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INTRODUCTION
PHRENOLOGY.
ROBERT MACNISH, LL.D.
Author of " The Anatomy of Drunkenness" and " The Philosophy of Sleep," and Member of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
SECOND EDITION.
ENLARGED, AND ILLUSTRATED BY THIRTY FOUR ENGRAVINGS.
GLASGOW:
JOHN SYMINGTON & CO.
EDINBURGH:— OLIVER AND BOYD.
LONDON;— WHITTAKER & CO.
MDCCCXXXVII.
TO
ROBERT COX, Esq.
CONSERVATOR OF THE MUSEUM OF THE PHRENOLOGICAL SOCIETY, EDINBURGH,;
THIS WORK
IS INSCRIBED, BY HIS FRIEND,
THE AUTHOR.
PREFACE
THE SECOND EDITION.
The success of this work has greatly exceeded the expec- tations of the author. Two thousand copies of the first edition were issued, and six months sufficed to exhaust the whole number. The book has also been printed by Messrs. Marsh, Capen, and Lyon of Boston, in the United States, and with every prospect of an equally rapid circulation in that country. These circumstances speak well for Phren- ology, both in Great Britain and America. In the present edition, the work wears an entirely new aspect. It has been, in a great measure, re-written; and besides much new matter, contains a series of illustrations in wood, executed by Mr. Bruce of Edinburgh, the most skilful engraver of phrenological subjects in this country. The method of question and answer, the propriety of which at first seemed doubtful, appears to have been generally approved of. For
a short treatise on a debateable subject like Phrenology it is well adapted, in so far as it affords an opportunity of bringing prominently forward all the objections, however important or frivolous, which have been made to the science, and of meeting them with suitable replies.
R. M.
REFEHQPTG TO THE ETGCKES IXI)1CATI>'(; TlfKlll UKI.ATJVK POSITIONS.
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CLASSIFICATION OF THE FACULTIES.
ORDER I.— FEELINGS, OR AFFECTIVE FACULTIES.
Genus I. — Propensities.
1. Araativeness. f Alimentiveness
2. Philoprogenitiveness. Love of Life.
3. Concentrativeness. 7. Secretiveness.
4. Adhesiveness. 8. Acquisitiveness.
5. Combativeness. 9. Constructiveness.
6. Destructiveness.
Genus II. — Sentiments. Species 1 — Inferior Sentiments.
10. Self- Esteem. 12. Cautiousness.
11. Love of Approbation.
Species 2. — Superior Sentiments.
13. Benevolence. 18. Wonder.
14. Veneration. 19. Ideality.
15. Firmness. 20. Wit.
16. Conscientiousness. 21. Imitation.
17. Hope.
ORDER II.— INTELLECTUAL FACULTIES.
Genus I. — The External Senses.
Feeling. Hearing.
Taste. Sight.
Smell. Mechanical Resistance.
Genus II. — The Perceptive, or Knowing Faculties.
Species 1. — Intellectual Faculties which take cognizance of the ex- istence of external objects, and their physical qualities.
22. Individuality. 25. Weight.
23. Form. 26. Colouring.
24. Size.
Species 2. — Intellectual Faculties which take cognizance of the relations of external objects.
27. Locality. 31. Time.
28. Number. 32. Tune.
29. Order. 33. Language.
30. Eventuality.
Genus III. — Reflective Faculties. 34. Comparison. 35. Causality.
INTRODUCTION.
My first ideas of Phrenology were obtained from Dr. Gall himself, its founder, whose lectures I attended in Paris during the year 1825. Before that time I, in common with almost all who are ignorant of the subject, spoke of it with great contempt, and took every opportunity of turning it into ridicule. The discourses of this great man, and several private conversations which I had the honour of holding with him, produced a total change in my ideas, and convinced me that the doctrines he taught, so far from deserving the absurd treatment which they then generally met with, were, in themselves, highly beautiful as expositions of the human mind in its various phases, and every way worthy of atten- tion. Much reflection and many appeals to nature, since that period, have satisfied me of their truth.
Few subjects have encountered such persevering hostility as the doctrines in question ; and persons now commencing the study can have little idea of the gross insults heaped upon its early cultivators by those who pretended to rule public opinion in matters of science and literature. Such usage, however, is not without many parallels in the history of the world. Persecution is the reward of innovation in whatever form that appears. To the truth of this assertion the banish- ment of Pythagoras, the poison cup of Socrates and the dungeon gloom of Galileo bear ample testimony. In our own country the sublime discoveries of Newton were long a 2
10 INTRODUCTION.
violently opposed, and Harvey, for ascertaining the most important fact in modern physiology, the circulation of the blood, was rewarded with abuse and the loss of his practice. In France things were no better — Descartes, one of the greatest geniuses that ever lived, having had the charge of atheism levelled against him for maintaining the doctrine of innate ideas. The stale trick of representing discoveries in science as hostile to religion, has, indeed, always been a fa- vourite one with the enemies of knowledge, and even in these comparatively enlightened times is frequently had recourse to by the designing and the ignorant. Nothing is more com- mon than to hear modern geology denounced as at variance with the word of God, and its cultivators held up as a con- clave of infidels ; nor has Phrenology escaped the same absurd charge, in the face of the notorious truth, that it is openly advocated by some of the most intelligent and pious of our clergy, and that the parent Phrenological Society was founded by the Rev. Dr. Welsh, Professor of Church History in the University of Edinburgh.1
Had the hostility to the Phrenological doctrines been con- fined to the weak-minded and illiterate, the circumstance would have excited no surprise, but at the first announcement of the science we find it assaulted on all sides by the learning
1 " I think it right to declare that I have found the greatest benefit from the science as a minister of the Gospel. I have been led to study the evi- dences of Christianity anew, in connexion with Phrenology, and I feel my confidence in the truth of our holy religion increased by this new examin- ation. I have examined the doctrines of our church also, one by one, in connexion with the truths of our new science, and have found the most wonderful harmony subsisting between them. And in dealing with my people in the ordinary duties of my calling, the practical benefit I have derived from Phrenology is inestimable." — Rev. Br. Welsh, See Phrenolo- gical Journal^ vol. v. p. 1 10.
" That the religious and moral objections against the phrenological theory are utterly futile, I have from the first been fully convinced."— Whatley> Lord Archbishop of Dublin.
INTRODUCTION. 11
and reputation of Europe. These attacks it has calmly and dispassionately met, and who that has surveyed the contest will have the hardihood to say that it has not triumphed ? A more striking instance of the impossibility of Stirling truth, has never been presented to the world, than in the victorious struggle of this science.
One of the most virulent attacks upon the new doctrines was made in the 49th number of the Edinburgh Review by the late Dr John Gordon, who not contented with unfairly misstating them, according to the usual practice of their op- ponents, demeaned himself by indulging in acrimonious per- sonalities against the characters of Gall and Spurzheim. This attack, which in truth displayed nothing but gross ignorance and unbounded misrepresentation, was duly met and its various delinquencies exposed by the latter of these distinguished men. Lord Jeffrey in the 88th number of the same able work repeated the assault, only, however, to meet with a confutation equally conclusive from the pen of Mr. Combe. The attack was elegant, lively and satirical, and written in a not ungentlemanly spirit, but the accomplished writer lacked knowledge of the subject, and fell an easy victim before the well stored armoury of facts and reasonings, with which he was encountered by his acute antagonist.2 An elaborate article by Dr. Roget,
2 Some of the observations in the Edinburgh Review are amusing. Take the following as examples : —
'* To enter on a particular refutation of them, (the opinions of Gall and Spurzheim) would be to insult the understandings of our readers." — " We look upon the whole doctrines taught by these two modern Peripa- tetics, anatomical, physiological, and physiognomical, as a piece of thorough quackery from beginning to end ; and we are persuaded that every intelli- gent person, who takes the trouble to read a single chapter of the volumes before us, will view them precisely in the same light."— "They are a collec- tion of mere absurdities, without truth, connexion or consistency, an in- coherent rhapsody, which nothing could have induced any man to have presented to the public, under pretence of instructing them, but absolute
12 INTRODUCTION.
iu the supplement to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, was also replied to by Mr. Combe, and from this article having been withheld from the new edition of the work, we may conclude that neither the doctor nor his publishers were satisfied with the success of their experiment. From the extensive knowledge of Sir William Hamilton, much was expected in the way of opposition, but he fared no better than his predecessors. The same may be said of Drs. Stone, Barclay, Prichard, Bostock, and in truth, of all who have attacked the science. The whole body of crusaders against Phrenology are characterized by one curious feature. Each individual combatant imagines that he has annihilated the doctrines, and that they will never more be heard of; each employs the same arguments as if they had never been used before; each is in a state of perfect ignorance, with respect to the manner in which these arguments have already been disposed of; and finally, each invariably gives a false and distorted representation of the science. Few of those who have written against it, have done so in a generous, truth- loving mood. An unaccountable spirit of hatred has con- fused their perceptions, and rendered men whose talents ought to have made them formidable in the field of con- troversy, weak and inefficient as children. Hence, in every contest with their opponents, they have been defeated; nor
insanity, gross ignorance, or the most matchless assurance."—" Such is the trash, the despicable trumpery, which two men calling themselves scientific inquirers, have the impudence gravely to present to the physiologists of the nineteenth century as specimens of reasoning and induction. "—Dr. Gor- don, in No. xlix.
" Every one of course, has heard of Dr. Gall's craniology, and seen his plaster heads mapped out into territories of some thirty or forty indepen- dent faculties. Long before this time, we confess, we expected to have seen them turned into toys for children, and this folly consigned to that great limbo of vanity to which the dreams of alchemy, sympathetic medicine, and animal magnetism had passed before it." — Lord Jeffrey in No. lxxxviii.
INTRODUCTION. 13
has this taken place because the phrenologists possessed the advantages of superior talent and logical acumen, but simply because they entered the arena backed by truth. Without this indispensable ingredient, the . greatest natural powers go for nothing in a question of facts, and with it the meanest become formidable.3
Great progress has been made by the science within the last ten years, especially in Great Britain, France, and the United States. It has met with considerable success in Sweden and Denmark, and has even succeeded in forcing its way into Italy. The late Professor Uccelli of Florence was a phrenologist. For this heinous offence he lost his chair in the university of that city, and was persecuted with all the blind malice of bigotry and intolerance. Two of the best phrenologists in the north, are Drs. Hoppe and Otto, both eminent Danish physicians, the latter Professor of Materia Medica, and Medical Jurisprudence in the univer- sity of Copenhagen. Berzelius of Stockholm, the most illus- trious of living chemists, has become a convert to the science, and Andral, Broussais, Cloquet, Bouillaud, Sanson, Voisin , Falret, and Vimont, who are among the greatest medical characters in the French capital, have done the same.4 The
3 Those who intend writing against Phrenology, will save themselves the trouble of repeating stale and often confuted arguments, by perusing the different attacks made on the science, and the answers which have been made to them. A full list of these attacks and replies will be found in an article entitled " Phrenological Controversies," in the Phrenogical Journal, vol. x. p. 150.
4 Many other able physicians are also members. Among a multitude of non-medical names I find the following, some of them men of considerable eminence.— Blondeau, Dean of the Faculty of Law, David, the celebrated sculptor, the Duke of Montobello (peer of France), Julien director of the " Revue Eneyclopedique",Poncelet, Professor of the Faculty of Law, Comte, Professor of Philosophy to the Athenaeum, Royer, Chief Secretary to the Administration of the Garden of Plants, Les Cases and Ternaux, members of the Chamber of Deputies, &c. &c.
14 INTRODUCTION.
conversion of the last of these eminent men is curious, and forms a memorable fact in the history of Phrenology. Hav- ing attended Gall, he thought he could easily refute his doctrines, and for this purpose made a vast collection of specimens, chiefly of skulls of the lower animals ; but the very evidence he was thus accumulating for the overthrow of the science had entirely the opposite effect. It satisfied him of its truth, and led to the publication of his magnificent work on " Human and Comparative Phrenology." A Phreno- gical Society, numbering among its members many of the ablest scientific and literary men of Paris, has for some years been in active existence. By this body, a journal, exclusively devoted to the subject, and containing many admirable papers, is regularly published. Great zeal for Phrenology exists in the United States. Dr. Caldwell of Lexington, Kentucky, has written with uncommon talent upon the subject, and a valuable work entitled " Annals of Phrenology " is issued periodically at Boston. In that city a Phrenological Library is in the course of publication, con- sisting of reprints of all the best works which have ap- peared on the science, embodying also a translation, in six volumes, of Dr. Gall's unrivalled work Sur les Fonctions du Cerveau. Mr. Lawrence, one of the first surgeons and physiologists in this country, is favourable to the doctrines. In London, they have been supported with great power of reasoning by Dr. Elliotson; and such able physicians as Mackintosh of Edinburgh, Marsh of Dublin, and Barlow of Bath, have not hesitated openly and unscrupulously to adopt them. For more than ten years the Medico- Chirur- gical Review and Lancet, the ablest medical periodicals in Great Britain, have honourably distinguished themselves in defence of the same cause. In Germany the science has pros- pered less than almost any where else in civilized Europe, thus verifying the old adage that "prophets are never esteemed in
INTRODUCTION. 15
their own country." Even there, however, the rapid sale of a recent translation of Mr. Combe's " System of Phrenology," by Dr. Hirschfeld of Bremen, proves that public attention has at length been awakened to it ; and there are good grounds for believiug that the celebrated Blumenbach, con- trary to the general understanding upon the subject, decid- edly favours its pretensions.5 Yet we are told that no men of eminence, have become converts to the science. The names here recorded sufficiently refute this assertion ; and the Phrenological Societies of London, Edinburgh, and Paris, can boast of names inferior in talent and reputation to none in Europe. Considering the opposition which Gall's doctrines have met with, their acceptance by so large a por- tion cf the public, is matter of wonder rather than otherwise. Newton's sublime discoveries met with no such prompt recep- tion. They were long acrimoniously opposed in his own country, and at his death, more than forty years after the publication of the Principia, he had not above twenty fol- lowers on the Continent.6
The advance which Phrenology has made against the vast difficulties it has had to encounter, is indeed matter of con- gratulation, but much remains yet to be achieved. The weight of the Universities, and other seats of learning, bears strongly against it. There the metaphysics of the schools have been entrenched for ages, and will not surrender with- out a desperate struggle. The middle-aged and the elderly of the existing race, must die out before the new philosophy displays its full power. It is among the young, those whose minds have not been pre-occupied by other systems, and
5 See Phrenological Journal, vol. viii. p. 531.
6 For a complete account of the present state of the science, the reader is referred to Mr. Watson's excellent work, entitled " Statistics of Phren- ology."
16 INTRODUCTION.
whose judgments are yet free and unshackled, that it is spreading most triumphantly. Its simple, intelligible and eminently practical character fits it admirably for unso- phisticated youth, and it is pleasing to behold the steady progress which it is making among the young of both sexes. Even into colleges it is finding an entrance. Students in the metaphysical classes are beginning to imbue their essays with phrenological doctrines, either openly or in disguise, to the great horror of their professors, some of whom have thought fit to denounce, ex cathedra, the hundred-headed monster which has thus presumed to show its detested pre- sence within the walls of Alma Mater.
Some people declare that they believe in the general principles of Phrenology, but not in its details. It would be far better to reject the science altogether, than indulge in such unmeaning perversion of language. All general principles are made up from details, and if the latter are faulty so must be the former. To say that we believe in the integrity of a whole, yet deny the soundness of the parts composing it is a pure absurdity. What would be thought of that man's intellect who acknowledged a certain ship of war to be perfectly sound and sea-worthy, and yet declared the timbers of which it was constructed to be rotten ? To admit the principles of Phrenology, and yet deny the details which give these principles existence, is not less preposterous.
It has been objected to the science that certain erudite bodies have expressed their disbelief in it. When, however, it is known that these bodies know little or nothing of its true character, this objection will not, with any man of sense, weigh a single straw in the balance. Newton's discoveries were not proved to be false, because the University of Oxford resisted them for half a century. The opinions of all the learned associations in Europe, are valueless upon a subject
INTRODUCTION. 17
of which they are ignorant. Nor is the objection, that the ma- jority of medical men are hostile to Phrenology better founded. Let it not be forgotten, that the most eminent members of the profession long opposed the doctrine of the circulation of the blood, now universally admitted by physiologists. On a matter which he has never studied, the opinion of a medical man is no better than that of another person ; and the general ignorance of the profession regarding Phren- ology, is too well known to require demonstration. The existing race of medical students, however, are beginning to pay due attention to it; and, by and by, a knowledge of the subject will be so generally diffused among practitioners, that he who is deficient in this respect, will be considered to have neglected an important branch of his professional studies. The light which this science throws upon the physiology and pathology of the brain, and especially on the numerous class of mental diseases, is immense, and can only be appreciated by those who have turned their atten- tion to it.
The superiority of the phrenological doctrines over every previous system of mental philosophy, consists in this — that their truth can be demonstrated with the same facility as any fact in nature, and that their bearings on the practical workings of life are equally susceptible of demonstration. Unlike scholastic metaphysics, they are not built in the clouds, but have a tangible base to rest upon. Unlike them, they are not mere barren speculations, but can be turned to good account. If we look to the old philosophy, we find its cultivators talking of perception, memory, judgment, and imagination, as constituting the primary mental powers, and using the machinery of attention, association, and habit, to solve every obstacle which stood in their wray. If a man had great difficulty in nicely discriminating shades of colour, it was owing to an early want of attention ! If he were fond
18 INTRODUCTION.
of music or poetry, this resulted from association ! If he were capable of great concentrated application, this had its origin in habit ! In short, perception, memory, judgment, and imagi- nation, are to the sound philosophy of the mind what the four elements of fire, air, earth, and water are to modern chemistry; while attention, association, and habit may be said to represent Phlogiston, that convenient agent by which every difficulty was at once got rid of. It is no proof of the soundness of this crude theory, that it was adopted by great names. In the dawn of every science, talents of the first order often got widely astray. Roger Bacon, Albertus Magnus, Raymond Lully, Van Helmont, and Paracelsus believed in the Elixir Vitae and the Philoso- pher's Stone; and, till a comparatively recent period, the Stah- lian theory was in general acceptation among chemists. The same holds true with the philosophy of mind. Previous to Gall's great discovery, no proper method of investigating mental phenomena was known to metaphysicians, and gross errors and misconceptions consequently existed. We were gravely told, that the human mind was like a sheet of blank paper, on which any impression could be made; that all men were by nature precisely alike, and that variety of talent and disposition depended upon circumstances. The currency which such doctrines obtained, demonstrates a state of ignorance with respect to the mind, not inferior to that of physical science which existed in the days of the alchymists. Gall was the first person who laid the axe to the root of this barren tree, and planted a better in its place. If any man proceeded upon the strictest principles of the inductive philosophy, it was this illustrious individual. His inferences were sternly deduced from facts which came under his notice, and no one was ever less of a theorist. The method upon which he proceeded, has been rigidly followed by his disciples; and though none of them
INTRODUCTION. 19
have equalled their master in originality or grasp of mind, they may at least lay claim to the merit of being actuated by the same spirit of investigation, and of endeavouring, like him, to draw their knowledge directly from the book of nature. If they have failed, the fault is chargeable upon their own want of acuteness, and not upon the mode had recourse to by them, for the purpose of eliciting truth.
As people get acquainted with Phrenology, and the vast number of important points on which it bears, the op- position which it has hitherto encountered will gradually cease. This consummation is fast taking place, even already. Converts are daily flocking to its ranks, and those who still stand aloof are beginning to speak of it with some degree of respect. The hostile efforts of the press will, for a time, continue to check its onward march, but those are rapidly giving way before increasing knowledge. In the meantime, some of the public prints abound with ingenious inventions to its prejudice. Every paragraph is eagerly inserted if it only bear against Phrenology. We are daily told of blun- ders committed by expert Phrenologists, in their attempts to predicate character, from examination of the head.7 If a notorious criminal is executed, we may calculate on being
7 For example, the story of Dr. Spurzheim and the bust of Lord Pom- fret, as exposed in the sixth volume of the Phrenological Journal ; or the equally veracious one of Mr. Combe being- imposed upon by a cast moulded from a Swedish turnip. There is no end to such impudent fictions. The alleged blunders of expert phrenologists are, in fact, mere weak inventions of the enemy, for the purpose of demolishing by fraud what they cannot en- counter by fair argument. There have not even been awanting instances of individuals writing out characters, the very reverse of their own, and palming them off as phrenological failures. I know an instance of this kind, and another is related by Mr. Combe in his letter to Lord Jeffrey. Talking of the Swedish turnip, the facetious personage who made the unsuccessful attempt to play off this hoax against Phrenology, has since studied the science, and become a complete convert to its truth. See page 13 of that interesting volume, entitled " Selections from the Phrenological Jowrnal?* recently published.
20 INTRODUCTION.
informed that he possessed a splendid development, and so forth ! Lacenaire, the assassin of sixteen individuals, hady we were told, such a formation of head as Gall would have assigned to a mild, kind-hearted, religious character. Hare was formidable in the regions of Benevolence and Ideality, and Fieschi remarkably deficient in those of Firmness and Destructiveness ! All such stories are idle inventions, with- out a particle of truth, but they serve the intended purpose of imposing upon the unwary, and exciting a hostile feeling towards Phrenology.
In whatever way we view this science, its tendency is excellent. It is eminently useful to the medical practitioner, by turning his attention forcibly to the state of the brain and whole nervous system, in health and disease — to those who have the charge of lunatics and criminals — to those concerned in the administration of justice 8 — to parents, in the intellectual, moral, and physical management of their children, and, in short, to every class of society. Grievous errors in education, in the treatment of malefactors, and in what are called mental diseases, are constantly committed,
8 Were Phrenology known, as it ought to be, by judges and public pro- secutors, we should not behold the revolting spectacle of lunatics perishing on the scaffold, as is too often the case in Great Britain ; nor medical men giving it as their opinion, that the unfortunates who have so perished were responsible agents. There is something appalling in the thought of inflict- ing death on creatures whom God has stricken with idiocy or derangement, merely because those who try them, and those who testify to their fitness for being put upon trial, are ignorant of the nature of their malady. No man can now doubt, that Barclay who was hanged at Glasgow, and Howison who suffered the same fate at Edinburgh, were disordered in intellect to a degree which placed them beyond the pale of responsibility. The light thrown by Phrenology on Mental Derangement is most valuable, and will, in time, be so reflected upon Criminal Jurisprudence as to render such dreadful misapplication of the law a rare, or rather an impossible, occur- rence. In the third and tenth volumes of the Phrenological Journal, there is some valuable information on the subject of Insanity and Crime. See also Dr. Combe's work on Mental Derangement, and the treatises on the same subject by Burrows, Conolly, and Esquirol.
INTRODUCTION. 2i
from ignorance of the light thrown by Phrenology upon these important subjects. A science which is able to ac- complish all this cannot be a trivial one; and time, the great arbiter, will yet render it ample justice, when every thing which has been said and written against it is utterly for- gotten.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
What is the material organ of the mind?
The brain. The mind requires a material apparatus to work with ; the brain is this apparatus. The brain itself, however, is not alleged by phrenologists to be the mind, any more than a musical instrument is music, the tongue taste, or the ears hearing. When the strings of a harp or violin are touched in a particular manner we have music. When the brain is in certain states we have displays of the mental faculties. Of the mind, as a separate entity, we can know nothing whatever, and we must judge of it in the only way in which it comes under our cognizance.9
What reason is there to infer that the mind is manifested through the medium of the brain?
We have undoubted evidence of this in the following and many similar facts. When a person receives a violent blow on the head — when blood or any other fluid presses upon the brain — or when a portion of the skull is beaten in — in- sensibility is a frequent, or rather a general occurrence.
9 " The mind sees through the medium of the eye, just as it thinks or feels through the medium of the brain ; and as changes in the condition of the eye deteriorate or destroy the power of vision, without any affection of the prin- ciple of mind, the obvious inference follows, that, in like manner, may changes in the condition of the brain destroy the power of feeling or of think, ing, and yet the mind itself, or soul, remain essentially the same."— -Dr. Combe on Mental Derangement*
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 23
A dose of opium, by acting on the brain, suspends the phen- omena of mind; in like manner, when the brain is inflamed, the mental operations are disturbed. Did the mind act independently of the brain, no physical injury or irritation of the latter should have any effect upon the faculties ; whereas, we find that the reverse is the case. Insanity, in fact, is nothing but cerebral disease inducing disordered mental manifestations. Finally, when the brain is extremely small, idiocy is the invariable result. Such a form of head, for instance, as is represented in the following sketch, is in- compatible with the most ordinary degree of intelligence. The subject of the engraving was an idiot girl, aged four- teen, whom Dr. Spurzheim saw in Cork. The extreme deficiency of brain is very obvious.
Does the mind consist of one faculty or of several?
Undoubtedly of many. We have the passions of fear, love, attachment, pugnacity, &c. ; the sentiments of benevo- lence, veneration, justice, &c. ; besides a variety of other qualities, such as the powers of music, calculation, causation,
24
GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
and many others. All these powers, susceptibilities, and emotions of the mind are called faculties ; each is distinct* and possessed by different individuals, in different degrees.
Since the mental faculties are so varied, how can a single viscus like the brain manifest them all?
There is irresistible evidence to demonstrate that the brain is not a single organ, but in reality a congeries of organs, so intimately blended, however, as to appear one. Each of these is the seat of a particular mental faculty; so that, as the whole mind acts through the medium of the whole brain, so does each faculty of the mind act through the medium of a certain portion of the brain. Thus, there is a part appropriated to the faculty of Tune, another to that of Imitation, and so on through the whole series. The brain, in short, as Dr. Spurzheim observes, " is not a simple unit, but a collection of many peculiar instruments."
Upon what evidence do you found these assertions ?
The evidences are numerous. Were the brain a single organ, of which every part was employed in the manifesta- tion of all the mental faculties, there could be no such thing as monomania, or madness on one point: if a portion of the brain were diseased, the whole mind should suffer; whereas, we often find that one faculty is insane, while all the others are perfectly sound. In like manner, fatigue of one organ should exhaust the whole, but we do not find this to be the case; for after overtasking the reflecting powers, we may be fully prepared to call others, such as Tune, Imitation, &c. into energetic activity. Dreaming, likewise, is inconsistent with the supposition that the brain is a single organ. If it were so, we should be either complete^ awake or com- pletely asleep; whereas, in dreams, one or more faculties are in operation, while the rest continue in perfect repose. The perversion in madness, and the wakefulness in dream- ing, of certain faculties, cannot otherwise be explained, than
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 25
by supposing that each of these has a separate locality in the brain. It is only on the same principle that partial genius can be accounted for.
These are certainly strong proofs, but are there no others of a more direct and tangible description ?
Many such. It is sufficient to mention that if, in a healthy brain, any particular portion is very much developed, the individual will be found to possess a more than usual energy in some particular faculty. Take, for instance, two heads, as nearly as possible alike in their general configuration, but differing strongly in shape at a certain part; the persons to whom they belong will be found to resemble each other in disposition, except in so far as the faculties connected with the organ or organs which lie at that part are concerned : here their characters will differ most materially.10
What is the science called which teaches all this?
It is denominated Phrenology, the merit of discovering which, and reducing it into a system, is due to the celebrated Dr. Gall of Vienna. Dr. Spurzheim, his disciple and asso- ciate, has also done much to extend and improve the science, which has been still farther advanced by the labours of Mr. Combe, and other ingenious men in this country and on the continent.
What were the circumstances which led Dr. Gall to the discovery ?
They were partly accidental, and partly owing to the in-
10 Sibbern, the celebrated professor of Logic in the University of Copen- hagen, expresses himself as follows :— " If, upon the whole, the brain is such an organ for the mind, that the latter cannot act without the former, but is disturbed whenever the brain is morbidly affected, certainly nothing can be objected to the principle in Dr. Gall's doctrine, that certain faculties of the mind require certain modes of action in the brain, and have their appropriate organs in it. To assert that a talent for mathematics requires a special or- gan in the brain, is no more singular than to assert that thinking, in general, requires a well organized brain. Psychologically considered, Dr. Gall's doctrine is not at all improbable."
B
■26 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
tuitive sagacity and excellent powers of observation pos- sessed by that remarkable man. While a mere boy at school, he observed that such of his fellow-pupils as had prominent eyes were those with whom, in matters of scholar- ship, he had the greatest difficulty in competing. He might surpass them in original composition ; but in exercises of verbal memory they left him far behind, and were invariably the best scholars. On leaving school and going to the uni- versity, he observed the same rule to hold good. The " ox- eyed " students, as they were called, always bore away the palm whenever the acquisition of languages was concerned. This fact struck him forcibly, but for a long time he knew not what to make of it. Some time afterwards, he had occasion to remark that one of his acquaintances, with whom he used to ramble in the woods, never lost his way, which Gall himself frequently did. This young man had two very marked prominences on his forehead, just above the root of the nose, while with Gall there were no such protuberances. On extending his observations, he found that persons so characterized acquired with great ease a knowledge of localities — that they found their way almost intuitively, as it were, in any route, however complex, if they had been there once before; and that those who wanted the marks in question had great difficulty in so doing. After reflecting deeply, he came to the conclusion that these differences of talent might depend upon the size of particu- lar parts of the brain. This happy idea having once sug- gested itself, he followed it up with admirable skill and in- defatigable perseverance, and at last ascertained distinctly, that the strength of the mental faculties is, ceteris paribus, in proportion to the size of those compartments of the brain by which they are manifested.
One man, then, with a certain organ larger than it is in another, will possess the faculty belonging to it in greater vigour?
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 27
IVlost certainly; — supposing the brains of both to be equally healthy, their temperaments the same, and the circumstances in which they have been placed, equally favourable for the excitement and cultivation of the parti- cular faculty.11 It is obviously as impossible for a person with a great deficiency of the organs of the moral senti- ments, such as Benevolence and Conscientiousness, to be a virtuous character, as it is for the brain of an idiot to dis- play the splendid intellect of a Milton or a Cuvier.
A large brain, therefore, other circumstances being equal, will be superior in power to a smaller one ?
Facts place this beyond a doubt. A large-brained person acquires a natural ascendancy over another, whose cerebral system is smaller. A nation of small-brained people is easily conquered, and held in subjection; witness the facility with which the small-headed Hindoos were subjugated, and the extreme difficulty experienced in overcoming the Caribs, whose brains are large and active. The large size of the Scotch brain was probably one of the causes which rendered the permanent subjugation of Scotland by the English im- possible. No man acquires a supremacy over masses of his fellow-men without a large head. The head of Pericles, who wielded at will the fierce democracy of Athens, was of
11 The degree with which an organ will manifest its power, depends greatly upon the circumstances here mentioned. Temperament, in particu- lar, has a powerful influence on the cerebral activity, and must be carefully borne in mind. There is another circumstance which modifies the vigour of an organ's manifestations, and that is the size of the organ in reference to others in the same head. If two men, for example, have the same abso- lute size of the organ of Tune, (the temperaments being similar) the natu- ral strength of the faculty will be equal in each; but should Tune, in the. one case, be the largest intellectual organ, then there will be a considerable difference in the manifestation of musical power. The first person will cultivate his organ of Tune almost exclusively, and thus greatly increase its energy: the other may cultivate it to some extent, but having other faculties still stronger, he will exert them more, and thus the naturalcapa- bilities of his Tune will never be brought fully out.
28 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
extraordinary size. Mirabeau, whose thunders shook the National Assembly of France; Danton, who rode like an evil spirit on the whirlwind of the French Revolution; Franklin, who guided, by the calm power of his wisdom and virtue, the legislature of America, had all of them heads of uncommon size. That of Mirabeau is spoken of as enormous, and he is known to have possessed in- credible force of character, as well as distinguished talent. Without great size of head, Mr. Q'Connell never could have impressed himself so forcible as he has done upon the present age. There is not a single instance of any one with a small or moderate-sized brain wielding multitudes like the Irish "Agitator," or grappling triumphantly with the dangers of a troubled age, like the iron-hearted Cromwell, or raising himself from a private station to the most splendid throne in Europe, like the Emperor Napoleon. To accomplish such feats, not great intellect merely is demanded, but com- manding force of character, arising from unusual size of brain.12
What is the average weight of the brain?
The brain, at birth, weighs, according to Meckel, about ten ounces. The usual weight of the male adult brain he estimates at three pounds fi\e ounces and a half.13 According to Virey
12 Men in authority, such as military and naval commanders, governors of work-houses and prisons, managers of large establishments, magistrates and schoolmasters, should all have large heads; otherwise, let their moral qualities and talents be what they may, they will fail of insuring ready and spontaneous obedience. The power of mind derived from a large brain makes its possessor be feared and respected, while a small-brained person is felt to be feeble and ineffective. The wrath of the first is formidable, that of the other only excites laughter.
13 Dr. Elliotson presented to the London Phrenological Society, the cast of the head of a male idiot, aged eighteen years, which measured only sixteen inches in circumference, and seven inches and three quarters from ear to ear, over the vertex. The cerebrum weighed but one pound seven and a half ounces, and the cerebellum but four ounces ; in all one pound
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 29
that of the female is three or four ounces less. Farther ob- servations, however, are necessary, to ascertain the average difference in this respect between the sexes, although the fact is undeniable, that, generally speaking, the female brain is the smaller of the two.
Does the female brain differ in any other particular from the male f
It does. Certain portions are larger and others smaller. Generally speaking, a woman's skull and brain, are longer in proportion to their breadth than those of a man. This point may readily be ascertained by taking even a cursory glance at the heads of the two sexes.
What follows when an organ is remarkably small?
Extreme feeblenes of the faculty which is connected with it.
May not a large-brained person be an idiot f
Unquestionably ; but in such a case the cerebral structure is in a morbid state. Generally speaking, however, when a full-sized brain gets diseased, there exists some active form of derangement, and not idiocy.
Will the exercise of an organ increase its size ?
It is so maintained by some phrenologists, but a sufficiently large body of facts appears still wanting to set the matter completely at rest. If we work an organ vigorously, es- pecially during youth, it is not unreasonable to suppose that its bulk may be thereby augmented; the analogy of the muscles favours such a conjecture. At all events, it is cer- tain, that the energy and activity of the organ will be great- ly increased. The lapse of ages of civilization, in any country, will, very probably, improve the form and quality of the national brain, by the continued action which this state
eleven ounces and a half. Compare this with the brain of Cuvier which weighed three pounds ten ounces four drachms and a half. Where the circumference of the adult head is under seventeen inches, mental imbecility is the inevitable consequence.
30 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
of society confers on the moral and intellectual organs, and the comparative inactivity in which it keeps the lower propen- sities.14 The skulls of our ancestors, which have been dug up, give indication of an inferior moral and intellectual organiz- ation, and of stronger propensities than are presented by the average of heads at the present day.
May an organ be well developed, and yet incapable of manifesting its faculty in a powerful degree?
This may occasionally happen in consequence of a general or partial want of energy in the brain. It is most likely to occur in persons of a lymphatic temperament, where the cerebral circulation is carried on with little vigour. Some- times a single organ becomes apathetic, while the rest are healthy. Isolated cases of this description form* no objec-
14 In the article " Hydrocephale," in the twenty-second volume of the " Dictionnaire des Sciences Medicales," it is stated, that the heads of great thinkers frequently increase till fifty years of age. According to Itard, the head of Napoleon, which acquired an enormous development, was small in youth. The fact seems pretty well established, that if the brain is not exer- cised, it may actually diminish in bulk. In long protracted madness, it seems often to diminish, especially in the intellectual regions. Such was probably the case with Dean Swift, who, for some years before death, was in an imbecile state of mind. The portraits of that great man represent his forehead as much larger than it appears in his skull. Esquirol mentions the case of an insane female, whose forehead, on her admission into the hospital, was so large that he had a drawing made of it, but afterwards it became small and narrow. In the Phrenological Journal vol. iv. p. 495, the case of a deranged person is recorded, where the same event occurred. " His head increased in size during the progress of his insanity, and to such an extent that he observed the circumstance himself, and said that he required a smaller size in each successive hat that he purchased. His intel- lectual faculties were obviously feebler in the latter years of his life, for he became incapable of collecting money by presenting receipts, and per- forming some other little pieces of business which in former years he had accomplished, and his forehead very perceptibly diminished and retreated during the corresponding period. He accounted for the decrease in the size of the hats he required by ascribing it to the sublimation of his brain : he said he was becoming purely ethereal, and that the grosser particles of his head were evaporating daily."
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 31
tion to Phrenology, but rather prove its truth, in so far as they demonstrate that vigorous results cannot be expected from unhealthy organs.
Can the natural dispositions and talents of an individual be inferred by examination of his brain?
They can be predicated with great accuracy after such an examination ; but it is necessary to take different circum- stances into view, such as temperament, education, and example, as they modify, to a considerable extent, the char- acter. A phrenologist, knowing these modifying causes, can speak with great precision after examining the brain.
Can actions be inferred ?
No. These depend much on the circumstances in which the person is placed. A phrenologist, examining the head of Hare, would infer, that his mind was of a low and degraded order, that its tendency was towards cruelty and conten- tion, and that his pleasures were all of a base kind ; but he could not infer that he would necessarily commit murder. Hare became a murderer by the force of circumstances. He lived many years without committing murder; and when he did so, it was to obtain money to gratify his grovelling desires. Could he have readily procured money otherwise, it is not at all likely that he would have been guilty of the crime. Men always act from the strongest motives. The motives which induced Hare to murder, were unhappily, stronger than the restraining ones, and, therefore, he murdered.15
15 Some people expect phrenologists to say, by an examination of the head, what actions a man will necessarily commit, but this is a childish piece of folly. The head of Hare was precisely the same the instant before committing his first murder as it was the instant after. All that a phreno. logist could affirm on seeing such a head, would be that its owner had an organization, accompanied by dispositions which, in particular circumstances, would almost inevitably lead him to the commission of some atrocious crime. Hare was 36 when he commenced his horrible career. Supposing him to
32 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
Wherein consists the abuse of a faculty f
A faculty is said to be abused when it acts in a degree too intense, or towards an improper object ; also when it is active at an improper time, or in an improper place.
How are the faculties brought into communication with the external world ?
By means of the external senses. The organs of these senses (the ear, the eye, &c.) are connected with the brain through the medium of nerves, which convey the impressions made upon their respective organs to the cerebral mass, and thus give to the mental faculties a cognizance of what is occurring from without.
In predicating character, is it absolutely necessary to examine the uncovered brain?
No. Inferences may, in general, be drawn with great accuracy, during life, by examining the external surface of the head.
Does not the skull afford an obstacle to obtaining a correct idea of the shape of the brain?16
have died at the age of 35 he would not have had the stigma of murder at- tached to his name -3 but nevertheless he must have possessed the same ten- dency to commit crime as he manifested at a later period ; and a phreno- logist on being shown his head, and not knowing to whom it belonged, would infer accordingly, making allowance for the way in which such a character would be modified by circumstances.
16 The reader should make himself acquainted with the general anatomy of the skull, otherwise he will be at a loss to understand the references occasionally made to its particular parts. The bones of the skull-cap (that cavity which contains the brain) are as follows:— 1. The frontal bone, which forms the upper and forepart of the head. 2. The occipital bone, which forms the lower and back part. 3. The two parietal bones, which lie between the frontal and occipital, and form the sides and top of the head. 4. The two temporal bones, which lie in the temples, and form the lower parts of the sides of the skull. 5. The ethmoid bone, which lies in the base of the skull, immediately over and behind the nose. 6. The sphenoid bone, which lies between the ethmoid and occipital bones, and supports the ceDtre of the brain. Ihese bones are united by seams, or sutures. The coronal
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 33
This happens only in rare cases, and almost always at isolated points ; the whole skull is seldom affected. In a vast majority of cases, the cranium gives a minutely accurate representation of the shape of the brain. In old age, how- ever, the skull frequently becomes very thick, occasionally very thin, and at other times of very unequal thickness. In such cases, the form of the brain cannot be accurately ascertained during life.
Are the form and texture of the skull and brain influenced by insanity ?
This is very frequently the case, especially if the malady has been of long continuance. The brain shrinks; its con- volutions become narrower, and lose their turgescency. The skull, at the same time, becomes very thick, but instead of being soft and spongy, as in old age, it acquires great addi- tional hardness and compactness of fibre, and has an appear- ance not unlike ivory. In two hundred and sixteen heads of maniacs, which were opened by Greding, a hundred and sixty-seven were very thick, without taking into consider- ation those, which, though of no unusual thickness, were remarkably hard. Of a hundred furious lunatics the skulls of seventy-eight were thick ; and the same was the case with twenty-two out of thirty skulls of idiots. In such cases, therefore, the cranium does not in general, accurately repre- sent the form of the brain, and here we are not to expect that just inferences of character can be drawn, any more than in very advanced life.
Is the skull formed before or after the brain ?
The brain is formed first, and gives shape to the skull,
suture runs between the frontal and parietal bones, the lambdoidal suture between the parietal and the occipital, and the sagittal suture between the two parietals, along the centre of the head, stretching from the coronal to the lambdoidal suture. The temporal sutures join the temporal bones to the parietal, occipital, and frontal bones. The sphenoidal and ethmoidal sutures connect these two bones to each other, and to the rest.
b2
34 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
which is moulded over it. The process of ossification does not commence till the seventh or eighth week of pregnancy, and is far from being completed at birth.
At what period does the brain attain its full size ?
Great differences of opinion exist with regard to this point. According to phrenological writers, the brain does not attain its full size till between the twentieth and thirtieth year, while, according to Sir William Hamilton and the Wenzels, it arrives at its utmost magnitude at the age of seven. In such a conflict of totally different opinions, we must regard the point as undecided, although it seems incredible, that the brains of children of seven, are equal in size to those of full-grown men. I, for one, do not believe it.
After attaining its full size, does the brain ever diminish f
It does so in very old age, at which time the cranium, as already noticed, becomes frequently thicker, its inner layer retreating inwards, and either being followed by the outer layer, or leaving a considerable thickness of spongy diploe between them.
Is the substance of the brain of the same consistence at every period of life f
No. The infant brain is soft: as we grow older it becomes more consistent, and in old age acquires still greater firmness,
Does Phrenology apply solely to the human race ?
It does not. The character of a dog is as much influenced by the form of its brain as that of a man.
If a large brain gives greater mental power than a small one, why is the brain of the sparrow inferior in size to that of the vulture, an animal greatly inferior in sagacity?
I answer this by stating that the circumstances in the two cases are by no means alike, and that we must compare the brains of animals of the same species before we can arrive at a proper knowledge of the effects of size. A large-brained vulture will manifest greater energy than a small-brained
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 35
one, and so with the sparrow. It is evident that, in con- trasting such different animals, circumstances are not the same, the organization or constitution of the sparrow's brain being different from that of the vulture's, and the intellectual organs relatively larger. Compare sparrows with sparrows, vultures with vultures, &c, and the truth of the phrenological maxim of size being, costeris paribus, the index of power, will be made perfectly manifest. These remarks apply to the muscular system as well as to the brain — the bodily strength of some animals being much greater, in proportion to the size of their muscles than that of others of a different species. The flea, for example, as Haller has remarked, can draw from seventy to eighty times its own weight, whereas a horse cannot draw with ease more than three times its own weight. But of two fleas, that which has the larger muscles will have the greater strength. Again, some birds with small eyes have vision keener than birds of a different species with larger eyes. In every case, therefore, individuals of the same species must be compared.
Is intellectual power necessarily proportioned to the size of the brain as compared ivith that of the body ?
It is not. The weight of the brain, for instance, to that of the body in man, (supposing him to weigh, on an average, 154 pounds) is about as 1 to 46; in several varieties of the ape tribe, as 1 to 22; in the sparrow, as 1 to 25; and in the canary, as 1 to 14. Man, therefore, has a smaller brain, in proportion to the size of his body, than any of these animals. In like manner, the brain of the sagacious elephant is rela- tively smaller than that of the goose; and the cerebral mass of the intelligent, half-reasoning dog, inferior in bulk to the brain of the cat, the rat, the mouse, and some other creatures far inferior in intellect. It thus appears, that in con- sidering the intelligence of animals, we can ground little on the proportion subsisting between the brain and body.
36 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
Have all nations the same form of brain?
No. This varies considerably in different countries. The African brain differs in shape from the European, and so does the Carib and Esquimaux. Even in Europe, the same form of brain does not prevail rigidly ; the German bfain, for instance, is rounder and less elongated than the French.
Do dispositions ever change ?
If the form and texture of the brain changes, so neces- sarily must the dispositions. The organ marked No. 1. in the bust, for example, is of late development, seldom attaining its full dimensions till the approach of manhood, when in con- sequence of its augmented growth a manifest change takes place in the character. The moral and intellectual organs also acquire a considerable increase about the same period. " It is now for the first time, that youth begin to feel strongly the impulse of moral sentiment, realize the force of moral obligation, and place ajust estimate on moral conduct. Hence they are now recognised, in judicial proceedings, as moral agents. And hence, it is by no means uncommon for boys who had been previously vicious and unmanageable, to be- come now correct and docile."17 If Mr Deville's experiments can be relied upon, we must infer that education and change of circumstances may alter the shape of the head. Accord- ing to his observation, the change takes place in the situation of those organs the sphere of whose activity is increased or diminished.18
May not character change without a corresponding altera- tion in the shape of the head?
This in a limited sense is true. Circumstances by calling into activity organs which have been little exercised, or repressing the activity of others that have been much stimu-
17 Phrenological Journal, vol. vii. p. 497. 18 See Appendix, No. iv.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 37
lated, may produce a change in the energy of their respective functions. Still, in such a case, the character is not radically different; it is only partially modified by the force of cir- cumstances. Change these, and it will become as formerly.19
Can the dispositions of the lower animals be inferred from the form of their brain?
They can. Cruel ferocious animals, such as the tiger, and the hyena, have a particular form of brain very differ- ent from that possessed by gentle, timid creatures, as the fawn and the antelope. The brain of the hawk or vulture
19 Supposing such men as Charlemagne and Richard Cceur de Lion, to have been apprenticed to a haberdasher, they would certainly cut no very distinguished figure in this situation ; nay, it is more than probable, they would be dismissed on the score of negligence and dulness. Supposing, farther, that they are afterwards placed in situations calculated to call into play their great military talents, and that they become illustrious warriors, their former masters and fellow-shopmen would then call to mind the stu- pidity which they displayed behind the counter, and very gravely infer that a remarkable change has taken place in their characters. There is no such change, however, as is here imagined. While officiating as haberdashers, they were out of their element, and the formidable qualities of their minds had no room for display. When, however, it came to be a question of commanding armies, these qualities were brought into energetic operation, and they no longer appeared the same men. Dr. Blair has the following just remarks on change of character. "The seeds of various qualities, good and bad, lie in all our hearts; but until proper occasions ripen and bring them forward, they lie there inactive and dead." "For a while, the man is known neither by the world nor by himself to be what he truly is. But bring him into a new situation of life, which accords with his predo- minant dispositions, which strikes on certain latent qualities of his soul and awakens them into action; and as the leaves of a flower gradually unfold to the sun, so shall all his true character open full to view. This may, in one light be accounted, not so much an alteration of character, produced by a change of circumstances, as a discovery brought forth of the real character, which formerly lay concealed. Yet, at the same time, it is true that the man himself undergoes a change. For the opportunity being given for cer- tain dispositions, which had been dormant, to exert themselves without restraint, they, of course, gather strength. By means of the ascendancy which they gain, other parts of the temper are borne down, and thus an al- teration is made in the whole structure and system of the soul." — Blair's Sermons.
38 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
differs in shape from that of the dove. Birds which sing have a differently formed brain from those which do not.20 A more accurate comparison, however, may be drawn between the heads of animals of the same species : thus, there is a marked difference in the heads of two horses or dogs, one gentle, and the other vicious.
V/hat organs are we disposed to exercise most? Those which are largest. Little gratification is exper- ienced in the exercise of the weaker faculties : thus, a man who is not at all combative, would feel exceedingly annoyed at the idea of being obliged to fight ; while another, with a different configuration of brain would feel delight in having an opportunity of indulging his favourite propensity. Nor is this law confined to the cerebral organs : a man of great muscular power is fond of hard exercise ; another of little physical energy dislikes it, and is partial to rest.
Are the habitual attitude, expression, and language affected by the predominating organs f
They generally are. It is seldom difficult to detect by his air, carriage, and conversation, when a man is proud, vain, bold, timid, or, crafty. These indications are called natural language, or pathognomy. Some persons deny its existence. When, however, we remind them that sighing, sobbing, and groaning are the natural language of grief ; laughter of mirth; cursing and stamping with the foot of rage ; and trembling, paleness, and speechlessness of fear, they will see the absur- dity of their denial. The existence of pathognomy, as con- nected with many of the faculties, is too obvious to require demonstration, and every man who has paid attention to the subject must admit it. By painters and actors it is ac- knowledged to the fullest extent. Who does not at once
20 In many animals, however, we can draw no inference by looking- at the head merely. In the elephant, for instance, an immense cavity or sinus in- tervenes betwixt the brain and the outer table of the skull
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 39
recognize the strut of pride, the smirk of vanity, the compressed lip and energetic step of firmness, the stealthy glance of cun- ning, the upraised eye and lip of wonder, the bland expression and kindly tone of benevolence, the looks raised to heaven, the clasped hands, and bended knees of veneration !
Of how many organs does the brain consist?
It must consist of as many as there are primitive mental faculties. At present, phrenologists admit about thirty as distinctly established ; others they speak of as probable; but these are not to be regarded as constituting the whole series. There are portions of the base of the brain whose functions are yet to be discovered.
Are the organs single or double ?
As the brain is double, so is every organ ; each has its fellow on the opposite side. There are thus, strictly speak- ing, about sixty organs ascertained, but as an organ on one side co-operates with its fellow on the other, it is customary to speak of the two as one, seeing that they manifest only a single mental quality.
May the brain be wounded or diseased on one side, and yet none of the mental faculties suspended ?
Undoubtedly. If the organ of Tune, for instance, is injured on one side, its fellow on the other not being impaired, the faculty will continue to be manifested, although, as is natural to suppose, with less vigour than when both organs were perfectly sound ; and the same law holds with regard to all the other organs, just as a person can still hear tolerably well with one ear, although the sense is quite lost in the other. But injury, of one side of the brain generally affects the other sympathetically ; although the fact that it some- times does not, and that the faculties go on not much im- paired, is a sufficient proof both that there is a plurality of organs, and that the organs are double.21
21 Careless observers often bring it as an argument against Phrenology
40 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
Are we always to expect a prominence or bump when a particular organ is large ?
No. If several adjoining organs are all large, none of them will, probably, present any particular projection : there will be merely a general fulness in the locality occupied by them. It is only when an organ decidedly predominates over those in its immediate vicinity, that a protuberance is to be looked for. An inexperienced phrenologist has much difficulty in estimating the size of organs, where there is
that in cases of diseased brain, the mind is not at all affected, when some of its functions are in reality materially disordered. They perceive that the person, in common matters, acts perfectly well, that he answers questions intelligibly, and hence they conclude that every faculty is entire j whereas, if they were to investigate the matter more fully, and task the different organs severely, they would perceive in the manifestations of some of them a considerable falling off. The above argument, supposing it to be valid, would only go to prove that the mind has no connexion with the brain, a proposition so absurd that no sane intellect can now for a moment entertain it ; but why should the argument bear more against Phrenology, which teaches that each faculty of the mind is manifested by a particular part of the brain, than against the opposite doctrine that the whole brain is concerned in the manifestation of each, faculty ? Cases of extensive disease of the lungs and liver are occasionally met with, where respiration and the biliary secre- tion are very little affected. In the number for July, 1833, of the Glasgow Medical Journal, we are told of a case in the Stilling Dispensary where six pounds of fluid were found in the right cavity of the chest, compressing the corresponding lung into a mere membrane, a fourth of an inch in thick- ness ; and yet during life, breathing, though a little hurried, appeared to be fully and perfectly performed, and the man had no symptoms which indi- cated in the most remote degree the existence of thoracic disease. What would we think if, from such a case, it was attempted to be inferred that the lungs were not the organs of respiration. Admirably in this instance as the sound lung supplied the part of the diseased one, still it is not to be inferred that the respiratory apparatus was capable of sustaining the same effort as in perfect health. For ordinary breathing it sufficed almost perfectly, but had the person attempted running or any other violent exercise, its inade- quacy would then have appeared sufficiently manifest. The same remark applies to the brain. In injuries thereof, when the intellect is said not to suffer, we must ascertain whether the part injured is really connected with the intellect It may appertain to the propensities or sentiments, in which case the intellectual powers may not suffer, although the injury is considerable.
)
GENEEAL PEINCIPLES. 41
uniformity of surface, and is hence apt to deny the possi- bility of practically following* up the science; but one who has sufficiently studied it feels no such difficulty. He esti- mates the dimensions of the organs correctly, although there is not the slightest bulging out of any particular part beyond those in its vicinity ; but this requires considerable experience, and is not to be learned all at once.
Does Phrenology admit of exceptions 9
It does not. A single exception would entirely overthrow whatever part of the phrenological doctrine it should be at variance with. When an apparent exception does occur, it must be attributed to ignorance on the part of the ob- server, or to a want of health in the brain. Taking man- kind in the mass, a skilful phrenologist will infer character with great accuracy in nineteen cases out of twenty. It is not pretended, however, that practical Phrenology has yet attained to perfection.22
How are the faculties classified?
The faculties are divided into two orders — the Feelings,
22 The reputation of Phrenology has been often endangered by the abor- tive attempts of ignorant pretendera to infer character from examination of the head. Before this can be done properly, not only much experience, but a good share of tact and analytical talent are necessary. There are two risks to be encountered, that of estimating erroneously the size of the different organs, and that of drawing faulty conclusions from the estimate, even sup- posing it to be true. Spurzheim was 3trongly opposed to the practice, now so much in vogue, of indiscriminately inferring character from examination of the head. Where the character is a marked one, the science may be benefited by observing how far the talents and dispositions correspond with the form of brain possessed by the individual j but how seldom is it that we meet with marked characters ! These observations are the more necessary, as there are a set of phrenological quacks, who, on all occasions, undertake to tell the character of any person, however common-place. Such preten- ders naturally fall into errors, and an outcry is immediately raised that Phrenology is false. With the same reason might it be said, that there is no truth in Davy's allegation that the alkalies possess metallic bases, be- cause the fact could not be demonstrated experimentally by some bungler in Chemistry.
4*2 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
or Affective Faculties, and the Intellect. These, again, are divided into Genera — the Feelings into the Propensities and Sentiments, and the Intellect into the Perceptive and Reflective Faculties, This arrangement is not unobjectionable, but in the present state of our know- ledge, a perfectly accurate classification of the faculties cannot be attained.
ORDER I.— FEELINGS OR AFFECTIVE FACULTIES.
What are the feelings, or affective faculties?
They may be described simply as those faculties which give rise to affections or emotions, and which neither know nor reason. They are, in themselves, mere blind impulses, and unless governed by the intellect are apt to run into the grossest abuses. Thus Destructiveness, without such guidance, may lead to indiscriminate violence and massacre, Venera- tion to the worshipping of images instead of the true God, Adhesiveness to attachment to worthless characters, Self- Esteem to exorbitant pride, and Love of Approbation to overweening and ridiculous vanity.
GENUS I. — PROPENSITIES.
What is a propensity f
The term Propensity, is applied by Dr. Spurzheim, to those affective faculties which produce only desires or inclina- tions, and which likewise prompt to certain corresponding modes of action. The classification of the faculties, however, is not altogether in accordance with this definition.
1. AMATIVENESS.
Where is this organ situated, and what is its function?
The cerebellum, or little brain, which lies in the lower and posterior portion of the skull, immediately under the cere- brum, or brain proper, and behind the top of the spinal marrow is the seat of the amative propensity. This point is now universally admitted by physiologists, and is sup- ported by so many facts that it can no longer be doubtful. The effects of cerebellar disease in calling the sexual feeling
44
AMATIVENESS.
into vehement action, demonstrate conclusively that the latter has its seat in the particular part of brain alluded to. The great purpose served by Amativeness is the con- tinuance of the species.23
What external indications are presented when the organ is very large?
There is much fulness at the back and lower part of the head, an unusual distance between the mastoid processes,24 and great thickness of the neck. Subjoined is an engraving of the Emperor Caracalla's head, in which the rotundity and thickness of neck, and its extent backwards from the ear will be observed. It represents a very great development of the organ in question.
23 The circumstances which led Dr. Gall to the discovery of the organ are curious, and are fully detailed in his own great work, and in the writ- ings of Dr. Spurzheim.
24 Those hard prominences immediately behind, and at the root of the ear.
AMATIVENESS. 45
Is the organ larger in men than in the other sex f It is so in most cases. Women in whom it is large, are more easily seduced than those with a small de- velopment : it is generally very full in those unfortunate females who walk the streets, and gain a livelihood by prostitution. In what are called " ladies' men" the organ is small. These individuals feel towards women precisely as they would to one of their own sex. Women intuitively know this, and acquire a kind of easy familiarity with them which they do not attain with men of a warmer com- plexion.25 In what state is the organ at different periods of life f In childhood it is very small, not only absolutely but relatively. At birth, the cerbellum to the rest of the brain is as 1 to 13, 15, or 20. In adults as 1 to 6, 7, or 8. In some, however, it is much less. The organ increases rapidly on the approach of manhood, and at this period, dull pains are often experienced in the site of it. In old age, it diminishes, like the rest of the brain, but in a greater ratio.26
25 Ladies' men have small heads. Self- Esteem is usually small, and Love of Approbation well developed. A large brain, especially if Self-Esteem is also large, unfits a man for performing the character successfully.
26 " By the kindness " of Baron Larrey, says Dr. Gall, " I saw a soldier Whose antipathy to women degenerated into perfect madness. The sight of a woman threw him into fits and rendered him almost furious. Dr. Spur- zheim has seen a similar circumstance in England. In each of these indivi- duals the cerebellum was exceedingly small. A physician of Vienna, whose talents were of a high order, showed a marked antipathy to women, a peculiarity which, at the time, we attributed to his love of solitude. Some years afterwards he died of phthisis, and, in his otherwise large head, the space appropriated for the cerebellum was extremely small. The distance from one mastoid process to the other was scarcely three inches : the occipital cavities instead of bulging out were partly quite flat, partly even depressed." "It has been objected that an organ cannot produce an effect opposite; to that of its functions j but is not the stomach the organ of appetite and does it not sometimes happen that, in consequence of a weak state of this viscus, we have a disgust at any kind of food ? "
46 AMATIVENESS.
When does the organ attain its full sizef
In the male, between the ages of eighteen and twenty-six; in the female a little earlier. Young lads are generally indifferent about female society, and young girls about that of men. As the organ in question, enlarges, a change is produced in the feelings of the two sexes, and they become fond of associating with each other. Women with small Amativeness and large Adhesiveness prefer the society of their own sex to that of men. To the latter their manners seem passionless and frigid ; and even when gifted with beauty, they are felt by the opposite sex to be far less inter- esting than women to whom nature has granted fewer charms of person but a different cerebral conformation.
What does celibacy generally result from f
In general, from a small development of this organ, with moderate Adhesiveness and Philoprogenitiveness. Persons so constituted, even although they can conveniently do so, rarely marry. Judging from the portraits of Kant, Newton, and Charles XII., the organ of Amativeness seems to have been small in the heads of these illustrious men, and the strength of the faculty is understood to have been in keep- ing with this feeble development. The same remark applies to the Right Hon. William Pitt.27
Is there any thing particular in the action of this organ, as respects the inferior animals f
There is. In most of them it is periodically excited; being at other times in a great measure inactive.
27 *' Some opponents of the phrenological doctrine affirm, that physical love has been found very strong in individuals who have possessed a very small cerebellum, or in whom that organ was more or less completely des- troyed. I am doubtful how far facts of this kind merit confidence. As for myself, I declare that I cannot admit them until they shall have been seen by phrenologists; we must look with particular caution on facts which are only witnessed by the enemies of a system, especially when we know to what lengths designing persons are capable of pushing their falsehoods." — Broussais.
PHIL0PR0GEN1T1VENESS.
47
2. PHILOPROGENITIVENESS.
Describe the locality of this organ.
It lies immediately above Amativeness, in the middle of the occiput, and, when large, gives a drooping appearance to the back of the head, which projects much, and hangs, as it were, over the neck. A large development of the organ is shown in the following sketch.
What is its function?
To bestow an ardent attachment to offspring, and children in general; and, according to some phrenologists, to weak and tender animals.
In which sex is it larger ?
In the female; and this law extends to the lower animals as well as to our own race. Boys exhibit little of it; the
48 PHILOPROGENITIVENESS.
case is different with little girls, who show its activity in their fondness for dolls, and in their desire to carry children in their arms, even when they can scarcely stand under their weight. Mary Wolstoncroft denies that girls have, by nature, a greater fondness for dolls than boys, ascribing the difference to education; but she is clearly mistaken, inas- much as the organ on which the love of young depends, is decidedly larger in the female head than in the male. The fondness of unmarried women, or married women who are childless, for cats and lap-dogs, seems to depend chiefly upon this organ.
In which of the lower animals is it peculiarly large f
In the monkey tribe, whose affection for their young is quite remarkable. It was the size of the organ in these creatures, coupled with their love of offspring, which led Dr. Gall to suspect the faculty to be connected with this portion of the brain.
Do all animals display love of offspring ?
No. The cuckoo (both male and female) abandons its offspring, and leaves them to be brought up by other birds. Many male animals take no charge whatever of their young, while others do so conjointly with the females. Such is the case with the fox, the wolf, the roebuck, the rabbit, and various others.
Does love of children not rather proceed from general benevolence ?
No; for persons who have little of this virtue are often passionately fond of children, and others who have a great deal of it care not for their society. The most ferocious savages are often extremely affectionate towards their children. Burke the murderer had a large development of this organ, and was very fond of children, and beloved by them in return.
What is the result of a small development?
PHIL0PR0GEN1TIVENESS. 49
Indifference to children. It is a great evil when a mother is so constituted; for, however estimable she may otherwise be, she will find the rearing of her offspring a toil rather than a pleasure; and, unless her conscientiousness and pru- dence be great, she will be very apt to neglect them. No woman will make a good nurse unless well endowed with this organ. Women who commit infanticide have generally a small development.28
Wliat is the result of a great development ?
An ardent love of children. The person delights to take them on his knee, to kiss them, to relate stories to them, to play with them, &c. Some of the sternest minds and great- est heroes have been distinguished for the strength of this feeling. Agesilaus, the warlike monarch of Sparta, used to ride on a stick to please his children. On one occasion, King Henry IV. of France was seen galloping on all fours, one of his children on his back, and the other flogging him with a whip. The passion must have been very strong in these illustrious men. Children have an intuitive know-
28 Dr. Spurzheim has examined thirty-seven child-murderers, and in thirty of them the organ of Philoprogenitiveness was very small. " In ■women," says he, " as well as in the females of animals, this propensity has different degrees of energy. Certain cows do not suffer their calves to suck ; some pigs, cats, rabbits, &c. kill their young, while other females of the same kind of animals cry for several days, and refuse to eat, when they are bereft of their offspring. It is a lamentable truth that this difference of motherly love exists also in mankind. All women do not desire to become mothers; some consider their pregnancy as the greatest misfortune. Several mothers seek various pretexts in order to remove their children out of the hoase. There are others who, being freed from shame, reproach, misery, and many inconveniences, by the loss of their illegitimate children, yet shed tears for a long time after, at the remembrance of them. Others, on the contrary, see their legitimate offspring buried without a pang. Thus, it is beyond doubt that natural love of offspring is very weak in some women. It is, therefore, wrong to believe that infanticide is a more unnatural act than any other murder." — View of the Elementary Principles of Education, 2d edit. p. 319.
C
50 CONCENTRATIVENESS.
ledge of persons in whom this organ is large, and come to them, as it were, instinctively.29
What are the abuses likely to result from too great a development of Philoprogenitiveness ?
If the feeling be excessive, and not regulated by the in- fluence of other faculties, the children will be apt to get spoiled, and become pert, noisy, unmannerly, and self-willed. Philoprogenitiveness sometimes becomes diseased, and then there is the most violent love of offspring, with overwhelm- ing grief, often terminating in madness, at their loss.
3. CONCENTRATIVENESS.
Where is Concentrativeness situated?
It lies immediately above Philoprogenitiveness, and be- low Self-Esteem.
What purpose is served by this organ?
It is believed by the Leading Scotch phrenologists to be the seat of that power which enables us to direct the in- tellect continuously to a particular subject of thought. Persons with a large endowment are not apt to be distracted from what they are engaged in, by the intrusion of extrane- ous ideas. When the organ is disproportionately large or active, absence of mind, or abstraction, is the result.
When deficient, what is the consequence ?
The individual is remarkable for great volatility of manner, and extreme difficulty in directing his mind, for a length of time, towards any one subject. He is continually flying
29 Dr. Gall justly observes, that if in men who have an ardent love of children, "the organ of Amativeness is feebly developed, they con- sole themselves for the loss of a beloved spouse with a resignation which appears very philosophical, while the death of a child plunges them into long-continued and inconsolable grief. The barrenness of their wives dis- tresses them exceedingly, and often leads them to treat with coldness, women who are otherwise unexceptionable."
CONCENTRATIVENESS. 51
from topic to topic, and finds it almost impossible to pursue a continued train of investigation. Scatter-brained, flighty people, are all deficient in Concentrativeness. Good abilities may exist, however, along with this deficiency, but in such a case they are deprived of half their usefulness and effect.
Has it the same power over all the faculties f
Probably not ; it appears to act more influentially on some than on others. I conceive, that the faculties con- cerned in reasoning and calculation, are, in an especial manner, governed by it ; hence metaphysicians, mathemati- cians, &c, are peculiarly subject to mental absence.
Are phrenologists agreed on the functions of this organ?
No. Dr. Spurzheim conceived it to be the source of attachment to particular places; hence he called it Inhabi- tiveness.30 He never coincided with the views of the Scotch phrenologists, and by both parties the subject is left open for farther investigation.
Mention a few authors whose writings are distinguished hy Concentrativeness,
Campbell, Pope, and Byron, all display a vigorous con- centration of thought and style. In Scott, Coleridge, and Southey, there is much less. We may infer (supposing us to have properly localised this faculty) a great development of the organ of Concentrativeness in such men as Tacitus, Thucydides, Reid, Locke, and Brown, and less in Dugald
30 Amor patrice was supposed by Dr. Spurzheim to result from Inhabi- tiveness, but I have never been able to see, that one organ is necessary to give attachment to places, and another to give attachment to persons. The question has often been asked, Why are mountaineers more ardent patriots than the inhabitants of the plains ? Supposing the fact to be true, we are not j ustified in inferring, that the former are patriots merely because they happen to be mountaineers ; for the real cause maybe, that they are secluded, and have little opportunity of getting their views expanded into cosmopoli- tanism. The more the intellect is enlightened, the less vivid does that ardent attachment to one's natale solum, which often constitutes patriotism, become. Savages are the most attached to their native land.
5'2 ADHESIVENESS.
Stewart and Beattie. Archimedes, Newton, and Adam Smith, must have possessed the faculty in vast energy.
4. ADHESIVENESS.
Describe the situation and function of this organ.
It lies at each side of, and rather above, Philoprogeni- tiveness, and is that portion of the brain with which the feeling of attachment is connected. No faculty, save Des- tructiveness, is displayed more early than this: it is exhibited even by the infant in the nurse's arms. When very strong, it gives ardent strength of attachment and warmth of friend- ship.
Does this faculty constitute love ?
Not strictly speaking; for love, in the legitimate sense of the word, is a compound of Amativeness and Adhesiveness. Such is the love which the lover bears to his mistress, and the husband to his young wife. The attachment of a parent to his child, or of a brother to his sister, is not, in reality, love, but strong Adhesiveness — powerfully aided, in the former case, by Philoprogenitiveness.
Is this faculty more energetic in men or women ?
Generally in the latter;31 although in men there are not
31 "Women are generally more devoted to their friends than men, and display an indefatigable activity in serving them. Whoever has gained the affection of a woman is sure to succeed in any enterprise wherein she assists him : men draw back much sooner in such cases. Frequently in my life, have I had occasion to admire in females the most generous zeal on behalf of their friends. Who is not astonished at the courage shown by a v,oman when her husband, whose misconduct has perhaps a thousand times offended her, is threatened with imminent danger ? Who does not know many instances of the most heroic devotedness on the part of the sex ? A woman spares no effort to serve her friend When it is a question of saving her brother, her husband, h.°r father, she penetrates into prisons — she throws herself at the feet of her sovereign. Such are the women of our day, and such has history represented those of antiquity. Happy, I iepeat, is he who has a woman for a friend ! " — Gall.
ADHESIVENESS. 53
wanting instances of the most violent attachments, even towards their own sex. Such is represented to have been the case with Py lades and Orestes, and with Damon and Pythias, whose attachment to each other (the result of excessive Adhesiveness) defied even death itself. What beautiful pictures of friendship between men, have been drawn by Homer, by Virgil, and by the sacred writers, in the instances of Achilles and Patroclus, of Nisus and Euryalus, and of Jonathan and David !
Can this faculty co-exist with small Benevolence ?
Facts prove that it may. Robbers and murderers some- times display such wonderful attachment to each other, that even the rack has failed to extort from them the names of their accomplices in crime. Mary M'Innes, who was exe- cuted for murder, had a large development of this organ, and displayed its function with great energy on the scaffold. Friendship, however, is destitute of much of its lustre, when the moral and intellectual sentiments have not the predomi- nance in the mind. A warm friend may then easily be converted into a mischievous foe.
Is it subject to abuse ?
Very frequently it is so. Young women, and sometimes young men, are apt to form absurd and romantic attach- ments to each other, which, however, being based upon an unnatural state of excitement in the organ of Adhesiveness, necessarily terminate so soon as the excitement ends; and thus, unless there are eminent moral qualities to ensure permanence, the feeling is seldom of long duration. When a coldness once takes place, mutual antipathy often follows, and the quondam friends become bitter enemies. People labouring under the strong influence of this organ, are often incapable of perceiving any thing like blemish in their friends. They clothe them with the attributes of perfection, and employ the most extravagant terms of praise when
j4 COMBATIVENESS.
speaking of them to others. Clanship, when improperly directed, and attachment to worthless characters, are abuses of the faculty.
What is the natural language of Adhesiveness ?
There is a tendency to turn the head, in the direction of the organ, towards the object to whom we are attached. Young girls may be seen coming from school with their arms thrown over each other's neck, and the sides of the head meeting just at the seat of this organ. A mother fondling her child, turns the side of her head towards it. Two lovers taking a walk arm in arm, incline the head mutually in the same way.
5. COMBATIVENESS.
Where is this organ situated?
Between the mastoid process and the organs of Philopro- genitiveness and Adhesiveness. It corresponds to the in- ferior angle of the parietal bone, and lies immediately behind, and on a level with, the top of the ear.
In what manner does the faculty manifest itself?
In a love of opposition and strife. It gives boldness to the character. The combative man loves danger, meets it fearlessly, and triumphs over difficulties, which would over- whelm a person in whom the organ was feebly developed.
In what class of men is the organ large ?
It is invariably large in great heroes, in determined prize- fighters, and in men any way remarkable for active courage. The gladiators of Rome must have been largely endowed with it. 32 It is remarkably prominent in the skulls of King Robert Bruce and General Wurmser who were both pre-eminent
32 The statues of the gladiators display an ample bulging out in the seat of the organ— a proof that the ancients recognized great courage to exist in com- bination with a particular form of head. This, of itself, is a striking evidence of the correctness of the locality assigned to the organ by phrenologists.
COMBATIVENESS.
55
for valour. It was very large in the head of the French General Lamarque, whose courage was remarkable, and appears greatly developed in the likenesses of Duguesclin, another French warrior, distinguished for his extraordinary valour. In the skull of Robert Burns it is very large; which accounts, in some measure, for his controversial pro- pensities. It was amply developed in Dr. Gall who pos- sessed, in a great degree, the quality of personal courage. The character of Balfour of Burley, as delineated in " Old Mortality," is a remarkable instance of Combative- ness, Destructiveness, and Firmness, all greatly developed. The same remark applies to the character of Charles the Bold, as displayed in " Quentin Durward ." The history of Murat, and of Marshal Ney, " the bravest of the brave," presents in great perfection the picture of excessive Com- bativeness. The organ, when large, is easily discriminated.
If we compare such a head as that of Duguesclin, in the above engraving, with that of a person who dislikes fight- ing or contention, a marked difference of shape will be per- ceived in the position of the organ.
56 COMBATIVENESS.
Is a man with much Combativeness necessarily addicted to fighting or other varieties of contention?
Such is the natural tendency of his mind, although, in common circumstances, he may, by means of other faculties, keep this one sufficiently under restraint. If Destructive- ness is moderate and Benevolence large, some kind of harmless contention will be preferred. The former organ, however, is very generally large when Combativeness is well developed.
Are all nations equally endowed with this faculty ?
No. The organ is small in the Hindoo and Peruvian heads, and exceedingly large in the Carib; and the dispo- sitions of these nations are in perfect accordance with their respective developments — the two former being mild and unwarlike, the latter immoderately fond of fighting.
What happens when the organ is too large, or not suffi- ciently controlled by others ?
The consequences are lamentable. The individual is for ever engaged in quarrels and getting himself involved in difficulties, from his ungovernable love of contention. Should Destructiveness be also full, he is very apt to strike on any occasion in which he may be offended, g A word and a blow " is his favourite maxim. He is a profound admirer of the argumentum ad hominem.
What is the result when the organ is very small f
In such a case, the person abhors strife and competition of every kind, and purposely avoids them. His temper may be warm, but he will seldom have courage to display it in the form of blows.
is Combativeness a useful faculty ?
It is eminently so, by conferring determination and intre- pidity of character. " Courage," says Dr. Johnson, " is a quality so necessary for maintaining virtue, that it is always- respected, even when it is associated with vice."
DESTRUCTIVENESS. 57
Are the consequences of a large development as strongly marked in the lower animals as in man ?
They are. The poodle, the pointer, and the spaniel have the organ small, the bull dog and the mastiff large; and the dispositions of the animals correspond. " Dogs," observes Dr. Gall, "that cannot be trained for fighting, have the head narrow above, and a little behind the ears; while those possessed of much courage are large in this region." In the heads of the two dogs represented in the section on Benevo- lence, the difference of size in the region of Combativeness is very apparent. Cock-fighters and pigeon-fanciers know from experience, that a particular formation of head in these birds is connected with courage, and another with cowardice. This difference exists in the region of Combativenes.
6. DESTRUCTIVENESS.
What quality results from this organ ?
The passion to destroy, and the propensity to inflict pain, uneasiness, and injury in general. When uncontrolled by Benevolence it prompts to unmitigated cruelty, and the person is fierce, passionate, revengeful, and ferocious. When so controlled, there is merely much warmth of feeling, irascibility without cruelty, and a tendency to be severe on proper occasions.
How is a large Destructiveness known ?
By a considerable and rounded fulness above the opening of the ear, and by width of head at that part. Those whose heads are flat in this situation, and narrow above the ears, are never destructive. When the external opening of the ear is placed very low, it is one sign of large Destructive- ness. The skull delineated in the engraving exhibits a remarkably large development of this organ. It belonged to an incorrigible female thief, of whom Dr. Gall observes,
c2
58 DESTRUCTIVENESS.
that a case will never be met with, in which the organs, whose abuse leads to theft, to cunning, and to murder, are more amply developed.
How was the organ first ascertained ?
Dr. Gall first noticed it by observing the difference at this particular situation, between the heads of carnivorous and graminivorous animals. In the former the quantity of brain in the region of Destructiveness is great; in the latter the reverse.33
When does Destructiveness first display itself?
At the moment of birth. The angry cries of the new- born child are manifestations of the faculty.34
Does a large development communicate any particular character to the manner and expression?
Yes : destructive people have generally a sharp, sparkling
33 All carnivorous animals are necessarily destructive. Some of them, such as the wolf, the fox, the bear, and the lion, kill only to procure food, others from a mere blind pleasure in killing", as is the case with the tiger, the hyena, the pole-cat, the marten, and the weasel.
34 An irritable frame is favourable to the activity of Destructiveness; hence the frequent ebullitions of temper displayed during the reign of child- hood, and also by grown people who labour under bad health. " No man," says Lord Bacon, " is angry, who feels not himself hurt : and, therefore, deli- cate and tender persons must needs be often angry, they havejso many things to trouble them, which more robust natures have little sense of."
DESTRUCTIVENESS. o9
eye, a loud and often cutting voice, quickness of movement, and energy of character. When engaged in disputation, they are apt to get fierce and animated, striking the table, as if to enforce their positions, and speaking in a loud and irritated manner.35
In what class of persons may a large development be ex- pected ?
Distinguished warriors, duellists, sportsmen, and boxers, and severe and sarcastic polemics must be well endowed with the organ; so must surgeons who are passionately fond of operations, and men who, from choice, follow the trade of a butcher. In such men as Knox and Luther, it, in combination with Combativeness, must have been large. It was very large in the head of King Robert Bruce. It prompts and gives keenness to satire, and is very perceptible in the style of such writers as Pope, Burns, Byron, Swift, and Smollett. In the heads of the murderers Hare, Burke, and Bellingham, it was large, and it must have been excessive in those of Nero, Caligula, Marat, Danton, and Robespierre.36
May a virtuous man have this organ as largely developed as a murderer?
He may undoubtedly, but in him there are other faculties which keep it in check, and prevent the display of its more violent manifestations ; the murderer has no such restraints.
35 The frequent indulgence in Destructiveness gives coarseness of man- ners. " Whence," as Lord Kaimes inquires, " the rough and harsh manners of our West India planters, but from the unrestrained license of venting ill-humour upon their negro slaves ?"
36 Calvin, who burned Servetus over a slow tire, for differing with him on a point of theology, must have had a large endowment of this organ. Both Combativeness and Destructiveness appear very large in the portraits of Bonner, Bishop of London, a man of violent charater, and coarse both in his manners and language, and who, during the reign of the " Bloody " Mary, consigned to the flames no fewer than 200 individuals for their religious opinions. Caliban, in Shakspeare's play of "The Tempest," is an incar^ nation of pure Destructiveness.
GO DESTRUCTIVENESS.
The late Dr. Gregory, and Mr. Abernethy, the distinguished and eccentric surgeon, had probably as great a development of Destructiveness, absolutely speaking, as Bellingham; but in them it was controlled by energetic moral and intellectual faculties; while the miserable assassin of Perceval being wofully deficient in these, was left to the unbridled sway of his lower propensities, and revelled in vice. Thus, although the positive size of Destructiveness may not have been greater in him than in them, yet its relative magnitude in proportion to the organs of the moral feelings, was infinitely greater, and hence the criminal tendencies of his depraved mind.
How do you reconcile the good endowment of Benevolence possessed by Thurtell> with his character as a murderer ?
Thurtell frequently showed traits of benevolent feeling, and was, on this account, rather popular with his associates, His Benevolence, however, was no match for the excited energy of his great Destructiveness, and other animal pro- pensities ; and a phrenologist, on examining his head, so far from inferring it to be that of an amiable or virtuous char- acter would conclude that it belonged to one strongly addicted to low indulgences, and, when in a state of excite- ment, to acts of violent outrage. . When the propensities were not in this excited condition, he would manifest good- nature and benevolence, and the annals of his life show that he was very capable of kind actions.37 It is Phrenology alone
37 Some people foolishly imagine, that when a man is hanged for taking away life, he must needs be totally destitute of Benevolence j not reflecting that people are always governed by the strongest motives, and that if, in an unhappy moment, Destructiveness is so furiously excited, as to over- power the counteracting effect of Benevolence, it must lead to violent, and frequently fatal, results. Had Thurtell possessed a very poor develop, ment of Benevolence, his head would have afforded a strong argument that phrenologists were in error respecting the locality of this organ, in so far as, in accordance with such a development, his whole actions should have been characterized by a destitution of benevolent feeling, which was very far from being the case. Moir, who was executed for shooting, in a fit of
DESTRUCTIVENESS. 61
which can explain these apparent anomalies of character. Men of far higher moral powers than Thurtell, have been hanged for murder, committed in a moment of violent passion, under the influence of a provoked and ungovernable De- structiveness.33 Mention a few modes in which the feeling manifests itself It is shown in a love of hunting, rat-killing, dog-fighting,
violent passion, a fisherman who had grossly insulted and outraged him, was understood to be a very benevolent man, when his ungovernable tem- per was not roused into activity. It would be absurd to expect, in such a head, a small organ of Benevolence, and yet he was hanged for murder. A man was executed in Glasgow, a few years ago, for stabbing a person by whom he was overpowered, in a fight which took place between them when half drunk. This man's previous character was not only fair, but excel- lent. Mackean, who was hanged at Glasgow for the murder of the Lanark carrier, had a pretty fair Benevolence, and, till the commission of this crime, his character displayed traits of the feeling, and was not considered very bad. He perpetrated the deed in a momentary fit of rage, and his Destructiveness was such as would prompt to violence under provocation. Had Benevolence been small, the general tenor of his life would have indi- cated its feeble influence, but such was not the case. A good development of this organ, with preponderating Destructiveness and Combativeness, deficient Conscientiousness, and a poor intellect, especially if the person moves in depraved society, and is addicted to drinking, will not secure him ngainst the commission of gross violence, and, under certain circumstances, of murder itself.
38 Peter the Great was a striking illustration of Benevolence and Des- tructiveness—of kindness and cruelty in combination. " Owing to the cir- cumstances in which he was placed, and the determination to execute the plan he had conceived of remodelling the customs and institutions of his country, he had to maintain a constant struggle between his good and evil genius. Nothing was too great, nothing too little for his comprehensive mind. The noblest undertakings were mixed with the most farcical amuse- ments; the most laudable institutions for the benefit of his subjects were followed by shaving their beards and docking their skirts. Kind-hearted, benevolent, and humane, he set no value on human life. Owing to these, and many other incongruities, his character has necessarily been represented in various points of view, and in various colours by his biographers." " His memory among his countrymen, who ought to be the best judges, and of whom he was at once the scourge and the benefactor, is held in the highest veneration."— Family Library.
G'2 DESTRUCTIVENESS.
and attending public executions. It is told of La Condamine, that on one occasion, when he was making efforts to pene- trate the crowd assembled to witness an execution, and was pushed back by the soldiers, the executioner said, "Let the gentleman pass, he is an amateur." The mischievous habit of breaking windows, gates, posts, and trees, so common in this country, is a manifestation of the faculty: so is the common and atrocious crime of fire-raising. A passionate child kicks the stool over which it stumbled : this simple act proceeds from Destructiveness. People who indulge in abuse are all destructive. Cursing and swearing are displays of the propensity. Xantippe, the wife of Socrates, was highly destructive, so was Catherine, in the comedy of " The Taming of the Shrew," and so is the whole family of scolds and termagants. Clergymen who address themselves much to the fears of their audience, and dwell strongly upon the terrors of future punishment, have this organ large.
Is Destructiveness often violently roused ?
No organ is so frequently in a state of excitation. You cannot cross the street, or sit an hour in the company of people of different religious or political sentiments, without seeing it called into action. If you behold a cat pouncing upon a mouse, or two dogs growling at each other about a bone, you have an instance of the faculty being at work. Homicidal monomania, or the irresistible desire to murder, is the effect of a diseased excitement of Destructiveness, and many miserable lunatics have perished on the scaffold, for homicides committed under its influence. Great ignorance prevails among judges and juries with regard to this subject.39
39 I saw a man, named Papaverine, guillotined at Paris, in 1825, for murder. On reading his trial, I was strongly impressed with the idea that the crime was committed under the influence of insanity, and that the man ought not to have been put to death. This view of the case ha3 been since adopted in works on insanity, and is now admitted to be sound. The same year, I
DESTRUCTIVENESS. 63
Are destructive people necessarily brave ?
No. They are often great cowards when brought to face real danger. Valour depends upon Combativeness, and destructive people have often little of this quality. At the same time, Destructiveness sharpens Combativeness, and adds much to its energy on the field of battle. Firmness gives endurance to both these faculties, and prevents them from rapidly exhausting themselves.40
What results from a want of Destructiveness?
The mind is deficient in fire and edge, and in that degree of severity which is of great use in the business of life.
witnessed at Versailles, the decapitation of a miserable wretch, convicted of murdering, and of afterwards eating- the flesh of his victim— a young- girl, against whom he entertained no animosity whatever. When apprehended, he had plenty of money upon him, a proof that he was not impelled by want. He could assign no motive for the dreadful act, but an insatiable desire to eat human flesh. Gaulius speaks of a man who had a similar passion, and who, to gratify it, committed many murders. His daughter, though separated from him, and well brought up, yielded to the same hor- rible desire, and became also a cannibal. " At the commencement of the last century," says Spurzheim, "many murders were committed in Holland, upon the frontiers of Cleves. The author of these crimes was, for a long time, unknown, but at last an old musician, who was in the habit of play- ing the violin at a]l the weddings in the neighbourhood, was suspected, in consequence of some remarks which escaped his children. Being brought before a magistrate, he acknowledged thirty-four murders, and declared that he committed them without animosity, or wish to rob, but simply because he felt therein an extraordinary degree of pleasure." The whole of these persons were, unquestionably, monomaniacs.
40 A man is met on the highway by a robber, who presents a pistol to his breast, and demands his money. If the man is greatly endowed with Firm- ness, but deficient in Combativeness, he will sternly refuse to surrender his purse, but do nothing more. If he possesses, along with Firmness, a great deal of Combativeness, he will be inclined to rush forward, and wrench the weapon from the hand of his assailant. Here the function of Com- bativeness will cease ; but supposing the individual to be largely endowed with Destructiveness also, he will endeavour to knock the aggressor down, to punish him with severity, and perhaps kill him on the spot. In most per- sons, Destructiveness is large enough to give rise to such manifestations in the circumstances supposed.
64: ALIMENTIVENESS.
f ALIMENTIVENESS.
What is meant by this term ?
Alimentiveness is the name applied to one of the organs, not yet regarded as fully ascertained : it is supposed to be connected with the desire for food. In the bust, it bears no number, but is marked f ; it lies in front of, and a little above, the opening of the ear. Farther observations are necessary, to determine finally whether the function assigned to this part of the brain be correct ; but many facts render this highly probable.
How does it display itself when very large?
It is supposed to do so in an inordinate fondness for indulg- ing in the pleasures of the table. If this belief is correct, gluttons and epicures ought to be well endowed with the organ, and probably drunkards also. Indeed, Dr. Caldwell of Lexington, in his ingenious " Thoughts on Intemper- ance,"41 conceives the habit of drunkenness to depend upon a highly excited state of this organ, and proposes to cure it by means of local applications, tending to diminish high action in the brain. It is certain that, by nature, some people are much more addicted to eating and drinking than others, and it can hardly be doubted, that these propensities depend upon a special organ. The abuses of the faculty are gluttony and drunkenness.42
41 Published in the Transylvania Journal of Medicine, July, &e. 1832. See also the Phrenological Journal, vol. viii. p. 624
42 In the Journal of the Phrenological Society of Paris, the case of a woman called Denise, detailed in the " Annales de la Medecine Physiolo- gique," (October, 1832) is taken notice of, as furnishing a curious example of insatiable appetite for food. In infancy, she exhausted the milk of all her nurses, and ate four times more than other children of the same age. At school, she devoured the bread of all the scholars; and in the Salpe- triere it was found impossible to satisfy her habitual appetite with less than eight or ten pounds of bread daily. Nevertheless, she there experi-
LOVE OF LIFE. 65
LOVE OF LIFE.
Does the love of existence depend upon a particular organ?
It is so conjectured by phrenologists, who conceive that a portion of the lower and inner side of the middle lobe of the brain is probably the seat of this feeling. Facts, however, are more deficient here, than even with regard to the organ of Alimentiveness. There is much reason to suppose that Love of Life depends upon a special organ, for we do not always find that those whose lot has been most fortunately cast, as respects riches, health, and other things considered worth living for, set the highest value upon existence. The wretched and half-starved mendicant often dreads the ter- mination of life more than the happy and the prosperous, and this altogether without any reference to a future state and its punishments. Dr. Johnson had an extreme terror of death: if this feeling has a special organ, it must have been large in him. Dr. Thomas Brown treats of " the desire of continued existence " as a special faculty.
enced, two or three times a month, great attacks of hunger, during which she devoured twenty-four pounds of bread daily. If, during these fits, any obstacle was opposed to the gratification of her imperious desire, she became so furious that she used to bite her clothes, and even hands, and did not recover her reason till hunger was completely satisfied. Being one day in the kitchen of a rich family, where a dinner party was expected, she devoured, in a very few minutes, the soup intended for twenty guests, along with twelve pounds of bread. On another occasion, she drank all the coffee prepared for seventy-five of her companions in the Salpetriere ! Her skull is small ; the region of the propensities predominates.
In the head of the semi-idiot, Barclay, executed for murder, the organ of Alimentiveness was very large, and the excessive craving for food corres- ponded. He clamoured for it shortly before being brought upon the scaffold, and on the morning of his execution ate a breakfast which would have sufficed for three healthy men.
For an account of all that is at present known concerning this organ, see an excellent article, by Mr. Robert Cox, in the Phrenological Journal, vol. x. p. 249.
66
SECRETIVENESS.
7. SECRETIVENESS.
Describe the seat and tendency of this organ, Secretiveness is situated immediately above Destructive- ness, as may be seen by referring to the bust. When the latter organ is very large, and comes high up, it may be mistaken for Secretiveness by the inexperienced observer. In like manner, Secretiveness and Acquisitiveness are some- times confounded with Ideality: this happened in the case of Hare the murderer, in whose head the enemies of Phreno- logy ignorantly affirmed that Ideality was large, when the fact was exactly the reverse. These mistakes arise from the organs in question encroaching more than is usual upon the neighbouring ones ; but an experienced investigator will never fall into them. Secretiveness, when large, gives a general breadth of head at the back part of the temple. Its tendency is to conceal. The following cut represents the organ large.
What is the character of a very sec? etive person f He is reserved, and neither open nor explicit; is fond of stratagem and finesse, and delights in mystifying and
SECRETIVENESS. 67
deceiving. His pace is stealthy, his voice soft, his eyes sidelong, his eyelids half-closed, and he can hardly look an acquaintance in the face. A person with much Secretive- ness is very fond of prying into the affairs of others, unless his mind be of a superior cast.
From what does cunning result f
From the excessive size and activity of this organ. Secre- tiveness, however, if well regulated by the moral sentiments, does not display itself in cunning, which is an abuse of the faculty.
Has it any thing to do in producing taciturnity ?
It has. Taciturnity arises from Secretiveness and Cautious- ness, accompanied, generally, with a small development of Language, and, in many cases, of Love of Approbation.
What good purpose is served by Secretiveness?
It communicates a power, often highly valuable, of hiding the manifestation of unpleasant feelings, which, without such restraint, would be sure to burst forth. It also gives us an insight into the feelings of others, and suspicion of their motives ; hence secretive people are not easily imposed upon, and possess singular facility in detecting imposture, and seeing through plausibility and pretension. Secretiveness is of eminent use in war and diplomacy. Hannibal in the field, and Talleyrand and Fouche in the cabinet, sufficiently prove the truth of this remark. Secretiveness is the chief ingredient in what is called tact.
75 Secretiveness requisite for an actor?
No person can be a good performer without it. The actor must sink his own character in representing another ; and this is chiefly effected by virtue of Secretiveness. Where Imitation exists, as it always does in good actors, the process is still more complete.
Is it an element in humour P
It enters very fully into what is called dry humour, such
68 SECRETIVENESS.
as that of Dean Swift and Cervantes, where the writer under the disguise of the most perfect simplicity and gravity, con- vulses us with laughter. Broad humour, such as that of Smollett and Rabelais, requires less of it, and into Irish humour it very sparingly enters.
In which sex is the feeling stronger?
In the female ; and the size of the organ corresponds. A woman is obliged to conceal her feelings on a variety of occasions, wrhere a man is placed under no such restraints. This is especially the case in reference to love matters. Let her attachment be ever so great, she dare not avow it till the man has made the fullest advances : she dare not even exhibit any sign of her feeling with regard to him, till he has given her ample reason to suppose that she is the object of his affec- tion. In this, and various other displays of concealed emo- tion which the delicacy of the sex demands, we see the power of an active Secretiveness.43
What is the character of a person deficient in this faculty f
He is remarkable for candour and openness, speaks his mind freely, and is under little restraint. People of this kind ought never to be entrusted with a secret, as they feel a continual effort necessary to prevent them from divulging it.
Is the faculty active in any of the lower animals?
In many of them it is so, and their craft is generally, though not always, in proportion to the weakness or helplessness of the animal. The cunning of the fox and the cat is prover- bial. Most birds are astute— witness the admirable manner in which the nests of many of them are hid from observation. The crocodile and turtle seem to show Secretiveness in the
43 The hacknied but beautiful lines of Shakspeare are familiar to every one—
" She never told her love, But let concealment, like a worm i' the bud, Feed on her damask cheek,"
ACQUISITIVENESS. 69
skilful manner in which they hide their eggs in the sand, unless, indeed, we can suppose, that in so doing, they are guided by a particular blind instinct. Craft enables some animals to secure their prey, and others to avoid danger.
8. ACQUISITIVENESS.
State the position and nature of this organ. It is situated at the anterior, inferior angle of the parietal bone, and the feeling connected with it gives the tendency to acquire and accumulate. When very powerful, there is an inordinate lust after riches. The person becomes a miser i the whole aim of his life is to hoard ; and the loss of money he regards as the greatest of misfortunes. So strong is this feeling, that many persons, though wallowing in wealth, scarcely allow themselves the common necessaries of life. Such was the case with Elwes, who lived in great want and misery, although immensely rich — his fortune, at the time of his death, amounting to £700,000. Daniel Dancer, the miser, who left £60,000, slept for many years in an old sack, to save the expense of bedding, and never, even in the severest weather, allowed himself the luxury of a fire. He sustained life by begging, and literally died of starvation. The Duke of Marlborough, though worth £50,000 a year might be seen darning his stockings at the head of the army, and would walk home from the theatre on a rainy night to save sixpence.
What character results from large Acquisitiveness and deficient Conscientiousness f
The person will be thievishly inclined. If placed in un- favourable circumstances, it is hardly possible for him, with such an organization, to be otherwise than a thief. If favourably situated, would he act the thief? Possibly not. His pride, love of approbation, or terror of
70 ACQUISITIVENESS.
discovery, might prevent him from stealing, but still at heart he would be a thief, and covet every thing he saw.
May a miser be a benevolent man ?
He may ; but he will show his benevolence in some other way than in giving money. Although he may exert himself vehemently, and spare no trouble to oblige a friend, it will be difficult or impossible to make him open his purse. It must be admitted, however, that the tendency of excessive Acquisitiveness is to "harden the heart, and petrify the feelings." Gold is the miser's divinity : he worships it as an idol, and extends his veneration to all who have a large share of it ; hence wealthy people, however despicable their cha- racter, are apt to be held in profound respect by the ac- quisitive.
Are very acquisitive people usually happy f
They are not. Having, in general, but one source of felicity, that of hoarding money, they are fretful and discon- tented, when their efforts at accumulation fall short of what they calculated upon : the loss of wealth annoys them ex- ceedingly, and while they venerate, they, at the same time, envy those who are richer than themselves.
What is the result of small Acquisitiveness?
Indifference about making, and profusion in spending money. People of this description seldom talk about wealth; while with the acquisitive this is the favourite theme of conversation.
Does Acquisitiveness lead to the accumulation of money alone ?
No ; it may show itself in accumulation of any kind. Some people are fond of hoarding books, medals, coins, curious shells, &c. : if a person has a liking for these things, and possesses large Acquisitiveness, he will naturally collect them, especially if this can be done at little expense.
Does this faculty display itself in early life?
ACQUISITIVENESS. 71
When strong, it is manifested at a very early period. There are vast differences among children in this respect : one gives half of what he has to his playmate, another keeps all to himself : one school-boy will keep a halfpenny in his pocket a week before he has the heart to spend it; another gets quit of his little treasure almost as soon as it is in his possession.44
Does old age whet or diminish the activity of this organ ?
It aggravates it to a great degree. A careful boy will make a miserly man. Avarice is commonly said to be the only passion which age does not blunt, but there is reason to doubt whether the vehemence of Destructiveness is mitigated by years. Old people frequently become exceed- ingly irascible and peevish, owing probably to the organ being stimulated by the discomforts and want of enjoyment so generally accompanying advanced life. Acquisitiveness and Destructivenes, therefore, may be held as increased, and not, like the other organs, diminished in activity by old age.45
Would you not infer that age blunts Acquisitiveness, seeing that theft is most common in early years f
Children steal more readily than grown people, because their caution and reflection are less. Adults see more
44 The great Prince of Conde having- occasion to go from home for some time, gave to his son, a young lad, eighty Isuis d'or for pocket money. On his return, the careful youth showed him the money, exclaiming " see, father, there is all the money you gave me, and I have not spent a single sous of it." The Prince was so disgusted with the penurious spirit of the lad, that he took the money and threw it into the street, telling the young- miser that if he had not the manliness to spend it upon himself, he ought to have given it away.
45 Why age should sharpen Acquisitiveness, while it blunts other faculties, it is difficult even to conjecture, but the fact is undeniable. A good story is told of an old Scotch nobleman, one of the Earls of Findlater, I believe, who, having found a farthing, and being solicited for the same by a beggar who saw him pick it up, put it carefully into his pocket, saying, " Na, na, puir body; find a farthing for yoursel."
ri ACQUISITIVENESS.
clearly the consequences to which a discovery of theft would lead ; and a man has naturally more respect for his reputation than a child. The desire of a man to possess any thing may be as strong as a child's ; but to obtain it he will not readily adopt means which may involve him in disgrace. Indepen- dently of this, the moral feelings are actually weaker in childhood than at the subsequent periods of life.
May a thief possess benevolence ?
Undoubtedly. He may rob you to-day and relieve you to-morrow with a liberal hand, if you are in distress. This fact may be easily verified by referring to the lives of famous pickpockets and highwaymen. George Harrington is a re- markable case in point. The celebrated outlaws, Robin Hood and Rob Roy, were instances in which a great deal of benevolent feeling co-existed with large Acquisitiveness and deficient Conscientiousness.40 The generous behaviour of
46 The passion for thieving, is in some individuals so intensely and irresistibly strong, as absolutely to amount to a disease. In such cases, it bears a very striking analogy to homicidal monomania. Victor Amadeus, King of Sardinia, had a strong passion for theft, and frequently indulged in the vice. The same was the case with Saurin, an intelligent and pious Swiss clergyman j and we frequently hear of ladies of rank and fortune stealing from the shops of haberdashers, while purchasing goods. The following remarkable case of thieving monomania, I extract from the London papers. Confirmed thieves seem all to labour under this affec- tion :—
Central Criminal Court.— Henry Smith, a smart lad, aged thirteen, was convicted of stealing a diamond, the property of his father. The boy had been twice convicted, and kept solitary and whipped, but on his liberation he returned to his old habit of pilfering.
The little fellow, with tears, prayed the Court to send him to the convict ship to break him of thieving.
Court Why do you thieve ?
Prisoner.— I cannot help it; I must do it.
The schoolmaster of Newgate was consulted as to the boy's intellect, and he was reported to be shrewd, of sound intellect, but so addicted to theft, that only last night he robbed a fellow-prisoner of a shilling. The Court complied with the prisoner's request.
ACQUISITIVENESS. 73
the robber to Queen Margaret, after her defeat at Hexham, is matter of history ; and many other instances of such men displaying great humanity might easily be recorded. In the prison of Copenhagen, for instance, Dr. Gall saw Pierre Michel, a crafty and incorrigible thief, who stole for the sole purpose of giving away to the poor.
Is Acquisitiveness ever morbidly excited '?
Such is sometimes the case. Irritation of the organ from an injury may force it into diseased activity, and thus make a thief of a person previously honest. Conscientious people, who become deranged, sometimes display a strong passion for stealing, on the same principle that individuals remarkable for chastity and purity of mind frequently in- dulge, during an attack of madness, in the most lascivious conversation. Dr. Gall mentions the cases of four women who, while pregnant, were strongly addicted to theft, and who yet exhibited no such inclination at other times. In such instances, the change of character which ensues can only be referred to diseased activity of the organ.
To what does the legitimate exercise of Acquisitiveness lead f
To a rational accumulation of wealth for proper pur- poses, as for the sake of securing comfort and independence to one's self and family. Carried much beyond this point, it is a contemptible vice, degrading to a human being.
Does the size of the organ differ in different nations ?
Very much. It is said to be small in the Arragonese, and Castilians ; and these people are not at all giveu to stealing. The Calmucs, who are notorious thieves, have a large de- velopment of the organ. It is generally lar^e in Scotch, English, and Dutch heads ; hence the vast fortunes acquired, and the high respect paid to wealth in Great Britain and Holland. It is small in the French head ; a Frenchman is satisfied with a moderate competency, and whin that is
D
74 CONSTltUCTIVENESS.
secured he generally retires from business to pass his life in pleasure ; while the Briton and the Dutchman toil on till the last, in the accumulation of property. In France little re- spect is paid to a person merely on account of his wealth ; while in some other countries, the mere whisper that a man is rich is sufficient to ensure him every homage and attention.
Is Acquisitiveness manifested by the lower animals ?
Some of them exhibit its activity in great perfection. The magpie is a notorious thief, and carries its propensity so far as to steal what can be of no use to it. Cats are gene- rally looked upon as thieves, and so are dogs ; but I appre- hend that it is not, as in the magpie, from an abstract prin- ciple of appropriation that they steal, but merely to gratify hunger. The industrious bee, in hoarding honey for its winter stores, shows the force of Acquisitiveness. The same re- mark applies to the beaver, which accumulates wood for the formation of its dwelling. The cow and the horse have the sense of property. Each goes to its own stall, and defends it against intrusion.
9. CONSTEUCTIVENESS.
Describe the position and function of this organ f It is marked 9 in the bust, and. lies in the temple, below and in front of Acquisitiveness. Its function may be described as the tendency to fashion or construct, and expert- ness in doing so. It is large in those who have a con- structive or mechanical genius, such as Archimedes/jTelford, Watt, Vauban, Michael Angelo, and Raphael. Dextrous artizans, and painters and sculptors who are eminent in the mechanical department of their avocations, must have the organ large ; and accordingly we find that in them it is invariably above average. It is impossible to be even an expert tailor, carpenter, or milliner, without a good endow-
CONSTRUCTIVENESS. 75
meut of the organ. It alone, however, will not enable us to contrive an ingenious piece of machinery. Mechanical contrivers are not impelled by Constructiveness, but by intellect. The former, however, is absolutely necessary to embody, or realize, in a machine what the intellect suggests.
What follows when the organ is small f
The person is what we call clumsy-handed, and can do nothing with neatness and dexterity. Some men are so very remarkable in this respect that they cannot even make a pen, ot shave themselves.
How does the faculty exhibit itself in the lower animals'?
In various ways, and in some with exquisite nicety, witness the beautiful architecture of the honeycomb by that ingenious little artist the bee — the wonderful skill with which the beaver constructs its dwelling — and the art displayed by birds in the formation of their nests.
Is the force of this faculty in the lower animals in the ratio of their general intellect?
No more than in man. The most sagacious animals, such as the dog and elephant, never attempt a work of art, while creatures far inferior in general sagacity excel in such achievements. This is a decided proof that a special organ exists for the purpose of construction.
Do nations differ greatly with regard to the force of this organ ?
Very much indeed. The head of the New Hollander is narrow in the region of Constructiveness, and his deficiency in this respect is notorious. The organ is largely developed in the Italian and French head, and more moderately in the English.
Can Constructiveness be abused?
Yes. The formation of engines for destroying human life, and the erection of such structures as the Sphinx, the Cretan Labyrinth, the Ear of Dionysius, and the Egyptian Pyramids,
76 CONSTRUCTIVENESS.
may all be regarded as abuses of the faculty. The same may be said of many of fehose trifling evanescent works of fancy, in which so much precious time is wasted by females in the middle and higher grades of society. Coining and fabri- cating forged notes are criminal abuses of the faculty.50
May a person void of constructive talent acquire it by diseased excitement of this organ?
Facts prove that this is possible. In such cases, however, the adventitious talent thus curiously acquired, will endure only so long as the excitement continues.
In what respect does the constructive talent of man differ from that of the lower animals?
The talent of the lower animals is specific and limited, The bee can construct only a honeycomb, the bird a nest, the beaver a dwelling of a particular form. No tuition can alter the dispositions of these creatures so as to make them build after any other fashion ; whereas, the constructive talent of man is general in its operation ; he works by a thousand different ways, and forms an infinity of distinct objects.
50 There is a man in London who exhibits what he calls the learned fleas. He has contrived to employ those insects in a variety of occupations, such as drawing- carriages and ships, carrying towers, and other pursuits equally momentous and important. Wonderful skill is displayed in the construction of the vehicles, &c. and in the admirable art with which the insects are attached to them — skill, which applied to proper purposes, might lead to great results, and do the artist honour. Such a childish application of great constructive talents, is surely an abuse of the faculty in question.
SELF-ESTEEM.
77
GENUS II SENTIMENTS.
What meaning is attached to the word Sentiment?
The term is applied to those affective faculties which, besides giving rise to inclinations, feel an emotion or affec- tion which is not merely a propensity.
SPECIES. I INFERIOR SENTIMENTS.
10. SELF-ESTEEM.
How would you recognize a large Self-Esteem f By the elevation which it gives to that part of the head immediately above Concentrativeness, and between it and the organ of Firmness. Both the organ and the physiog- nomical expression of the faculty are well represented in the subjoined engraving of a proud character.
How was the organ discovered?
In the following manner : — Dr. Gall one day met with a weak-minded beggar, who had such an inordinate opinion of
78 SELF-ESTEEM.
his own consequence, that he refused to work, considering labour to be entirely beneath his dignity. This man was the son of a rich merchant, and had been reduced to beggary by over-weening self-conceit preventing him from labouring for his bread. On examination, Dr. Gall observed a large prominence on the upper and back part of his head, which he supposed might be the seat of pride. Subsequent obser- vations have fully verified his conjecture.
To what does excessive Self-Esteem lead?
To arrogance, to an immense opinion of one's self,51 and, when accompanied by deficient Benevolence, to great selfishnesss.
What are the results of a small development f
Modesty and humility of demeanour. The person thinks little of himself, however admirable his merits, andis perfectly free from presumption. Such persons are great favourites with those who have much Self-Esteem. There is no collision of feeling between them — the humble mind unconsciously giving way to the proud one, and thus affording it gratification *
Is a great endowment of this faculty useful or the reverse?
Useful, rather than otherwise, if accompanied with good moral sentiments. It gives self-respect, a spirit of indepen- dence, and that proper pride which disdains every thing that is mean and dishonourable. Even bad men who have much Self-Esteem, are often prevented from acting improperly through the fear of compromising their dignity. A good
51 It is the great Self-Esteem of the English which renders them so insuffer- able on the Continent— which leads them to decry all other nations, and to look upon themselves as in every respect the first people in the world. The songs which are addressed to the Self-Esteem of the nation, are universally popular: witness "Rule Britannia," and "Ye Mariners of England." That famous toast "The British Constitution — the pride of surrounding nations and the envy of the universe," is a preposterous ebullition of immo- derate Self-Esteem. The Scotch Highlanders have a vast opinion of them- selves, and I apprehend that the organ of Self-Esteem, is, generally speaking, decidedly larger in them than in their Lowland brethren.
SELF-ESTEEM. 79
endowment, by inspiring us with confidence in the sound- ness of our own opinions, is necessary to enable us to make head against popular errors and prejudices. Luther, in opposing the errors of the Church of Rome, was much in- debted to this faculty. Had Dr. Gall been feebly gifted with it, and possessed, at the same time, predominating Love of Approbation, he never could have borne up against the torrent of ridicule and persecution which assailed him on account of his great discovery.
Is it possible to surmise the existence of large Self-Esteem without examining the head?
Yes. Those so endowed have generally an upright gait, carry their heads high, and have altogether an air of conse- quence about them. They are apt to speak in a pompous measured style, as if every word they uttered was highly oracular. They are great egotists, indulging largely in the use of the pronoun l,52 and talking constantly of their own affairs. The pomposity of Self-Esteem is indeed highly imposing. Shallow men, by dint of it, often pass for being very profound ; while others with ten times the talent but destitute of assumption, are frequently thought little of.
In which sex does the organ most predominate?
In the male. Men generally assume more than women,
52 Take the following, from a work recently published, as a specimen;— " Reader, when / was a child, it w*as not Gall, but some other galling phren- ologist, who, seizing one of the protuberances of my reverend head, thank heaven it was not my nose, deliberately told my aunt Josephine, that the said bump contained the organ of matrimony. Now my aunt, not being deep in the science, as deliberately replied that she did not believe in any organ but the organ of music ; whereat the good man, no way discouraged, immediately commenced feeling for the said organ. Indeed, sir, cried /, somewhat impatiently ; indeed, sir, /have got no more bumps, and /should not have had that, only / fell down yesterday and knocked my head against the table. My aunt, Josephine, laughing aloud, the phrenologist was dis- concerted, and /, glad of the opportunity, escaped from the room."— Four Years1 Residence in the West Indies, by F. W. N. Bayley.
80 SELF-ESIEEM.
and their opinion of themselves is much greater. More men go deranged than women, from wounded pride.
What effect is produced by diseased excitement of this organ ?
Its activity is enormously increased, and the person is apt to imagine himself a monarch, or even the Deity. In every madhouse lunatics of this description may be met with.
Mention a few of the forms in which Self-Esteem displays itself?
In a fondness for being placed in dignified situations, as on the magisterial bench, and an extreme sensibility to neglect or insult. " Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven," is the language of the faculty. Weak-minded people with much Self-Esteem, value themselves highly on account of their great connexions and acquaintances, if they happen to have any. Dr. Gall speaks of conceited indivi- duals, who will not cut their nails lest it should appear that they are obliged to work. Many persons will not put their names upon their doors. This is the result of Self- Esteem. They imagine themselves to be people of such consequence that all the world should know where they reside. Those with a very strong endowment of this faculty, are fond of taking the lead on all occasions, and are apt to be disobedient to superiors. Leaders of mutinies have the organ well marked. Great Self-Esteem, especially if combined with deficient Conscientiousness and a mean intellect, induces people to speak uncharitably and harshly of those whose religious sentiments differ from their own. They look upon their own particular creed as the only one which can possibly be true; and, if Destructivenessis largely developed, do not scruple to consign all other sects to eternal punishment in the life to come. Persons of this stamp will frequently not associate with those who think differently in religious matters from themselves. " Get behind me, sinner;
SELF-ESTEEM. 81
thou art less righteous than I." Such is the motto of these modern Pharisees.
Does Self-Esteem produce vanity f
No. The proud man despises the opinions of others ; the vain man lives, as it were, upon them. " The man is too proud to be vain," was a remark of Dean Swift, and is founded on a correct view of human nature.53
Why are many of those who figure as great patriots and defenders of popular rights thorough tyrants at heart?
This seems to arise from those pseudo-patriots possessing a great endowment of Self-Esteem, with deficient Benevo- lence and Conscientiousness. The first makes them impa- tient of seeing others placed in higher stations than themselves, and the deficiency of the two last renders them unscrupulous in their usage of others. To pull down those who sit in high places, they make tools of the populace, whom probably they dislike a great deal more than do those whose overthrow they are meditating. Knaves of this description frequently get into Parliament, and other public situations, by impudent pretensions to superior patriotism.54,
53 u The prond man is penetrated with a sense of his superior merit, and from the height of his grandeur, treats with contempt or indifference all other mortals; the vain man attaches the utmost importance to the judg- ment of others, and ardently seeks for their approbation. The proud mau expects that the world should come and discover his merit; the vain man strikes at every door to draw attention towards him, and supplicates even the smallest portion of honour. The proud man despises the marks of dis- tinction which constitute the happiness of the vain one. The proud man is disgusted by indiscreet eulogiums; the vain mau inhales incense with rapture, however unskilfully scattered upon him; the proud man, even under the most imperious necessity, never descends from his elevation ; the vain man humbles himself even to the ground, provided by this means he attain his end." — Gall, Sur Les Fonctions du Cerveau, tome iv. p. 296. This discriminative sketch is worthy of Theophrastus.
54 " Ces hommes renverseroient tous les trones pour s'eriger euxmemes en despotes. Ainsi 1' organization confirme ce que Phistoire de tous les temps nous a enseigne sur le but des revolutions : otez-vous de la que je m'y mette."—Gall.
D 2
82 LOVE OF APPROBATION.
Do any of the inferior animals possess the faculty of Self-Esteem?
The turkey, the peacock, and the horse are conceived to do so. Napoleon's favourite steed seems to have had the feeling strong : when ridden by any other than his Imperial Master, he appeared depressed, and to feel as if degraded ; but so soon as the Emperor mounted him, he raised his head erect, looking inflated with pride, as if conscious that he had the honour of carrying one who was greater than all others. The animal's sagacity was here equal to his pride, as he must have caught the idea of his master's rank by remarking the respectful manner in which he was universally treated. The dislike which one dog has to see another caressed, arises from wounded Self-Esteem.
11. LOVE OF APPROBATION.
Describe the position and function of this organ.
It lies on each side of the organ of Self-Esteem. The objects sought for by the faculty are, esteem and admiration, and it is gratified by praise. It also prompts us to set an excessive value upon the opinions of the particular circle in which we move, however absurd or pernicious those may be. When very strong, there is a constant and fidgetty desire to please and be admired by every body, a morbid appetite for praise, and a longing to know what the world thinks of us. The person so endowed dresses well, or employs other means to excite admiration. His leading aim is to procure applause; he lives upon incense, and is wretched if he does not obtain it. In short, as pride is the abuse of Self-Esteem, so is vanity that of Love of Approbation. Combined, they produce ambition. This organ is very large in the busts of Themistocles, who from his earliest years displayed an unquenchable love of glory, and often declared that the
LOVE OF APPROBATION. 83
victories of Miltiades would not allow him to sleep.55 The feeling seems to have been very strong in Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and Charles XII. of Sweden.
Have not women more vanity than men ?
Such is generally the case, although some men have the passion in great excess. Women are easily flattered, and soon become partial to those who bestow upon them this species of adulation. Women frequently go deranged from diseased Love of Approbation, which is seldom the case with the other sex.
What is the demeanour of a person with a great endow- ment of this faculty?
It is conciliating, courteous, and polite, very different from the hard austerity and pomp of Self-Esteem. Beaux, masters of ceremonies, teachers of dancing, bowing silk mercers, &c, afford good illustrations of the natural language of the faculty.
Does the feeling display itself in any other way f
Yes : when combined with deficient Conscientiousness, it disposes the person to " shoot with the long bow," and to be addicted to boasting. If he is naturally a coward, his Love of Approbation will dispose him to talk largely of valiant feats performed by himself — all for the purpose of disguising
55 Themistocles was not a strictly conscientious man, as is proved by his treatment of Aristides, and his proposal to destroy the ships of the other Greek powers for the purpose of giving his native country the supremacy, at a time when these powers were at peace with it, and had no reason to fear such an outrage. When, however, the King of Persia came to claim his promise that he would lead the barbarian forces against Greece, his Love of Approbation seems to have taken alarm, and rather than do a deed which must have blasted his reputation for ever among his countrymen, he chose, although the Athenians had used him most shamefully, and well deserved punishment, to die by his own hands. It is not probable that Conscientiousness had much influence in stopping him, and far less fear. The feeling by which he was arrested in his career of vengeance was, in all probability, Love of Approbation.
84 LOVE OF APPROBATION.
his conscious pusillanimity. Men, for the most part, wish to make it appear that they possess those good qualities in which they are deficient ; hence the coward, like the ass in the lion's skin, tries to assume the guise of valour. By ivhom is Love of Approbation most displayed? By those whose success in their profession depends upon public applause, such as actors, painters, &c. : it is in the gratification of this feeling, indeed, that the chief reward of their exertions often consists. People who are fond of ap- pearing much before the public, either in the shape of orators, lecturers, chairmen of meetings, movers of addresses, or any other in which they will be spoken of, and their sayings and doings blazoned in the newspapers, have generally a large organ of Love of Approbation.56
Does vanity manifest itself the same way with every one?
No. The way in which it manifests itself depends upon the other faculties. A vain man with a good endowment of Tune, and a small organ of Number, will be vain of his musical genius and comparatively indifferent to praise on account of his powers of calculation. Swindlers, pickpockets, robbers, and even murderers often boast of their feats. If a man excels in any thing, and possesses much Love of Approbation, he will be apt to boast of his eminence in that particular walk ; hence we have men who are vain of their powers of eating and drinking. The vain man always wishes to be esteemed eminent in his profession, whether it
56 " I love vanity " observes, Dr. Gall "because it gives rise to a thousand artificial wants, augments the comforts of life, embellishes our habitations, and employs and gives support to the industrious. It is to it, in a great degree, that we are indebted for the flourishing state of the arts and sciences. Collections of sculpture, of paintings, of natural history, of books— our gardens, our monuments, our palaces, would be either paltry or altogether awanting, without the inspiration of vanity, the love of distinction."
LOVE OE APPROBATION. 85
be that of poet, statesman, physician, divine, pickpocket, glutton, drunkard, or bravo.57
Do the lower animals display this faculty ? Some do. Dogs are exceedingly fond of caresses and approbation. I remember of a favourite terrier bringing a rat which he had killed to my bed-room door, and scraping for admittance, evidently that I might see the good service he had done. The animal had been trained to rat-killing, and evidently knew that in slaying one of these creatures he had done an action which would be applauded. The violent efforts of the race-horse in the struggle for victory evidently proceed from Love of Approbation. The faculty is active in the monkey, which is fond of gaudy dresses. What follows when the organ is very small ? A marked indifference to praise and to the opinions of the world. It is unfortunate when a person is so circumstanced, for the love of being well thought of is certainly one of the great incentives to the performance of generous deeds. Does good ever result from excessive vanity ? Sometimes to the public— rarely to the individual. For instance, men, from a love of ostentation, often put down their names as donors to public charities, to which, otherwise, they would not have contributed a farthing. The magnifi- cent sepulchral monuments of " Pere la Chaise" are erected, in a great measure, at the instigation of vanity on the part of the families of the deceased. The same feeling has much to do in the erection and endowment of hospitals to which wealthy individuals, such as Guy and Heriot, appropriate their fortunes.
57 " A large organ of Love of Approbation, in a head of great general size, gives origin to the ambition of a Bonaparte ; while a large development of the organ in a small head produces frivolous vanity, like that of the Hindoos, whose heads, as Lady Irwin says, 'are toyshops filled with trifling wares.'" — Phrenological Journal, vol. viii. p. 641.
86 CAUTIOUSNESS.
Can a person be amiable without Love of Approbation f Not easily. This feeling enters strongly into the com- position of an amiable character. It gives the desire to please and the fear to offend, which, in every situation of life are so desirable.38
12. CAUTIOUSNESS.
What is the tendency of this organ?
To produce a feeling of circumspection, and when very active, fear. Those in whom it predominates are never rash ; they are what is called "prudent characters," who seldom get into scrapes, and scrupulously weigh the consequences of every word and action.
Does great Cautiousness necessarily lead to cowardice f
Not unless it greatly predominates over Combativeness. Some of the greatest heroes were distinguished for circum- spection : such was the case with Hannibal, Fabius, and many others. The skull of Bruce shows a large organ of Cautiousness, and this feeling was a marked one in his character.
58 The activity of this feeling- is at present a great bar to the progress of Phrenology, but, by and by, it will assist in disseminating the science. People with much Love of Approbation are exceedingly shy of doing any thing which the public mind deems unfashionable j they go with the majority, no matter whether that be right or wrong. At present the number of per- sons who understand, and believe in Phrenology is less than of those who are ignorant of, and do not believe in it. This difference is gradually diminish- ing j and as soon as a nearer approximation is made between the strength of the two parties ; as soon as it appears perfectly manifest that the doctrines are every where gaining ground, and becoming fashionable and popular, then will the ranks of those who avow faith in them be increased by hosts of such individuals rushing breathlessly in to tender their adherence at the eleventh hour. The opinions of these fair weather converts, not being based upon that rational conviction resulting from knowledge, are of little consequence as testifying to the truth of the science ; but as regards the general interests of Phrenology, they are valuable, in so far as so many obstacles to its diffusion are removed, and greater opportunities afforded of practically applying its principles than exist at the present moment.
CAUTIOUSNESS.
87
Is a large organ of Cautiousness easily discriminated?
More so, perhaps, than any other. It gives a rounded and bulging fulness to the middle of the parietal bones, under which it is situated.
Large Cautiousness.
Small Cautiousness.
The first of the above engravings represents the skull of a timorous, faint-hearted female : the second that of General Wurmser, a man remarkable for the recklessness of his courage.
Is this organ well established?
It is one of the best authenticated of the whole series. Those in whom it is large, have uniformly the feeling of circumspection strongly stamped upon their character.
What is the consequence of a small development?
Rashness. The person is extremely imprudent ; he speaks and acts without thinking ; and, if engaged in business, it is ten to one that he ruins himself.
What most powerfully excites the organ ?
Sudden and imminent danger. Soldiers in battle are sometimes panic-struck, and take to flight from the violent excitement of Cautiousness. Before a battle, it is more likely to be active than wrhen the other faculties are fairly called into play by the heat of the contest.
What good purpose is served by this faculty ?
88 CAUTIOUSNESS.
It keeps people out of mischief, and renders them prudent. A community in which the feeling did not exist, would soon go to destruction.
Is the organ ever diseased?
It sometimes is ; and the person becomes straightway the victim of the most miserable apprehensions. I have remarked that this organ is uniformly large in those afflicted with hypochondria, which, indeed, is a morbid affection of the organ.59
Is the organ larger in the female than in the male?
It is so, not only in the human species, but also in the inferior animals.
Is the feeling very strong in any of the lower animals?
In some, exceedingly so: the sheep and mouse, for example, are remarkably timid. Animals which prowl by night, such as the owl and the cat, show the manifestations of active Cautiousness. Some of the monkey tribe, when they go on a plundering expedition, place sentries to warn them of danger. The chamois, the wild goose, the crane, the starling, and the buzzard are remarkable for circum- spection, and act like the monkies in appointing sentinels. In all these animals that portion of the head, corresponding to the seat of the organ of Cautiousness in the human sub- ject, is much developed.
Does the size of the organ vary much in aifferent nations ?
It varies considerably. In the French head it is rather small, which partly accounts for the recklessness of the national character, and the state of disturbance in which that
59 By many authors hypochondria is regarded as a disease of the digestive viscera j but that its real seat is the organ of Cautiousness, has been amply demonstrated by Dr. Andrew Combe, in the Phrenological Journal, vol. iii. p. 51.
BENEVOLENCE. 89
singular people keep not only themselves, but all Europe. In the English, Scotch, and German head, the organ is large, and smaller in the Irish. Scotch prudence and Irish thoughtlessness have long been proverbial. It is very large in the Hindoo and Peruvian head, and accounts for the great timidity of character displayed by these nations, its influence not being modified by the counteracting influence of Combativeness.60
SPECIES II.-SUPERIOR SENTIMENTS.
13. BENEVOLENCE.
Where does this organ lie?
Immediately before the fontanel (or opening of the head, as it is vulgarly called),61 in the upper and middle part of the frontal bone ; and it extends downward to the top of the forehead. It is known by the elevation which, when large, it gives to the middle of the anterior region of the top of the head.®
60 It is observed that when this organ is large, there is also very generally an ample development of Cautiousness; and between the functions of the two organs a considerable affinity undoubtedly exists.
61 The fontanel is at the meeting of the coronal and sagittal sutures. In the young child it is cartilaginous. From the time of birth it begins to contract, and is generally completely ossified and closed between the second and third year.
62 In paintings of the head of Christ, the organs of Benevolence and Veneration are represented as greatly developed, while the posterior region where the propensities reside, is made exceedingly small. Is thi3 generally received likeness of Jesus purely ideal ? If so, it shows that the form of head which painters have considered appropriate to an eminently amiable and virtuous character, is precisely the same as that assigned to such charac-
90 BENEVOLENCE.
Was a high forehead, before the time of Gall, supposed to indicate benevolence of disposition ?
There is reason to believe so. Shakspeare speaks of " foreheads villanous low;" and the ancients, in designing their deities generally invested them with broad and lofty foreheads, thus indicating commanding intellect, and dis- tinguished benevolence. The subject, however, was not philosophically thought of till Gall took it up, and demon- strated that the sentiment depends upon a special organ of the brain.
What effect on the character is produced by a large organ f
The individual is distinguished by the kindness and mercy of his disposition. He is generous in his sentiments, averse to give pain and uneasiness, charitable, and inclined to think well of every body, and do good to all his fellow- creatures. Some of the ancient philosophers, such as Plato and Socrates, are splendid instances of the beauty and power of this noble sentiment. The story of the good Samaritan is a fine specimen of benevolent feeling. One of the grandest instances on record occurs in the history of Sir Philip Sidney, who, when mortally wounded at the battle of Zutphen, and suffering under the tortures of excessive thirst, presented the water, which he was in the
ters by phrenologists. Dr. Gall, however, is of opinion, that the above representation is not imaginary, but conveys a genuine likeness of the great original. " It is at least probable," says he, " that the general type of the form of Christ's head has been handed down to us. Saint Luke was a painter, and in that capacity, is it not likely that he would wish to preserve the features of his Master ? It is certain that this likeness of the Saviour's head is of high antiquity : we find it in the most ancient mosaics and paint- ings. In the second century, the Gnostics possessed images both of Christ and Saint Paul. Hence neither Raphael, nor any painter of more ancient date, invented the admirable configuration of head which has been assigned to Jesus."
BENEVOLENCE. 91
act of raising to his mouth, to a dying soldier whom he saw eagerly eyeing it — saying "take that; your want is even greater than mine."63 In Christ's sermon on the Mount we have a sublime emanation of blended Benevolence and Con- scientiousness. Indeed, throughout the whole of the New Testament the supremacy of the moral sentiments shines forth with a lustre not to be equalled in any other code of religion or morality.
What happens when the organ is very small?
The person is careless of the welfare of others, disoblig- ing and selfish. Unless he has some end to serve, it will be impossible for him to do a kindly action. Such a man can never be a true and disinterested friend. Moloch, as repre- sented in w Paradise Lost," is an instance of a total destitu- tion of this faculty ; and nearly the same may be said of Ahab and Jezebel in the book of Kings, of Shakspeare's Iago, Moore's Zeluco, and also of Varney, in the romance of u Kennil worth." The organ, according to Dr. Gall, was very deficient in the head of Robespierre. Some of the Roman Emperors, as Domitian, Commodus, Caligula, Heliogabolus, and Nero, seem to have been as nearly void of the sentiment as we can suppose creatures not absolutely denizens of Pandemonium, to be. The busts of these men
63 " Man," observes Gall, " is generally more good, kind-hearted, and just, than he is wicked and unjust. People of simple manners— the com- fortable peasant, the industrious artizan, for example, are very benevolent towards their equals. We rarely see among them an orphan who fails to meet with the assistance which his situation demands. They often treat them as they would their own children, and not unfrequently with even greater kindness. Seldom do the poor, who knock at their doors, re- turn empty-handed : their direct impulse is always one of kindness towards the unfortunate." Gall himself had a large organ of Benevolence, and, in harmony with this development, was inclined to view human nature with a generous eye. Those in whom the organ is small have, from their own consciousness, a tendency to think meanly of their fellow-creatures, and to form a low estimate of human virtue.
92
BENEVOLENCE.
represent a poor development of Benevolence with a predo- minating basilar region. Take as an example ihe sub- joined representation of Nero's head.
May Benevolence co-exist with great roughness of manner?
Nothing is more common ; but the general tendency of the feeling is to communicate sweetness to the disposition, and to soften the manners. Some people are absolutely ashamed of the Benevolence they possess, and try to hide it under a rough exterior : " rough diamonds " of this descrip- tion are occasionally to be met with. Dr. Johnson was an instance of distinguished Benevolence combined with coarse- ness of manners — the fortiter in modo with the suaviter in re.
What are the abuses of Benevolence ?
The tendency to yield to every kind of solicitation is one; whence the individual becomes the prey of mendicants and
BENEVOLENCE.
93
impostors : he impoverishes himself to do good to others, and has his brain constantly filled with Utopian schemes of philanthropy.64
Have the lower animals this organ ?
They have, to some extent. In them it shows itself chiefly by tractability and gentleness. A good tempered dog or horse can be known by the shape of the head. The
13 Benevolence large. 5 Combativeness small.
13 Benevolence small 5 Combativeness large.
celebrated race horse " Flying Childers," had a very low and flat forehead, and his temper was extremely vicious. In the spaniel and Newfoundland dog, both distinguished for goodness of temper, the organ is much larger than in the bull-dog, whose dispositions are naturally morose and savage. The roebuck, which is a mild-tempered animal, has a prominence, and the chamois, which is the reverse, a depression over the region of Benevolence.
64 I know several individuals in this situation, and in the whole of them there is great height of forehead— in other words, a large development of the organ of Benevolence. The fanciful impracticabilities of Mr. Owen seem to result from the immoderate action of this organ, combined with that of Hope in excess.
94 VENERATION.
14. VENERATION.
What is the nature of the faculty connected with this organ f
It may be described as that feeling which produces vener- ation in general, or respect for those whom we consider worthy of reverence. When directed to the Supreme Being, it gives the tendency to religious adoration. Some persons object to there being an organ in the brain which gives the tendency to religious feeling, on the ground that such an idea is hostile to the doctrine of a revelation; but this, as Spurzheim remarks, is an unfounded objection — religion of one kind or another having existed long before the dates of the Old and New Testaments, in which the Christian revelation is handed down to us. The emotion communicated by this organ is, in itself, blind, and gives no insight into the truth or falsehood of a religion. The soundness or unsoundness of any creed is tested by another set of faculties, viz. the Intellectual, and cannot be taken cognizance of by a mere sentiment which simply feels, and is incapable of reasoning. In reference to the present faculty, Mr. Combe finely observes that " as Nature has implanted the organs of Veneration and Wonder in the brain, and the corresponding sentiments in the mind, it is a groundless terror to apprehend that religion can ever be extinguished, or even endangered, by the arguments or ridicule of the pro- fane. Forms of worship may change, and particular religi- ous tenets may now be fashionable and subsequently fall into decay; but while the human heart continues to beat, awe and veneration for the Divine Being will ever animate the soul : the worshipper will cease to kneel, and the hymn of adoration to rise, only when the race of man becomes extinct."
VENERATION. 95
Where is the organ situated ?
Immediately behind that of Benevolence, and directly over the fontanel. It occupies the middle of the top of the head. The annexed engraving of the head of St. Bruno displays a great development of the organ. Benevolence is also very large. Such a configuration of brain is highly favourable to religion and virtue. Men so constituted are a law unto themselves. They revere their Maker, and have an instinctive tendency to love and treat with tenderness the whole human race.
This organ was large in the head of Voltaire: why then was he an infidel ?
Because he was not convinced of the divine origin of Christianity. No man can venerate what he does not con- ceive to be true. Voltaire, however, venerated the Deity, of whose existence he entertained no doubt.66 The respect
66 See " Observations on some Objections to Phrenology, founded on a part of the Cerebral Development of Voltaire," by Mr. Simpson.— Phreno- logicalJouimal, vol. iii. p. 564.
96 VENERATION.
which this writer showed for princes, and the gratification he experienced in associating with them arose undoubtedly from his large Veneration.
May a person believe in a particular leligion, and yet have little Veneration?
Undoubtedly. Belief may be a matter of pure reason, though, in general, the judgment is swayed by the feelings. The merely intellectual believer, however, will never be a very ardent disciple of that religion in which his faith is placed. He may believe in a Great First Cause without inclining to adore.
Under what other forms does the faculty display itself?
In a respect for rank, for existing institutions, for anti- quity, and for the ruling powers. It is the grand natural maintainer of subordination of the lower ranks to the higher, and of the submission of children to parents and teachers. A person wTith this sentiment strong, is overawed in coming into the presence of those whose rank or other valued dis- tinction, is greatly superior to his own.67 Such persons, if their intellect is not of that respectable order which disposes them to appreciate intellectual characers, will be more flat- tered by the acquaintanceship of a silly lord than by that of such a man as Locke or Newton.
(57 " The faculty may be manifested in reverence for Jupiter, or the Lama of Thibet, or graven images, or the God of the universe ; for crocodiles, cats, or the Great Mogul, or Catholic priests, or Presbyterian ministers, or rusty coins, or a titled aristocracy, or the ornaments and furniture of a church. To those who have it disproportionately strong, the word ' old ' is synonymous with ' venerable ;' and in their view, no institution or doctrine, how-ever hurtful and absurd, is, if sanctioned by antiquity, to be at all meddled with. They obstinately adhere to the religious tenets instilled into them in childhood, and will not listen to arguments tending to support doetrines of a different kind. When, on the other hand, the organ of Vener- ation is moderate, and the intellect is acute and enlightened, the individual, unwarped by prejudice and feeling, regards only the intrinsic merits of the doctrines and institutions which prevail around him, and shapes his opinions accordingly." — Phrenological Journal, vol. viii. p. 598.
VENERATION. 97
Whence arises the love for collecting antiques ?
From Veneration combined with Acquisitiveness. The first disposes us to value the object on account of its anti- quity ; the second makes us long to possess it. People with small Veneration have little abstract love for any thing, merely because it is ancient.
Does Veneration display itself in the same way with every one ?
No ; it is directed very much by the other faculties. A man of high intellect and Veneration will venerate intellec- tual characters ; another, with Veneration and Combative- ness, great warriors ; and a third, with Veneration and Acquisitiveness, will venerate the rich. The two former, on beholding the cross, the hunting horn, or the bones of Charlemagne, in the church at Aix-la-Chapelle, will feel deep awe at the sight of these relics of so renowned a states- man and hero ; the third, having no sympathy with valour and genius, will gaze upon them unmoved, while he would look with sensations of great respect, and even awe, upon such a man as Mr. Rothschild. It is to be observed, however, that a powerful and cultivated understanding tends to keep Veneration within rational bounds.
When the organ is strongly excited, in what manner does it affect the character?
In producing keen religious or devotional feelings, ter- minating sometimes even in madness.
How happens it that irreligious people sometimes become, all of a sudden, very devout?^
This proceeds from sudden excitement of the organs of Veneration and Wonder. The individual has, probably,
68 It also oftentimes happens that, in cases of serious illness,, people be- come very religious, who, for many years previous, exhibited no devotional feeling. This, I believe, may often be accounted for, on the well known principle of cerebral excitement reviving- lost ideas. The brain is stimu-,
E
98 VENERATION.
been exposed to circumstances which call them into activity, as the declamation of some enthusiastic preacher, and the result is a vehement fit of religion, which continues so long as the stimulus operates on the brain.
A person then may become religious whether his organ of Veneration be large or small, seeing that a small organ may be stimulated as well as a large one?
It is only the predominating organs that are very likely to be excited ; a small organ is by no means equally liable to be acted upon in this manner, and when really stimulated, does not give rise to the same intensity of feeling. If it were so acted upon, the person would be religious com- pared to what he formerly was, but still his feelings on this point would be far inferior in energy to those of another person, with a larger organ of Veneration in the same state of excitement.69
May a person have a great deal of religious feeling and yet not be virtuous ?
Undoubtedly : witness the instances of Louis XI. of France, Philip II. of Spain, Catherine de' Medici, and the " Bloody" Queen Mary, all of them religious devotees, and yet most
lated by the disease, and the religious impressions instilled into us in child- hood are brought back to cheer the sufferer on the bed of sickness, and smooth his path to the grave. Various instances of the resuscitative power of excited brain are given in this work.
69 An acquaintance with Phrenology must be of great use in preventing people from running into fanaticism, and in allaying religious melancholy. If a man knows that such violent states of feeling arise from excitement exist- ing in his brain, he will set about counteracting them ; whereas, when he is ignorant of this fact, he will be apt to mistake the impression under which he labours for the effect of some supernatural cause; and the illu- sion, instead of being checked, will probably go on increasing, till it termi- nates in madness. An eminent phrenologist informs me, that he is ac- quainted with several ladies who have actually been reclaimed from fanati- cism by studying Phrenology. I believe the statement, and can easily imagine that a knowledge of this science will go far to check the accession of most forms of lunacy-
VENERATION. 99
worthless characters. If the precepts, however, which a religion inculcates are, in themselves, of a strictly moral character, the respect for their authority inspired by this sentiment, will naturally tend to make people more virtuous. The precepts of Christianity are of this kind, and when strictly followed, can only lead to sound morality : those of some other forms of religion being depraved, conduce to vice. The Hindoo who throws his child beneath the wheels of the car of Juggernaut, acts as much under the influence of Veneration, as the enlightened Christian who worships the true God. The difference consists in this, that in the one case it is a misdirected impulse, in the other, it is an impulse guided by reason.
In which sex is the feeling of Veneration more energetic f In the female. Women are more susceptible of religious impressions than men, and are generally the first to be caught by new doctrines. They have also a greater ten- dency to respect rank, and are naturally aristocratic in their ideas. Few women are enamoured of republican principles.70 Self-Esteem being weaker and Veneration stronger in
70 Some years ago, religious monomania was exceedingly common in the West of Scotland, among a class of people who went by the name of Rowites. These fanatics were mostly young females, in the middle and upper classes of society ; and the extent to which they carried their insane ravings was most astounding. An enthusiastic young woman was the High Priestess of this sect: her they supposed to be divinely commissioned, and even gifted with the power of working miracles. At length she left the place, and the excitement of her presence being withdrawn, the mania subsided. I agree with Dr. Mackintosh in thinking, that a few weeks' work on the tread-mill, with scanty fare, would have cured of their fantasies the over-fed and idle young ladies who indulged in this egregious folly. The reader will find in the ninth volume of the Phrenological Journal a series of acute and instructive papers on this kind of insanity, entitled " Observa- tions on Religious Fanaticism : illustrated in a comparison of the belief and conduct of noted religious enthusiasts with those of patients in the Montrose Lunatic Asylum," By W. A. Browne, Esq., the superintendent of that institution.
100
FIRMNESS.
women than in men, nature has obviously intended that this sex should be led by, and obey, the other.
What were the circumstances which lighted up the fires of Smithfieldy and prompted the massacre of St, Bartholomew?
These horrible immolations of innocent persons at the shrine of bigotry, seem to have resulted from a violent excite- ment of this organ, combined with great Destructiveness and Self-Esteem, and a lamentable lack of Benevolence and knowledge. A wreak or uninformed intellect, acting under the inspiration of excited religious feeling, would make the perpetrators imagine they were doing a deed highly acceptable to the Deity ; and Destructiveness coming into play, and not being counteracted by Benevolence, would urge them on fiercely to the commission of these diabolical atrocities.
15. FIRMNESS.
Where is this organ situated?
Behind that of Veneration, on the summit of the head, to which, when very large, it gives a towering appearance.
What is the nature of its faculty? The name sufficiently designates this.
When it is very
FIRMNESS. 101
large, the individual is distinguished for great perseverance. Whatever he undertakes, whether for good or evil, he pur- sues steadily ; and the general cast of his mind is firm and decided. He encounters misfortunes heroically, and endures physical pain with unshrinking stoicism. He is not to be turned from his purposes, but is rather apt to be unyielding and obstinate. There are great differences in people as to their capability of resisting solicitation. This, other things being equal, arises from the different degrees in which they are endowed with Firmness. The faculty tends to keep the other powers of the mind in a state of continuous action, enabling those higly gifted with it to pursue steadily the natural bent of their talents. Where the development is small, the person is fickle and infirm of purpose. He may possess excellent abilities, but from want of perseverance they are not properly cultivated and brought out. Instability and indecision of character are uniformly accompanied with a deficient size of the organ : and these qualities appear still more prominent where, along with such deficiency, there is a large development of Cautiousness.
What is obstinacy ?
Obstinacy is an abuse of Firmness, and the result of a great development of this organ, with small or moderate Conscientiousness. A strictly honest man can never be long or wilfully obstinate, however great his Firmness : the latter always gives way before what he conceives to be the dictates of justice.
Is it possible to have loo much Firmness ?
When the dispositions are naturally virtuous, and the intellect good, this is impossible, as the faculty in question only leads them more strongly and perseveringly in their natural current. When, however, there is a predominance of vice in the character, great Firmness may act perniciously, by causing an obstinate perseverance in evil.
102 CONSCIENTIOUSNESS.
In what characters would you expect to find the organ large ?
In those who show unshaken constancy and indomitable perseverance. It must have been large in Luther and Knox. King Robert Bruce's skull shows a great deve- lopment of it ; and he evinced the feeling to a wonderful degree. It is large in those who manifest great determina- tion in crime, as Haggart ; and also in those whose steadi- ness of friendship nothing can shake. The firmness of Captains Ross and Parry is well known, and the organ is very ample in the heads of those eminent navigators. I am told that it is remarkably large in General Jackson, the Ame- rican President, a man whose firmness of purpose borders on obstinacy. The North American Indians are remarkable for their unconquerable fortitude, and the dogged indiffer- ence with which they submit to the most horrible tortures : in them it is greatly developed. It must have been very large in Marshal Ney, who possessed astonishing firmness of character.
16. CONSCIENTIOUSNESS.
In what manner does the faculty connected with this organ display itself?
In inducing sentiments of strict justice.71 He in whom it is strongly manifested is a person of stern integrity : he pays his debts, does what he considers his duty, and is incapable of dissimulation or falsehood — adhering, in its strictest sense, to the noble maxim of doing unto others as he would be done by. Such a man will rather die of starvation than steal —
71 "The laws of honour, as apprehended by some minds, are founded on the absence of Conscientiousness, with gTeat predominance of Self-Esteem and Love of Approbation. If a gentleman is conscious that he has unjustly given offence to another, it is conceived by many that he will degrade him- self by making an apology ; that it is his duty to fight, but not to acknow-
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS.
103
rather go to the block than violate the dictates of his con- science. If he commits a wrong he is the first to acknow- ledge it, and feels uneasy till he makes ample reparation. He has, in short, a vivid and peculiar pleasure in acting honestly.
Where is the organ situated?
At each side of Firmness.
Large Conscientiousness.
What follows when the organ is small ? Lying, theft, hypocrisy, evil-speaking, dissimulation, and general want of principle are apt to be the consequences of
ledge himself in fault. This is the feeling produced by powerful Self- Esteem and Love of Approbation, with great deficiency of Conscientiousness. Self-Esteem is mortified by an admission of fallibility, while Love of Appro- bation suffers under the feeling that the esteem of the world will be lost by such an acknowledgment; and if no higher sentiment be present in a sufficient degree, the wretched victim will go to the field and die in support of conduct that is indefensible . When Conscientiousness i3 strong, the possessor feels it no degradation to acknowledge himself in fault, when he is aware that he is wrong : in fact, he rises in his own esteem by doing so, and knows that he acquires the respect of the world ; while, if fully con- scious of being in the right, there is none more inflexible than he. " — Combe's System of Phrenology, Uh edition, vol. i., p. 358.
104 CONSCIENTIOUSNESS.
such an unfortunate configuration, the propensities being left in a great measure unbridled.
Small Conscientiousness.
May a deficiency of the sentiment display itself otherwise than in the commission of what society would deem crimes?
Yes. The not keeping appointments and promises, the telling of " white lies," jilting, coquetry, quibbling, profess- ional quackery and humbug, writing impertinent anonymous letters, puffing trashy works, giving false characters to servants, borrowing books and umbrellas and not return- ing them, taking possession of another man's seat in the theatre or coach, knowing that you have no right to do so, and that it will put him to inconvenience, are all breaches of honesty, and indicate a small or moderate development of the organ. Divulging secrets with which we are entrusted, is another violation of the sentiment, frequently committed by people who would be very much astonished at being told they were not perfectly honest.
Is a deficiency of Concientiousness ever consistent with the enjoyment of a fair reputation?
Nothing is more common. Many who are not by nature
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS. 105
honest, act honestly in matters of business, because it is their interest to do so ; but such persons will be found constantly violating the minor branches of honesty, such as those men- tioned, when no particular evil arises to themselves from the violation. Men previously considered honest, some- times become bankrupt under disgraceful circumstances, involving their friends in one common ruin, and recklessly sacrificing, for the purpose of saving themselves, every human being on whom they can lay hold. This is the result of small Conscientiousness. So long as things go well, the man acts with integrity ; but when he finds that upright con- duct will only hasten the crisis of his fate, his small modicum of Conscientiousness goes to sleep, and he has recourse to every dishonest expedient to put off the evil day.72
What is remorse?
That distressful state of mind arising from Conscientious- ness or Benevolence when outraged. If a man, in an un-
72 Every now and then, we hear of persons who had previously led an upright life, running off with large sums of money, to the no small astonish, ment of their friends, who are surprised at so unaccountable a change of character, as they term it. There is, however, no change of any kind. The individuals are, in every respect, precisely the same as they were before committing the felonious act ; but they have been placed in different circum- stances, and a seeming change is thus produced in their minds. If a young man, for instance, with moderate Conscientiousness is shopman to a linen draper, and obliged to account every night for the money which he draws in during the day, he may act with perfect honesty, as the temptation to steal is comparatively small, the produce of a single day's sale, being all he could possibly appropriate ; but supposing him, in virtue of his sobriety, obliging disposition, attention to business, and dexterity in arithmetic, to be appointed head clerk to the establishment, and entrusted, from time to time, with large sums of money, it is perfectly possible that he may act very differently. His feeble sense of Conscientiousness may be unequal to the enormously increased temptation to which it is exposed^and nothing is more likely than, that he should play the thief. This we hear of every day. Such cases would be far less frequent, or rather they would not happen at all, were the discriminative powers of Phrenology brought into play in the choice of con- fidential servants.
e2
106 CONSCIENTIOUSNESS.
guarded moment, does any thing of which either of these faculties strongly disapproves, the pain arising from such disapproval constitutes remorse.
Do all who commit crimes feel the pangs of remorse?
They do not. Where Conscientiousness is very deficient, especially if Benevolence is in the same condition, no remorse whatever is experienced, though nothing is more common than the belief to the contrary, even among enlightened men. It is a great mistake to suppose that all the wicked are tortured by the pangs of conscience. Bellingham felt no remorse for the murder of Mr. Perceval, nor did Hare for his still more diabolical deeds.73 When such wretches escape the gallows, they are more frequently punished by the abhorence of society than by any internal feeling arising from conscience. The mark of Cain is set upon them, and they walk the earth, outcasts from the human race.
73 William Burke, whose Benevolence was not so small as that of Bel- ling-ham and Hare, though sadly overpowered by the predominance of his lower propensities, experienced the horrors of remorse to a great degree. He stated that, for a long time after the commission of his first murder, he felt it utterly impossible to banish for a single hour the recollection of the fatal struggle he had with his victim — the screams of distress and despair — the agonizing groans, and all the realities of the dreadful deed. At night, the bloody tragedy, accompanied by frightful visions of supernatural beings, tormented him in his sleep. For a long time, he shuddered on being alone in the dark, and during the night kept a candle constantly burning in his room. Even to the last, he could not overcome the repugnance of his moral nature to murder — such a glimmer of Benevolence as he had, was always in his way admonishing him j and this he had to extinguish in the fumes of whisky before he was able to overcome its influence. He positively asserted that he could not have committed murder when perfectly sober. In his head the organ of Conscientiousness was not so small as in most atrocious cri- minals—hence his visions of remorse.
The following is an instance of the absence of remorse. Many years ago, a wretch was broken upon the wheel at Lyons, for some shocking murders which he had committed. After having his limbs broken to pieces, the monster, just as he was expiring, laughed aloud, and upon being asked by the executioner what was the cause of his merriment, said he could not help feeling amused at the recollection of the grimaces made by a certain spoon- maker, into whose mouth he had poured melted tin.
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS. 107
In what class of persons is an ample endowment of Con- scientiousness especially requisite?
No human being exists in whom a deficiency of this most god-like of all the faculties is not to be deplored. It is in a peculiar manner necessary, however, to judges on the bench, ministers of state, confidential servants, and all entrusted with onerous and important duties. Justice, in fact, is merely the manifestation of Conscientiousness.
Can this faculty be abused?
Yes, especially by weak-minded people. An honest man, for instance, if his understanding be so weak that he does not see the unjust tendency of an action, may persist in doing it, in the belief that he is really performing his duty. Another abuse of the faculty is an absurd adherence to pernicious principles which the person believes to be right. Excessive remorse and self-condemnation, where there are no circumstances to justify such feelings to half the extent in which they are experienced, are also abuses of Conscien- tiousness.
Do you affirm that all actions prompted by Conscientious- ness are not necessarily just ?
I do. This sentiment being a blind feeling, merely impels us to act justly and must- be aided by the intellect in deter- mining what is just. A man, for instance, may think that his action will realize the dictates of justice, whereas, had his intellect or knowledge been greater, he would have seen that the reverse would be the case.
Is great delight experienced in the exercise of this faculty f
Greater than perhaps from any other. " Honesty is its own reward." By acting in obedience to Conscientiousness, a man may involve himself in poverty, or meet with impri- sonment and torture ; still the consolation derived from his own integrity of purpose supports him : he is recompensed
10S HOPE.
by the approval of his conscience, and rejoices even in the midst of suffering.74
17. HOPE.
Describe the position and function of this organ.
It lies on each side of Veneration, and its tendency is to produce the feeling of Hope. If the other faculties desire any thing, this one disposes us to believe in the possibility of their longings being gratified. An acquisitive person, for instance, will have a strong hope or expectation of being able to obtain money, should the faculty under consideration be powerful. Nor does this depend upon reflection ; for when reason tells us that the chances are all the other way, we often continue hoping, and console ourselves with the idea of ultimate success.
What good purpose does this faculty serve?
It induces us to take gay and pleasant views of the future, and keeps up our spirits in the midst of misfortune : though clouds lower around us we are cheered with the expectation of speedy sunshine. Mungo Park in his desolate sojournings in Africa, and Sir John Ross in his miserable Polar solitude of four years, must have been powerfully supported by the in- fluence of this organ. One of Ross's men died of sheer despondency, which would not have happened had he pos- sessed the sentiment in vigour. The strong hope of a reprieve
74 A beautiful instance of the power of Conscientiousness was witnessed by Dr. Smollett. Walking- along the streets of Glasgow, a beggar, in great apparent misery, solicited charity of the doctor, who, putting his hand into his pocket, gave him what he supposed to be a shilling, but which was, in reality, a guinea. The beggar supposing that a mistake was committed, ran after his benefactor and tendered him the golden gift. " Good God! " exclaimed Smollett, on witnessing this act of integrity, " in what a habita- tion has honesty taken up her abode! " It need hardly be added that the generous novelist made this upright mendicant keep what he had received, as a reward for his admirable conduct.
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has sustained the spirits of malefactors till within an hour of their being brought upon the scaffold. Mary M'Innes, while under sentence of death for murder, never lost the hope of being pardoned.
What is the result of a small organ of Hope?
The person is prone to despondency. He never takes cheering views of the future, and is surprised when any thing lucky occurs. People of this turn of mind are seldom disap- pointed, which is the only good that ever results from moderate Hope. In suicides, and those who view a future state with apprehension, we should expect the organ to be small in proportion to that of Cautiousness. Deficient Hope with large Cautiousness and Destructiveness predisposes to self-destruction.75
What are the abuses of Hope?
Rashness, credulity, and high expectations, not founded on reason. Those who u build castles in the air," gamblers, dabblers in lotteries and in the funds, are all much imbued with the sentiment of Hope.
What effect has Hope upon a person's religion f
It disposes to faith in agreeable views, and in particular to strong belief of a happy state of being in a life to come.
18. WONDER.
Where is the organ of Wonder situated? Immediately above Ideality. What is its function f
To inspire a love of the strange, the new, and the mar- vellous. It gives a fondness for supernatural stories, and a
75 Suicide is sometimes hereditary. Dr. Gall mentions a family where the great-grandfather, the grandfather, and the father all destroyed them- selves. Another he speaks of where the grandmother, her sister, and the mother did the same. The daughter attempted to throw herself out of a window, and the son hanged himself.
1 10
love of visiting mysterious and unfrequented countries ; it also disposes to the belief in miracles, witches, and apparitions, and to superstition in general. It is not, however, the only source of the latter : ill directed and excessive Veneration, by disposing to belief in the assertions, however absurd, of revered authority, sometimes leads to superstitious opinions, especially when coupled with ignorance and weakness of intellect.
Name a few individuals in whom you would expect to find a large organ of Wonder.
I should look for it in such persons as Hoffmann, Radcliffe, Coleridge, and the Ettrick Shepherd. The Devils' Elixir, the Mysteries of Udolpho, Christabel, and Kilmenny, are all strongly characterised by the sentiment of Wonder.
Have persons who see apparitions, generally the organ large?
This fact seems to be well established. In the portraits of Tasso, who was visited by a familiar spirit, the organ appears large, giving his head that rounded fulness im- mediately above Ideality which is possessed by all who have a large development of the organ. It is very large in the head of Earl Grey, who is haunted by the apparition of a bloody head ; and a crowd of cases have been collected by Dr. Gall and others, which seem to place the matter beyond a doubt. When Gall first saw Earl Grey, he said to a friend who stood by — " That man beholds visions." These facts are curious, and apparently incredible, but nevertheless they are supported by powerful evidence.
Why should a mere sentiment induce the seeing of visions* which is an intellectual operation ?
The organ of Wonder cannot of itself do this, but it pos- sesses the peculiar, though unaccountable, power of stimula- ting the perceptive organs, and thus exciting them to undue activity. Thus stimulated, they may conjure up false images and cause the person to imagine that he sees visions,
IDEALITY.
Ill
Is the organ peculiarly liable to excitement?
More so than most others. A fanatical preacher, by calling it into activity, will infect with his zeal a whole parish. Such was the case with Irving, Campbell, and other well-meaning but deluded enthusiasts — to say nothing of the notorious Joanna Southcote. During the persecutions in Scotland, excitement of this organ seems to have been exceedingly common among the Covenanters.
19. IDEALITY.
Where does this organ lie ?
On the side of the head, over the temples. Above, it is bounded by Hope and Wonder, behind by Cautiousness, and below by Acquisitiveness. In the following likeness of the poet Tasso it is well developed.
What is the nature of the faculty connected with it?
It consists in a taste for the graceful, the beautiful, and
112
the sublime. All things which partake of these qualities gratify it. The savage desolation of Glenco, the awful gloom and sublimity of Chamouni, the graceful loveliness of Win- dermere, a beautiful woman, a lovely child, the Belvidere Apollo — all such objects stimulate the organ, and give rise to emotions of the grand or the beautiful. Painting, sculpture, and poetry, the loveliness of the moonlight hour, and the gorgeous majesty of sunset, are all dear to him who is gifted with Ideality.
Why, in some persons, is Ideality most highly gratified by the beautiful, in others by the sublime ?
Destructiveness and Cautiousness, in combination with Ideality, are conjectured to give a love of the sublime in particular. Where a love of the beautiful predominates over that of the grand and the terrible, the two former are proba- bly of more moderate dimensions. Destructiveness, which seems to take an interest in desolation, may give Ideality a bias towards the dreary sublime, while Cautiousness appears to be an ingredient in love of the terrible. The subject, however, stands in need of farther elucidation.
Will Ideality alone make a painter or a poet?
No ; but it gives that imaginative feeling or enthusiasm which enters so largely into the composition of both. To excel in these arts other faculties are requisite ; the painter requiring Form, Size, Colouring, and Constructiveness, and the poet Language, to embody his conceptions. Ideality, in conjunction with one or more of these intellectual faculties, produces what is called Imagination.
Mention a few individuals eminently gifted with Ideality.
iEschylus, Pindar, Shakspeare, Milton, Spenser, and Ariosto, among poets; Raphael, Michael Angelo, and Salvator Rosa among painters ; Thorwalsden and Flaxman among sculptors. The works of these great men display the faculty in all its vigour.
IDEALITY. 113
What is the character of a person who has a great endow' ment of Ideality ?
His language is generally elevated, his conceptions flow from him rapidly and eloquently, his conversation displays much richness, his illustrations are copious and varied, and he abounds in figurative language. This is peculiarly the case where the organs of Language and Comparison are also large. The style of Lord Bacon is replete with Ideality.
When the organ is small, is the character materially dif- ferent?
Yes. The manners, thoughts, and conversation of the indi- vidual are homely and unadorned. He seldom or never uses poetical language. Grand or beautiful objects do not strike him forcibly, or throw him into raptures. He is a plain, matter- of-fact man, who boasts largely of his common sense, and affects a great contempt for poetry, and other imaginative productions. The organ is small in the heads of Locke, Mr. Joseph Hume, and Cobbett.76
Is the faculty sharpened or blunted by old age?
Age impairs Ideality more than almost any other faculty. Old people seldom display any of it, 'although there are very eminent exceptions, such as Homer, Milton, Goethe, and Titian.
76 Cobbett's remarks on Milton are ludicrously characteristic of his defi- cient Ideality. " It has," says he, " become of late years the fashion to extol the virtues of potatoes, as it has been to admire the writings of Milton and Shakspeare. God, almighty and all fore-seeing, first permitting his chief angel to be disposed to rebel against him j his permitting him to enlist whole squadrons of angels under his banners ; his permitting the devils to bring cannon into this battle in the clouds ; his permitting one devil or angel, I forget which, to be split down the middle, from crown to crotch, as we split a pig ; his permitting the two halves, intestines and all, to go slap up together again, and become a perfect body ; his then permitting all the devil host to be tumbled headlong into a place called hell, of the local situation of wrhich, no man can have an idea j . his causing gates (iron gates, too) to be erected to keep the devil in; his permitting him to get out, nevertheless, and to come and
114 IDEALITY.
What are the abuses of Ideality?
Extravagance of thought, absurd enthusiasm, flightiness, and a tendency to see every thing through a false medium. It requires strong reflecting powers, and much self-command, to restrain the ebullitions of excessive Ideality. Bombast, in speaking or writing, results from Ideality and Language, with deficient intellect. This kind of composition is very apt to impose upon people whose reflecting faculties are weak and knowledge very limited. With them it passes for true sublimity ; and the orator, preacher, or poet, who uses it is looked upon as a first-rate genius. The admiration in which the absurd rhapsodies of some clergymen, and the inflated effusions of many poetasters are held by a portion of the public, is a sufficient verification of this remark.
Is this a faculty, whose possession is to be envied?
Judging from the present condition of society, I should say that this is a doubtful point. Ideality certainly beautifies the mind, and gives rise to the most exquisite emotions ; but, unfortunately, dealing, as it does, with much that is imaginary, its possessor is apt to become disgusted with the grosser realities he must daily encounter. The refined sensibility which the faculty, when very active, bestows, is perhaps rather a curse ; and the occasional happiness resulting from it, frequently more than counterbalanced by the outrages which it meets with.
destroy the peace and happiness of his new creation j his permitting his son to take a pair of compasses out of a drawer, to trace the form of the earth ; all this, and, indeed, the whole of Milton's poem, is such barbarous trash, so outrageously offensive to reason and to common sense, that one is natur- ally led to wonder, how it can have been tolerated by a people amongst whom astronomy, navigation, and chemistry are understood. But it is the fashion to turn up the eyes when * Paradise Lost * is mentioned -3 and if you fail herein, you want taste ; you want judgment even, if you do not admire this absurd and ridiculous stuff, when, if one of your relations were to write a letter in the same strain, you would send him to a mad-honse, and take his estate."
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20. wit.
Describe the situation of the organ of Wit.
It lies in the anterior, superior, and lateral parts of the forehead. The sketch here given of the head of Rabelais exhibits an ample development of it. The width of the upper part of his forehead is occasioned by the unusual size of the organ.
What is the nature of the faculty?
It may be described as that feeling which gives a tendency to view things in a ludicrous light, and inspires the sense of the ridiculous. Combined with Destructiveness, it leads to satire.
In whom would you expect to find the organ large?
In gay, mirthful, and facetious people ; in those who possess the power of brilliant and humorous repartee, such as the celebrated Duchess of Gordon, Lady Wallace, Lord
116
Norbury, Harry Erskine ; in such writers as the Rev. Sidney Smith, Sterne, Swift, Voltaire, Piron, and Cervantes; and in such actors as Garrick, Matthews, and Munden. Caricaturists, such as Hogarth, Bunbury, Rowlandson, and Cruikshank, must also be well endowed with the organ.
Is humour synonymous with wit ?
It is not, although the best species of humour is that which is well seasoned with wit. Humour depends greatly upon the manner, wit not at all. A witty remark is witty all the world over, by whomsoever made, while what is humourous from one man, may be quite the reverse from another. " The School for Scandal " is a comedy remarkable for wit : " She Stoops to Conquer " is as remarkable for humour.
What follows when the organ is small?
The person has a natural dislike to drollery. Those who deal in it he considers buffons, and wit altogether as a piece of impertinence. He hates absurdity, and every thing which does not square with the most rigid common sense.
What are the abuses of the faculty ?
An incessant tendency to laugh at every thing; an immo- derate buoyancy and ebullience of spirits, and an inclination to say witty things on all occasions. Rabelais joked on his death-bed, and Sir Thomas More on the scaffold ; proofs of the ruling passion being strong even in death. Wit is a most dangerous talent to be possessed by a badly-disposed person.
Are phrenologists agreed concerning the elementary func- tion of this organ f
No : some are of opinion that it merely gives the ability to perceive differences, and that this perception is, in certain circumstances, attended with the emotion of the ludicrous. The faculty has not yet been satisfactorily analyzed.
IMITATION. 117
21. IMITATION.
Describe the position and function of this organ. It lies directly above Causality, and on each side of Benevo- lence. Its function is to produce imitation in general: mimicry is one of its most active results.
Is the imitative faculty peculiar to the human subject?
No. Some of the inferior animals are well endowed with it. The monkey, the parrot, the starling, and the mocking- bird, have the faculty in great perfection, as well as the organ which manifests it. Speaking of the mocking-bird, Dr. Mason Good observes, " Its own natural note is delightfully musical and solemn ; but, beyond this, it possesses an instinc- tive talent of imitating the note of every other singing bird, and even the voice of every bird of prey, so exactly as to deceive the very kinds it attempts to mock. It is, more- over, playful enough to find amusement in the deception, and takes a pleasure in decoying smaller birds near it by mimicking their notes, when it frightens them almost to death, or drives them away with all speed, by pouring upon them the screams of such birds of prey as they most dread."
Do not other organs assist that of Imitation in producing mimicry f
Such undoubtedly is the case. Tune, for instance, adds much to the power of imitating voices and other sounds. Wit directs the imitative faculty in its own channel, and assists it greatly inpourtraying the ludicrous ; while Secretive- ness enables the mimic to veil his own peculiarities while representing those of another person. To imitate success- fully coarse ferocious characters, Destructiveness and general large size of brain are necessary. Large Self-Esteem assists in representing pomposity, and large Love of Approbation in hitting off vanity. Ideality gives richness, beauty, and
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delicacy to imitations, while Individuality is very essential to a successful mimic, by the power of observation which it communicates.77
Is Imitation necessary for the profession of an actor f
Eminently so. The process by which the performer merges his own character in that represented, is effected by means of Imitation and Secretiveness. All distinguished actors are good mimics, even in the vulgar sense of the word. Such was the case with Garrick, Foote, Kean, and a multi- tude of others. Matthews, who was one of the best ever known, had a large organ of Imitation. It is found greatly developed in good ventriloquists.
Is it requisite for any other profession?
It is very necessary for painters — painting, especially por- traiture, being essentially an imitative art. Most good painters excel in mimicry, and this results from the great degree in which they are gifted with the organ. Dramatic writers require a large endowment of it. In the likenesses of Shakspeare — whether these be authentic or not — it appears greatly developed, and so, also, it was in the head of Sir Walter Scott, whose writings are highly dramatic.
Must a person with large Imitation be necessarily a good mimic?
No. The imitative talent may display itself in some higher walk than in mere mimicry, as in those mentioned above.
77 The power of a combination of organs in producing mimicry of the first order, is well displayed in a gentleman well known to me, and distin- guished for the brilliancy and versatility of his talents. The organs of Imitation and Secretiveness are greatly developed in his head. Tune is well marked, and he has a very fine endowment of Individuality, Wonder, Ide- ality, and Wit. Benevolence and Love of Approbation are very large; and there is also a large Destructiveness. The head is of great general size, and the temperament an extremely active one. In harmony with this combination, he possesses mimetical talents of the highest order. He is,
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ORDER II.— INTELLECTUAL FACULTIES.
What faculties are called Intellectual?
Those which make man and the lower animals acquainted with the existence, qualities, and relations of objects. They are divided, though not quite accurately as to details, into three Genera, — 1st, The External Senses ; 2d, The Internal Senses or Perceptive Faculties; and 3d, The Reflective Faculties.
GENUS I.— THE EXTERNAL SENSES.
What are the External Senses ?
Those faculties which, by means of organs in direct relation with the external world, are the inlets of impressions or sensations from without. Some object to calling the
moreover, an admirable ventriloquist; and his displays in this walk have a beauty and supernatural effect — the result of large Ideality and Wonder — which I have not heard equalled. His large Benevolence enables him to represent successfully good-humoured, his large Wit ridiculous, and his large Love of Approbation vain characters. His good endowment of Des- tructiveness aids him greatly in representing anger and ferocity; and the general size of his brain gives him the power of infusing energy and bold- ness, when these are required, into his imitations. In addition to his multi- farious accomplishments as a mimic, he possesses incredible power over his face, which he can mould into a variety of different aspects, each accurately representing a real character ; and so totally unlike are these from one another , that while some are striking likenesses of people of twenty-five or thirty, others correctly resemble men of fourscore. These changes of face add immensely to the effect of his imitations, more especially as he gives, along with each particular physiognomy, the exact voice of the person whose face is represented. His power of transmuting himself, as it were, into other characters, is, indeed, altogether astonishing; and for brilliancy, variety, intensity, and sustained power, I never saw any one whose imita- tive talents could be put into competition with his. A few of the numerous Protean aspects of this incomparable mimic have been sketched for me in a very spirited manner, by my friend Mr. Macnee, Portrait Painter in Glasgow.
120 EXTERNAL SENSES.
External Senses intellectual faculties. In answer to this, it may be stated, that a faculty is a power, and intellectual faculties are those which know. The sense of feeling knows. It perceives and discriminates sensations of a particular kind. True, the nerves do not perceive, but let it be remembered, that the senses have cerebral organs, probably at the base of the brain. Mutilating experiments seem to prove, that if the parts about the medulla oblongata are allowed to remain, the senses continue active, notwith- standing the removal of the hemispheres. As each ex- ternal sense must have a cerebral organ, there is thus no absurdity in considering them to be intellectual faculties.
How many senses are there ?
Hitherto their number has been limited to five, viz. Feel- ing or Touch, Taste, Smell, Hearing, and Sight; but good reason has recently been shown for regarding certain nerves distributed to the muscles, and discovered by Sir Charles Bell, as having reference to a sixth sense — that of Mechani- cal Resistance. The following explanation will give some idea of this sense