. OTHER CONDITIONS BEING EQUAL, THE SIZE OF THE BRAIN, A OF EACH ORGAN, IS THE MEASURE OF THEIR POWER OF FUNCTION.

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Though this proposition is an important and a fundamental one, ye hich not my purpose to discuss it here. I will just observe, that since the 'ymis composed of a plurality of distinct organs, as just shown, each of waseexercises a distinct class of functions, the supply of blood to these seve organs is proportionate to their volume and exercise combined. In othe words, the more you exercise the feelings of benevolence, of cautiousness, or causality, for example, the more will you exercise the organs of benevolence, or cautiousness, or causality, (see Corolla, on p. 7;) and this exercise will cause an increased flow of blood to these organs, which blood is freighted with matter which it deposits wherever it goes, in proportion to its abundance, and this causes an enlargement of the organs proportionate to the exercise of their respective faculties. This principle of increase by exercise, and decrease by inaction, is familiar in its application to the hands of the labourer, sailor, &c., to the foot of the expert dancer and the pedestrian, to the chest of the rower, the right hand compared with the left, &c. And since the brain is governed by this same physiological law, why should not its effect be the same upon the organs of the brain? It is for our opponents to show that this is not the case.

FACTS.

VI. BUT PHRENOLOGY IS MAINLY PROVED BY PHYSICAL FACTS. It was discovered, and has thus far been perfected, by the true Baconiar method of inductive philosophy-by an observation and a classification of See the method by which each organ was discovered. In P. P pp. 26-34, will be found a chapter on the phrenological developments of men and animals, compared with their characters, in which the brute crea tion are shown to have the animal organs only, and to be destitute of the moral and the reasoning organs, whilst these organs are largely developed in man. The world is emphatically full of phrenological facts, but our limits do not allow even a bird's-eye glance at them. The reader is referred em to Gall and Spurzheim's works, to the chapter of facts, P. P. pp and to the open volume of nature. Read for yourselves.