PHRENOLOGY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 18, 19 August 1843, Page 2

PHRENOLOGY.

Instead of giving an extract, as we pro-**' mised last week, wo deem it better to publislsei tho following Digest of Mr. Brown's LecturtTi on Phenology :—: — we Ist. That tho brain is the organ of the* mind, that is, the material apparatus through. which the mind is manifested. Ei In support of this proposition the Lecture! ' adduced tho opinions of many celebrate^ anatomists as well as other learned meßpoi quoting also many popular aphorisms i \ which the same doctrine is inculcated, l^g sides producing the more direct evident^ afforded by insanity and lesions of the braifl^ where it was clearly shewn that the mi\ Q] became entirely suspended upon pressure o: the brain, and on that being removed, ths c mental power was again restored ; — in illu:* nj tration of this an interesting case from Co^ c per's Lectures was quoted of a man nanif 3 Jones, who had become insensible by a hW n received when capturing a vessel in the M'fau diterrancan. In this state of oblivion he B a »t 1 remained upwards of 13 months, when hon was trepanned and tho incumbent bone tp't I moved ; in 3or 4 days afterwards ho h 3 '^ quite recovered, the last thing that he i^ membered was taking the prize in the Me^L terrancan. , 5e5 e ! 2nd. That the brain, as the metapty-J* cians had supposed, was not a single org^^ the whole of it therefore engaged in eaf l*&l *& mental act, but that it consists of ft congcri'

trams.— In proof, of this was referred to phenomena of partial idiocy, partial infinity, partial genius, dreaming, asweUas m successive appearance of the faculties «ing infancy. An interesting historical %tc£ of the Opinions which had at various ;'titnes prevailed on this point was also given, herein it was shown that from the time of ■ Jfestotle, witli whom the opinion seems to 2L originated, tho brain was divided into :|k>u S Compartments each apP ro P" ate^ 01 Ifeorformanco of distinct mental^ctions* afdlt sketch of the head was exhibited from &srk of a Venetian Luduvico Dolce, pubvMd in 1562, having tho seats of the various Sties nSsedoutuponit. These attempts oTtifeancients were shewn, however, to be entirely fanciful, having no foundation in nat&6; but a notice of them was deemed mtMting in so far as it shewed that tho idea 0? each faculty having a peculiar portion ctf'ihe brain assigned for its manifestation fi not new. . . rd. It was shewn that the size of the Wain, other conditions being equal, indicated the power or energy with which the Siid will manifest itself. This principle, Traversal, as regards inorganic matter, was 3$ shewn to hold good when applied to the Saal economy ; and illustrations were aX&ieed of the power of tho bones, muscles, btffed-vessels, and nerves, being strictly in rirobortion to their size. Further lUustratMfe were also given of nations possessing large heads, controlling and enslaving those SSI smaller heads ; and that all great men, -wMther distinguished for great vices or fpiit virtues, had all largo heads. The brain being established to be t organ of the mind, consisting of various s, and the size of tho ivholc brain indi.dSting its general power ; an inference was "4pwn fr° m tn * s > iat tno ss * z0 of Gac^ P ar " mjfylar organ would be an index of the power «Hih which the particular function of that Wg&n would bo manifested. i 4 jpth. Such being the case, it came to bo a ra|ttor of grave consideration to discover yfflsA regions of tho brain were most devo- ; outlines Avere shown of the heads «jf|tlio notorious Hare (the accomplice of JJ#rke) of a parracido from tho collection $f| Monsieur Viscont ; and also of that of JPcipo Alexander VI., whero the lower or portion of the head, devoted to the X(i|nife3tation of the animal propensities Was very largo, and tho region of the moral ttiments and intellect, very small; corponding to the gross, immoral lives of so individuals ; and these were contrasted lfish tho heads of Melancthon the reformer, tehd. Fras. Oberlin, a pastor of tho Alps ; iy^ere the upper part of the head, the region 6f|the moral sentiments, wa& very large with the organs of the animal i|rppensities ; and the pure and elevated ■ Character of the individuals was no loss conI L "cuous. This connection between heads, mcd after these models, and tho character the individuals being invariable, the brer stated that presumptive evidence of truth of the Phrenological doctrines had >n afforded ; and that at a future lecture, would point out tho seat of the various |ans which have been as yet discovered, ing such illustrations of each as he could jain, but warned his audience that he did | hope to have evidence sufficient to con|ce them of the various propositions, as S they could only obtain by examining |ure, the proper and only means by which •y could fully carry conviction to thoir t minds. *\