ARTICLE II. An Inquiry concerning the Diseases and Functions of the Brain, the Spinal Cord, and the Nerves. By AMARIAH BRIGHAM, M. D. Published by George Adlard, No. 168 Broadway, New York. 12mo. pp. 337. The above title is peculiarly calculated to attract the attention of the phrenologist. Whatever is published relating to the structure, organisation, and functions of the brain, however uninteresting to others, cannot fail to excite his interest. But we must confess our disappointment, in turning from the title of the work before us to an examination of its contents, to find only three pages (!) devoted to the subject of phrenology. It is unnecessary here to vindicate the merits of its advocates, either by pointing out the particular discoveries which they have made in this department of science, or by showing that we are indebted to their labours for some of the most important and valuable knowledge which we possess of the nervous system. It would seem hardly possible for an individual, acquainted with the history and progress of phrenological discoveries, to write a work of more than three hundred pages on the "Diseases and Functions of the Brain," without devoting more than three pages to the consideration of phrenology in its bearings on this subject, and we must think that Dr. Brigham, as he himself has frankly acknowledged, has had neither opportunity nor leisure to examine this science thoroughly and do it justice. He shall have, however, full credit for what he has said respecting its merits. The work is designed more especially for members of the medical profession, though it is by no means devoid of interest to the general reader. The author opens the work with some general remarks on the importance of understanding the structure and functions of the brain, after which he proceeds to examine the various methods which have been employed for determining its functions. The several methods mentioned by Dr. Brigham, such as chemical analysis, dissection, experiments on living animals, comparative anatomy, &c., have each, in themselves, proved entirely ineffectual. He has devoted the chief space of his work, under this head, to pathological observations. Dr. B. has here collected and detailed, at some length, many interesting facts, which afford the strongest possible evidence that the brain is composed of a congeries of organs, and moreover, that the external parts of this viscus perform the functions of mental manifestations, while the more interior parts are intimately connected with the muscular system, and the powers of locomotion. The last method noticed by Dr. B. for determining the functions of the brain, is that of 66 external examination of the cranium, or phrenology;" and here we present the reader with his three pages on this subject, which were alluded to above. We should not omit to state, that honourable mention is made throughout Dr. B.'s work of the labours of Drs. Gall and Spurzheim, as anatomists and physiologists. Dr. Gall should be considered the first who directed attention to this method of studying the functions of the brain. Many, I am aware, have condemned and ridiculed this method, but it appears to me eminently deserving of attention. One of the most distinguished of modern philosophers and metaphysicians observes, "There seems to be but little doubt that general inferences concerning the intellectual capacity may be drawn with some confidence from the form and the size of the skull, and it has been imagined by some, that corresponding to the varieties of intellectual and moral character, there are certain inequalities or prominences on the surface of the skull; and it certainly is a legitimate object of experimental inquiry to ascertain how far this opinion is agreeable to fact."* With such high authority in favour of thus investigating the functions of the brain, surely we should not deem this method unworthy of our notice. For my owu part, I see nothing unreasonable or unphilosophical in it, but can say in the language of one of the most celebrated modern anatomists, that "the whole subject of phrenology appears to me of far too much importance to be discussed without the most rigid and impartial examination of the immense body of facts adduced in support of it; and this I have not hitherto had leisure to undertake. I shall therefore only say that, so far as I am acquainted with the subject, I do not see it as otherwise than rational and perfectly consistent with all that is known of the functions of the nervous system." It appears to me that Dr. Gall proceeded in a philosophical and cautious manner in forming his system, and that he is entitled to the praise of fairness and candour, as well as that of unsurpassed industry. He acknowledges the difficulties of the subject, and declares that, "to speak correctly of organology and cranioscopy, it is necessary to acquire a knowledge of it by a long and practical study." He fully notices the objections brought against his system, indeed, he was the first to state these objections, and that in certain cases the external table of the cranium is not parallel to the inner one, that sometimes the crania of men of very limited capacity are exceedingly thick, even when this condition is not the result of advanced age or mental disease, both of which produce variations in the thickness of the cranium, and he declares that it is impossible to determine with exactness the developements of certain convolutions by the inspection of the external surface of the cranium. Besides, Dr. Gall never pretended that he was able to determine the character of men in general by the external examination of the head. "I have never pretended," says he, "to distinguish the influence which modifications of the forms of the cranium slightly marked, may have on the character, or how its corresponding shades may be traced. My first observations have only been made upon persons who were distinguished from other men by some eminent quality or faculty. I easily perceived *Dugald Stewart on Natural Language that it was only in such individuals that I could find striking differences of the head, and that I could distinguish well-marked protuberances."* Since the announcement of Dr. Gall's opinions, there have been many discoveries in physiology, and numerous pathological researches bearing upon the functions of the nervous system. These have not shaken the system of Gall, but, on the whole, have strengthened it. In fact, I am confident that opinions respecting the brain being a congeries of organs exercising different functions, and the probability of learning something respecting the functions of the brain by the external examination of the skull, would have been by this time advanced and embraced by many, solely in consequence of the physiological and pathological discoveries and researches to which I have alluded. So far as regards my personal observation on this subject, I am compelled to say, it has not been great. The attention I have given to it has, however, impressed me favourably. I have never found any striking instances in contradiction of what Dr. Gall considers established. For three years I have been a director of the Connecticut State Prison, and have had abundant opportunity of examining and comparing the heads, and learning the character of several hundreds of prisoners. I have not, to be sure, embraced the opportunity thus afforded of studying this subject as thoroughly as I might. Still, I have not been wholly neglectful of it, and can state that I have found, in numerous instances, confirmation of the opinions of Gall. In conclusion, I consider this method of studying the functions of the brain deserving of the attention of medical men, who, of all others, have the best opportunity of testing its correctness and determining its value, particularly by pathological investigations. ARTICLE III. ON THE HARMONY BETWEEN PHRENOLOGY AND THE SCRIPTURE DOCTRINE OF REGENERATION. Many good people have had their fears excited, lest there should be some discrepancy between the principles of phrenology and the doctrines of revelation. They seem to forget this important fact, that the God of revelation is also the God of nature, and that, consequently, the laws of the latter, when correctly interpreted, must necessarily be in perfect harmony with the truths of the former. It is impossible, in the very nature of the Divine attributes, that the will of God, as revealed in his Word, should contradict his will, as manifested in his works. If there should appear to be any discrepancy between natural and revealed truth, the cause, and of course the error, must originate entirely on the part of the creature, and not on that of the Creator. The advocates of phrenology have at different times attempted to * Gall on the Functions of the Brain and each of its Parts, &c., Vol. 3. show the harmony which subsists between their science and the essential truths of Christianity. We have presented several articles of this nature in the Journal, and now take pleasure in copying another, on the Scripture Doctrine of Regeneration, from the fourth number of the Edinburgh Phrenological Journal. The writer, (whose name is not given,) after some prefatory remarks, presents us with the following excellent essay : The first step of our investigation must be to state distinctly what the several doctrines in question are; if they are once understood, it will not be difficult to make their consistency apparent. The following, then, I take to be a correct statement of the respective doctrines: The doctrine of phrenology is, that the strength of the different propensities, sentiments, and intellectual faculties, with which any individual is endowed by nature, bears a relation to the size of different portions of his brain; and may be ascertained by examining the configuration and dimensions of his cranium. The doctrine of Christianity is, that all men, whatever be their natural character, are called upon to repent, to believe in the Saviour, and to turn from sin to God and holiness. Now, the objection drawn from these doctrines has been twofold: 1st, In the first place, there is an inconsistency said to lie in thisthat if a man is proved by phrenology to have a bad natural character, it is impossible for that man to obey the gospel-call, to turn from his evil ways, and to walk in the paths of righteousness. To the objection, when thus stated, the answer is extremely obvious; and it is this, that, if it be an objection to any thing at all, it is an objection, not to phrenology, but to Christianity. Phrenology does not pretend to make men's minds, but simply to know them as they have been formed by the hand of nature. That there are great natural diversities in human character, and that there are some men naturally very bad, no person will deny; and if any one chooses to say that this undoubted fact militates against Christianity, we refer him to the divines for an answer to his objection. But to impute the objection to phrenology, which merely asserts, and proceeds upon this fart, already known and allowed by all, is very short-sighted, or very perverse. Every body knows that there are some men by nature extremely wicked. Such characters may be discovered by common observation. Phrenology furnishes another mode of observation by which they may be discovered. But as to their capacity of embracing Christianity, we leave that as we found it. If their having bad natural characters does indeed incapacitate them from embracing Christianity, the incapacity arises from their character, and not from our becoming acquainted with it, either by one means or another. 2d, But the objection has been put in another shape, which will require somewhat more attention. It has been said, if the characters of all men are fixed down by the boundaries of their crania, in the determinate way which phrenology presents, how is it possible that they should undergo that total revolution which Christianity requires? When a man is converted, is his whole cranium new modelled? Certainly not; and what I now proceed to show is, not only that the doctrine of regeneration, as laid down in Scripture, does not imply any change of the original powers and qualities of a man's mind, but that Scripture most distinctly and expressly declares, that no such change does take place, either at conversion, or at any future period of the Christian's course, and that the native elements and constitution of the Christian's mind remain unaltered till his dying day. In order that the full import of the proposition now announced may be understood, and that its effect in reconciling the doctrines of phrenology and Christianity may be distinctly perceived, it will be necessary to expound at somewhat greater length the doctrines of the two systems which have been briefly stated above. And, first, with regard to the doctrines of phrenology—I have stated, that the phrenological doctrine is, "that the strength of the different propensities, sentiments, and faculties, with which nature has endowed any individual, may be ascertained by examining the configuration and dimensions of his cranium." It is the primary elements of intellectual and moral character conferred by nature, which phrenology proposes to discover, and nothing else. It does not pretend that the cranium gives information as to the actual attainments which any individual has made either in intellectual or moral pursuits. It reveals a man's capabilities and tendencies, but not the extent and manner in which these may have been fostered, controlled, and regulated, or neglected, crushed, and perverted. Circumstances and education have an extensive power in modify. ing human character. Both the intellectual powers and the moral qualities are alike subject to their influence; the good may be cherished, or it may be thwarted; the evil may be checked, or it may be pampered and nursed into unnatural activity. The mode in which these causes operate upon the human mind, is not very material to my present inquiry. It is obvious, however, to remark, that every mental power and disposition has certain external circumstances which are adapted to its nature, which excite it into activity, and form, as it were, the element in which it naturally moves and acts. By placing any individual, therefore, carefully and constantly, in VOL. II.-26 |