"The Philosophy of Phrenology Simplified"* is a title which conveys no just idea of the contents of the volume; for these are less systematic and rudimentary than such a title would indi

cate.

In the introduction the author treats of the causes of the opposition which Phrenology has met with the discordant opinions entertained by the old philosophers regarding the mental faculties and their organs-and the mode in which Phrenology was discovered by Dr Gall. He cites the following passage from the work of Hippocrates De Morbo Sacro :-" From the brain only proceed pleasure, and joy, and laughter, and sport, as well as griefs, anxieties, sorrows, and weeping. By it we are wise, and understand, and see, and hear, and appreciate. By it we distinguish what is pleasant and what is disagreeable; and by it the same things do not please us under all circumstances. By it we are insane and delirious, experience terrors and fears, partly by night and partly by day; do not recognise those who are with us; lose our habits, and forget our experience. All this we suffer from the brain if it is not healthy; wherefore, I say, that the brain is the messenger and interpreter of intelligence and wisdom."

Chapter I. contains a good summary of the usual arguments by which the brain is demonstrated to be the organ of the mind. With these we need not detain the reader. "The man," it is said, "who admits that the brain is the organ of mind, is virtually a phrenologist; for he cannot stop here, he must go farther and admit, that the state or condition of the brain must influence the mental powers. We admit the correctness of the general principle, that the state or condition of an organ has necessarily an effect upon the function of that organ, and we dare not in logical correctness refuse our assent to the principle when applied to the brain. The eye is the organ of vision, and we unhesitatingly admit that a well formed and sound eye is indispensable to perfect vision. Muscles are organs of motion, and we never doubt for a moment that different degrees of muscular development are concomitant with different degrees of muscular power. If the state or condition of an organ then affects the functions of that organ, it follows necessarily, that the development and other conditions of the brain will affect the mental manifestation."

The author replies, in a clear and satisfactory manner, to the objections-that we are not conscious of the existence of organs of the faculties-that neither difference of structure nor boundary lines can be discovered between the organs in the brain

* It may be proper to mention, that this is a different work from "Phre nology Simplified," a compilation the demerits of which we exposed at page 52 of this volume.

and that the skull and integuments of the head prevent the form of the cerebral mass from being seen. In the second chapter it is shewn that the brain is a congeries of organs; reference being made, with this view, to the different powers which the mind displays-the corresponding diversity of form in the brains of different individuals-the diversity of human talents-partial idiocy and insanity-and the phenomena of dreaming. This chapter concludes with an exposition of the harmony of anatomy with the phrenological doctrines.

The third chapter is on the comparative anatomy of the nervous system, which, as the author well shews, furnishes strong evidence in favour of Phrenology; for it is found, that as animals rise in the scale of intelligence, the more fully is the brain developed. The facts mentioned in the following passage are new to us, and of considerable value:-"The development of the nervous system in some insects is peculiarly interesting. The observations of Dr Herold have thrown much light on this part of physiology, and lead to conclusions favourable to Phrenology. With great care he traced the gradual changes that take place in the nervous system of the common cabbage butterfly, from the time it obtains its full size to its assumption of the imago. These changes were found to consist principally in the progressive shortening of the nervous internodes, and consequent approximation of the ganglia-in the obliteration of some of the nerves-in the amalgamation of two or more ganglia-in the union of the first ganglion with the brain-in the union of two ganglia at the expense of one or two others—and, lastly, in the lobes of the brain which formed an angle with each other becoming horizontal. These are, no doubt, remarkable and necessary changes; and why necessary Because the ani

mal is about to change its character, and a corresponding change of nervous system is indispensable. Had the nervous system of the insect undergone no change when such an obvious change in the powers and habitudes of the animal had been effected, we might have drawn a conclusion unfavourable to Phrenology. But all these changes are in harmony with the phrenological system. Change of structure must always precede a change of function; and we find here a series of important changes, without which the necessary muscular, sensitive, and instinctive powers could not have been imparted." The author's remarks on Camper's facial angle are sound and judicious.

The nervous system of man-including the nerves, ganglia, plexuses, spinal cord, medulla oblongata, cerebellum, and cerebrum-are successively treated of in Chapter IV. Though it is impossible here to enter into the details of this chapter, we cannot refrain from quoting the author's argument against the common opinion that the spinal cord is an organ of motion

and sensation. In what respects, says he, it differs from the functions of the nerves inserted into it, the physiologists who hold this opinion have not attempted to explain. The circumstance that the dorsal roots of the spinal nerves are nerves of sensibility, and the anterior, nerves of motion, indicates no such difference. "The spinal cord appears to be merely an instrument of communication between the nerves of motion and sensation, and the brain the seat of the intellectual operations. Did time permit, we think we could prove the correctness of this opinion by a reference to the effects of compression-the nerves below the point of compression only being uniformly affected, and never the nerves between the point of compression and the brain. When the spinal cord at the upper part of the neck is compressed the animal instantly dies; and we know that it dies, not from the direct effects of the lesion, but from the paralysis superinduced upon the nerves below the point of compression, and more particularly from the paralysis of the respiratory nerves. These nerves are cut off from the influences of volition, the respiratory muscles consequently do not act, and death necessarily and immediately ensues. But if the spinal cord were directly contributory to muscular and sensitive power, is it not more than probable that it would shew this power under these circumstances? If these nerves really receive a supply of nervous power from the spinal cord, what hinders that supply from being continued when a slight compression is made at the upper extremity only of the organ? It would be exceedingly difficult to give a satisfactory answer to this question; but if we admit that the spinal cord is only an organ of communication or connexion, all difficulties vanish, and we have at once a simple explanation which can account for all the attendant phenomena, both in a state of health and disease."

The following remarks on the cerebellum deserve attention: "The cerebellum is not a simple portion of cerebral matter. It is highly complicated, and probably is the seat of more than that feeling indicated by Gall. This is a supposition which appears more than probable from the following considerations: 1st, The magnitude of the cerebellum. 2d, The complicated character both of the external and internal structure of the part. 3d, The successive additions made to it during its development. 4th, The diversity of form and complication which exist in the cere bella of lower animals. And, 5thly, The fact that injuries that affect one part only of the mass produce effects on the generative organs, There can be no doubt that part of this organ is the seat of the instinct of propagation, What the functions of the other lobes may be we cannot tell, and it is useless to conjecture." The fifth consideration seems to us questionable.

On the minor importance of a knowledge of the intimate tex

ture of the brain the author says: "Phrenology leads us to draw conclusions from the form of the brain regarding the functions of the individual parts; and these conclusions, if true, can never be affected by any subsequent discovery that may be made of the intimate texture of the organ. Gall's primary phrenological observations were made previous to the knowledge he ultimately arrived at of the structure of the brain. But these observations are still admitted to be correct, and they will remain correct whatever notions we may entertain regarding the structure. Gall's phrenological conclusions were not drawn from any supposed anatomical structure. His conclusions were the result of close and accurate observations, and of observations relating entirely to the form of the brain. So long, then, as we can prove a relationship between the configuration of the brain and the character of the mental powers, the intimate structure, in determining the truth of this relationship, can at best be only of se condary importance."

It is the opinion of this writer that the brain reaches its full size at the age of seven, and undergoes no subsequent change of dimensions; but in this circumstance he sees nothing that affects in the slightest degree the fundamental principles of Phrenology: For phrenologists have all along ascribed much influence to the quality and maturity of the cerebral structure, as well as to its size;" and although it has been proved that the brain attains nearly its full size at the seventh year, it has not been insinuated that its organization is perfected at that period. We know, indeed, that the brain is much softer at the seventh than at the twenty-fifth year. It is obvious, therefore, that after the brain has attained its full size, internal changes are still in operation; and these changes are as necessary for the full manifestation of the intellectual operations as that of the full external development itself." The author adds in a note:-" To those who have not examined carefully into the matter, the statement in the text may appear startling or incredible, and the palpable increase of size of the head, which takes place after the seventh year, may seem a decided refutation of the allegation. But it must be remembered that the increase which takes place after the period above mentioned, is easily accounted for from the growth of parts exterior to the brain. In the child at that period, the cerebral envelopes are extremely thin; they afterwards become thicker and thicker by an increase of skull, of fat, of muscle, and of skin: the additional growth of these parts accounting most satisfactorily for whatever increase of size the head may have attained. Some phrenologists believe that the organs grow from the effects of mental exercise even after a very late period in life, and casts of the same individuals at different periods of their lives are adduced in sup

port of the supposition. In all such cases which the writer had an opportunity of examining, the increase was obviously external, for the face had increased in the same proportion. After attaining full growth, the brain, like the eye, neither increases nor diminishes in size; its consistency or density may vary, but we have no reason to believe that any change takes place either in its form or size."

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Although we think, with this author, that the fact of the attainment by the brain of its full size at the age of seven would have no influence in subverting the principles of Phrenology, yet we cannot admit the accuracy of the statement of the brothers Wenzel, on the authority of which that fact is assumed. Our own experience is at variance with the assertion, and nothing certain can be determined on the question at issue by comparing, as the Wenzels did, the brains of different individuals at various ages. It is only by observations on the size of the same brain at different periods of life that the question can be settled. "I have seen," says Dr Spurzheim, in children of seven, even of three years, larger brains and foreheads than in some adults who opposed Phrenology; but does this prove that the adults had already the same size of brain at their age of seven years, and that the brains of children seven years old do not increase in after life ?" As the brain divested of the integuments cannot be observed in the same individual at different periods of life, it would be satisfactory to ascertain its size in a great number of children dying at the age of seven, and to compare the average dimensions thus obtained with the average dimensions of the adult brain. On looking into the Wenzels' book, we do not find that they have done this. Were a proper series of observations made, there is little doubt that their assertion would be disproved. That the observations of the Wenzels were very limited, and were rendered fallacious by the comparison of brains of different individuals, is evident from various circumstances, and in particular from an incongruity between their observations on the size of the brain and those on the depth of the furrows between the convolutions. Notwithstanding the alleged facts (stated by them on pp. 295 and 296) of the brain reaching its full dimensions at the age of seven, and its full weight at the age of three, they mention, as the result of their investigations, that "the convolutions and furrows do not attain to the same degree of perfection at the seventh year, which the size of the brain enjoys at that age: this is especially proved by the case of the boy of seven years." (P. 298.) On referring to the account of this case, we find that the furrows and convolutions were more numerous than those seen in adults and old people, but were smaller and less rounded, such as are found in aged persons; the furrows being less deep, and