since the average of readers' minds must be below the average of writers' minds (the latter being the instructors), it seems quite intelligible why writers of inferior works should frequently have more readers; their minds being more on a par with those of the readers, the latter can more readily understand and sympathise with them. But, we must ask, why do phrenologists become subscribers to inferior works, seeing that they should be able to estimate the mental ability displayed in their production ?]

X. Strictures upon some Objections to Phrenology. - Communicated in a Letter to the EDITOR.

SIR,-If you think the following answers to some objections made to Phrenology, worthy of a place in your Journal, you will oblige me by inserting them. They are extracted from a letter on that subject, which I recently wrote to a young friend. I am, &c.

LUDLOW, 20th October, 1837.

Objections.

HENRY MEYMOTT.

That Combe's statement" that the Caribs, from their miserable development of brain, never could become Christians," was wicked, as doubting the goodness of the Almighty. That idiots were of course an exception, as our Saviour excepted from sin the man that was born blind. That there was no divine authority for the phrenological distribution of the mind. That the study of Phrenology tended to make people materialists. That it never could be of much use. That had it been of any value the wise men and philosophers of old would have discovered it.

Extract from Letter in reply.

I was very much amused by my worthy friend's objections to Phrenology. That was a home thrust of yours about the idiot, and I give you credit for it. It is exactly on the same principle that the Caribs are not capable of understanding the doctrines of Christianity, (alas! how miserably few practise them even in the most civilised communities !) but they, the Caribs, are no more to blame than the blind man mentioned in Scripture (St. John, ch. 9. v. 3.), and the works of God are made manifest in them as well as in him. The mind of man is a

wonderful work of God, and its degeneration, as exemplified in the Caribs, as wonderful as will be its regeneration which will also be exemplified in the Caribs, as soon as the laws of nature are allowed full scope, by the proper training of the mind; but until Phrenology points out the nature of the mind it cannot be properly trained, any more than a steam-engine can be properly trained unless all its different parts and their modes of action are intimately known. With regard to Phrenology tending to make persons who study it materialists, does my worthy friend know what materialism means? If it mean that, after death, the mind is extinct, and there is an end of us, I would say that the study of it tends to the very reverse, as it teaches the nature of the mind and its proper cultivation, and how can the mind be properly cultivated that embraces such a doctrine as that, so contrary to what our reasoning faculties would dictate to us even if unassisted by revelation? But if it means that there is a material organ by means of which the mind acts during its stay upon earth, and which is proved to demonstration, then materialism is the very essence of Phrenology, and is one of the facts of Nature. As to there being no Divine authority for the phrenological distribution of the mind, we might just as well say that there is no Divine authority for the Linnæan or any other system and distribution of plants. There is Divine authority for our being "perfect even as our Father in Heaven is perfect," that is, as perfect as our nature will admit of; but by what means we are to become so till Phrenology has pointed out what that Nature is, would puzzle even the wise men and philosophers of old.-By the way, that was very good; "Why did not the wise men, and philosophers of old find out Phrenology?" Why did not they find out the way to travel sixty miles an hour by steam? For the same reason, they did not go the right way to work. Do not condescend to argue with any one on Phrenology till you are satisfied that they have made some inquiries into it; for if they confess that they know nothing about it, how is it possible they can be competent to argue upon it. People do get such strange notions about it; they fancy it to be a finely-spun theory; whereas it is founded upon facts in nature. The uses of it are incalculable, as it reveals the nature of the mind. The wise men and philosophers of old failed to gain a correct mental philosophy, because they did not seek it by learning facts from nature. For the same reason the Scottish and other metaphysicians were in error, and they could not be otherwise. Spurzheim says (in his Philosophical Principles of Phrenology) that neither idealogians nor moralists are sufficiently acquainted

with the nature of man; that they have considered modes of action as faculties; and that they ought to study the fundamental powers of the mind, their origin, their modes of action, the effects of their mutual influence, the condition of their manifestations, and the laws of their improvement.

II. CASES AND FACTS.

I. Observations on the Phrenological Development of Greenacre *, recently executed for Murder.-Read by DR. CARGILL, at the anniversary meeting of the Phrenological Society of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in October, 1837.

THE Science of Phrenology has for its basis the assumption that the brain is the Material Organ through which all mental phenomena are manifested, that it is a compound organ formed of a number of distinct parts, all connected together, but each having a function separate from that of any other, and the whole consisting of as many different organs as there are innate faculties in the mind. It is also assumed that the brain gives the form to the skull, and therefore, that the full or deficient development of its convolutions is cognisable by our observation of the exterior, or covering of bone. Phrenology has been brought to the state in which it at present rests by observation alone, and to observations made in the true spirit of the inductive mode of philosophising it unquestionably owes its stability and success.

As its foundation is laid on the observ

* Dr. Elliotson's notes on the development of Greenacre were given in our last Number (p. 65.), but without any direct reference to the actions of the individual. In the present communication from Dr. Cargill (received whilst the last Number was going through the press) the case is put into such a form as will render it instructive to young phrenologists, and a serviceable record of circumstances showing the agreement between the actions and development of Greenacre, adapted for the use of all persons who possess casts of his head. A foolish report was current in London, that a celebrated phrenologist there had declared his belief of Greenacre's innocence, on account of his well-formed head. Let any one who believes the story compare the cast in Mr. De Ville's collection with a cast from the head of any person at all distinguished for moral superiority: the difference will be found most decided. A very good illustration of this would have been afforded in our present Number, had we printed two communications on the case of Greenacre, which were forwarded to us by different medical correspondents; each of whom finds the form of head precisely in accordance with the character of the individual. The second was sent to us by Mr. Whitney, of Westminster; but the paper of Dr. Cargill had already anticipated the other; and the readers of this Journal would probably not wish for a second account, which corresponds with that of Dr. Cargill, in all its leading features. - EDITOR P. J.

ation of facts, and the superstructure reared and hitherto maintained by an incessant employment of the same all-powerful means, so, on this principle, and on this alone, must it be confirmed by the voice of Posterity or numbered with the things that were.

To compare, then, the cerebral developments of individuals with their known dispositions, as manifested during life, must be the scope and tendency of the efforts of all who look into. the subject, whether they receive or reject the doctrine, and with this view the following observations relating to the bust upon the table are submitted to the meeting. It is a cast of the criminal Greenacre, taken after death from the shaven head.

Its phrenological features are so strongly marked as to be obvious at once to all who are even superficially acquainted with this science. It will be seen that in this head the lateral basilar and posterior regions are the most powerfully developed, and greatly predominating over those portions of the brain dedicated to the Moral Sentiments and the Intellect. By referring to the accompanying sketch taken from the bust, and of the size of life, this disparity will be more distinctly visible; for if a line be drawn from Causality in the forehead, and made to pass backwards immediately above Cautiousness, it will be manifest that the area above that line, the seat of the Moral Sentiments, is greatly inferior in extent and depth to the surface underneath, in which are contained the organs of the Animal Propensities. If another line be made to pass from the extremity of the former at Causality, downwards and outwards through the centre of Constructiveness, that part situated in front of the line will indicate the size of the Anterior lobes or Intellectual organs of the brain.

In the present subject, the part in question is small when compared with the vast mass of brain occupying the basilar and posterior regions; so that, judging from this view alone, without proceeding to details, a phrenologist would have no hesitation in pronouncing what the natural tendency of such a mind would be. He would confidently assert that such a character would be prone to indulgence in those failings and propensities which constitute the grosser materials of our nature, and the abuse of which, or in other words their undue and uncontrolled exercise, degrades us below the level of the brutes.

Greenacre's head, taken as a whole, may be stated as of average size, but exceedingly unequal in development, some parts being very large, and a great falling away at others; but the most correct mode of judging generally of the size of the different regions is by attending to the measurements which

they indicate.

The following are the results shewn by the

callipers to belong to the head before us.

From Individuality to Philoprogenitiveness 77 inches.

5

Acquisitiveness to Acquisitiveness
Ideality to Ideality

The organs of the Perceptive Faculties are the largest of the Intellectual organs in Greenacre's head. Individuality, Locality, Form, Size, Weight, and Language are all largely developed, the other Perceptives are less so. The organs of the Reflective Faculties are exceedingly small, the forehead retreating rapidly immediately above the superciliary ridge, and greatly diminishing in breadth towards the top; shewing very little volume of brain in that region. This is precisely what we should expect to find on looking into the details of the life of Greenacre. Although endowed with extreme cunning, yet he seems, in every transaction, to have exhibited a very meagre share of foresight and reflection. His powerful and active Perceptive Faculties gave him great tact and quickness in the ordinary details of business, yet in consequence, evidently, of his deficiency of Reflective power, he failed in every scheme for obtaining a tolerable livelihood.

Moreover, his inordinately developed Acquisitiveness must have furnished a powerful incentive for exertion, whether of an honest or a dishonest description, and his deficient Conscientiousness and small general feelings of morality, with his neglected moral and intellectual education, would oppose but a feeble barrier to the exercise of his cupidity and selfishness. The relative size of the particular organs in the head may be stated as follows:

Destructiveness, Secretiveness, Acquisitiveness, Combativeness, Alimentiveness, Philoprogenitiveness, Amativeness-very large.

Individuality, Form, Size, Weight, Locality, Constructiveness, Language, Veneration -large.

Firmness, Cautiousness, Self-esteem, Love of approbation— full.

Colouring, Order, Number-moderate.

Concentrativeness, Adhesiveness - rather small.