The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-04-25 00:00:00

PHRENOLOGY.

On Thursday evening last, at the'rown and Anchor Ts
Dr. Spurcheint delivered his seventeenth lecture on the swim
Phrenology. r M opening it, he remarked, that the auditory
already seen that this science embraced the study of nearly
branch of knowledge. He intended that evening to exams
far it might be applied to the study and practice of medicine.
first position lie would assume was,' that Phrenology was fou
in nature, and would, he had no doubt, in time be considers
basis of carious parts of the general system of human knowl
If it was allowed that man must he studied as all other at,
were, it irresistibly followed that the knowledgeof the brain
operate functions was the foundation of all knowledge, and,
fore, Phrenology was allied and connected with every branch
once. Philosophy depended, in fact, on Phrenology. F'
the later science was obliged to have recourse to the former, b..
was Flail to say that the case wan row reversed. The stymie
functions and powers of the brain had hitherto been entirely
elected. even by those sciences in which there was the gr
necessity for the application of that kind of knowlet
Medical men ought to be obliged to do their duty, ant'
Phrenology, or fairly acknowledge their ignorance of what the
teased to understand. Insanity was the moat dreadful
which could afflict the human frame; and it was alias that tt
Phrenology might be brought !with the greatest advantage it
its aid to the practice of medicine. There had never yet been
clear or intelligible definition of madness, or any certain rem
prescribed for that dreadful calamity. This merely arose from .
general ignorance of its origin. In speaking ofotberdiseases. a.
Illtianim at inns, it was easy to prescribe remedies. because the oneration
el the disease was known. Madness was said to be a di e
the mind. But he would ask, could the mind, whit}
immaterial, he subject to disease? The body, whic
material, might lie diseased but certainly rot the mind.
were various morbid sensations, which could not be called
nova. If a person thought every object he saw yellow, and
yet corscious that it was a defect of his vision, he could not be as
to be mad. But if he became possessed of fancies, and belie",
them to be realities, then he would immediately and properly
pmnounred mad. There were, however, eases in which a WIS7I
a perfect consciousness that his mind was wandering, and
understanding would have a perfect command over his rot
this rendered it net -nary for him to be confined. It happenet.
sometimes certain of our feelings became too strong. and prod'
temporary insanity; and yet IV unhappy state affected the F
nen of the patient general' or life, as there was no dist
made between this wretched and imperfect condition and coot
insanity. There were some cases in which the intellectual p
were elevated. Ile himself had known instances in which mat
sons hall written very line music. Ue mentioned these fans se
the difficully that must of necessity exist on the part of the
sician in cases of insanity. The Phrenological System taugl
difference between different species of madness, and also that
powers might be deranged and others remain in a sound state.
beeged to state that he should not in any manner touch upon
which peculiarly belonged to medical men. His ideas on thi,
ject were printed and well known, but he did not expect the.
be acknowledged till Phrenology became more generally recogni
and more firmly established. The functions of each power
mind might he separately deranged. The causes of insanit
his opinion, were corporeal, tom the proximate eau,. was the I
Insanity was in sortie families hereditary, as well as many
complaints. The contour of the countenance was hereditary.
many other corporeal features; am? why should not the form
of the brain ? Physicians were called in at the beginning of
sumptiona and other diseases; and why were those unforti
persons who were afflicted with insanity to be neglected, wit
their malady had been taken in its commencement, they wool
all probability, have been cured ? The different degrees of insi
depended upon the age of the party. The body changed at
ferent periods of a man's life, and so in Iris volition did the t
Children were not observed to be Plib;ert to insanity; in u
aged men it was observed to be more ft.:Tient ; but when age
upon the It unian frame, all the passions lost their eners7, anti ma,
was observed to be less frequent. He ;mein generalize the docent
and say that all dinortlers 1010 their strength as the age of the y
ties advanced. All the powers of nature were at one time r
active than at others. peen their frit.nddiipa had less warms
them at some times than at others. He had intention,
their notice these various instances, for the ramose of conyi
them that all mental derangement wait corporeal, hut that
proximate cause was in the brain. To become move comp!
convinced of this fart, it would be reerssary attentively to
anatomy and p• ysiology. It was threititt that phrenologists c
when ahe was shown them, to be :Ode to say whether the
ject would be inclined to insanity. Tail idea was ridiculot
a physician could as easily tell whether person in pt.:feet
would next day beam:eked by any I,unit-4hr malady. he Pro
then pnalueednumerous other inn:trees in support of his opt
that insanity was corporeal, and consequently could he cured
early stages by proper treatment. Re then intimated that the
jcet of his meet and concluding lecture, would he on the
In which rhunclng7 might be ape lie'_ t 3 education.

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