The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-31 00:00:00

PHRENOLOGY.

The sixth ',centre of Dr. Spuraiteim, on the science of phrenm
logy, was delivered on Saturday evening. Haying shortly recapi-
tulated the progress he had a/ reedy made ice expitsining the
peculiar manifestations of the brain, as connected with the de-
termined powers of the mind, he proceeded to the subject of his
present lecture. The first organ to which he called the attention of
the auttfory was was that of Secretivenees. It was undoubted that
there existed, both in animals and in man, a propensity to conceal
thernadveht their 3114i0011, and all that relatrd to them. in rnen it
disposed them to be secret in their thoughts, words, and deeds.
There were some individuals, who, in the ordinary ;Rhin of life,
could never be Induced to act in a direct and araight-foiward
manner. They were desirous to cover their proceedings with a
veil ofsecrecy, when no apparent benefit could be deemed from
their concealment. Actions the most telling and unimportant
were hidden by them, as if the eye of the world was upon them, and
the knowledge of every transaction in which they took part could lead
to their utter rain and disgrace. In infancy this propensity might
be often noticed in strong operation. Some children were fors of
hiding themselves that others might look for them in vain : the
function or this faculty appeared to be to conceal generally, without
determining the object or manner of concealing. Persons who
were called cunning would conceal their., opinions and intentions,
and even maintain to others sentiments opposite to those they really
entertained, for no ascertainable purpose extent the pleasure they
enjoyed In their useless dissimulation. In animals this faculty
produces! slyness, and those habit, of concealment which were slot
remarkable in several species. The organ of Secretiveness was
placed above that of Destructiveness, in the mirloleofthe lateral re-
gion of the head. Where it wu ton much dry, loped the indivi-
duals would be observed ro recur to falsehood fot the oceomplish-
ment of his objects'. In this state the character would be • marked
by deceit.end intrigue.. Some Renton* were observed from -their
earliest days to be addicted to circuitous and indirect modes of ar-
rivingat their ends, while others, in whcm this propensity was
weaker, always acted with perfect eanclourand rectitude. la some
extreme instances the strong operation of this faculty influenced
the whole Appearance of the individual. He would have a peculiar
sitleling. roiling expression of the eyes, and a stiffened approach of
the shoulders to thehead. The next propensity the Lecturer adverted
to was thatofAequisitiveness. The function of this peculiar power con-
sisted in the diapositibn to acquire, without determining the objects
to be acquired orthe manner ol'ankuiring them, whether. by lehonr,
industry, &immerse, usury, gaming, or stenlie.g.' In itself this
faculty woe * mere wish to acquire. In some individuals it pre-
vailed to such excess that they-wan induced to tionunit theft to
gratify it, though abundantly able to obtain the objects deli/Fed by
purchase. .Metaphysical writers had never admiued a determinate
power of the mind, the function of which was to produce the pro-
pensity to acquire, and which was gratified by the act of acquisition
without any ulterior object; but the existence of the faculty could
be proved beyond doubt. In the first place, it was observed that
thou who manifested this disposition in the strongest degree were
not, in general. dime who possessed in other respects the most
powerful natural desires. On the contrary, the miser, from his
cradle to his grave, was usually a being devoid of all regard for
others. Cold and unfeeling towards his moat intimate connexions,
and indifferent to the pleasures and enjoyments of life himself, he '
lived only to acquire and accumulate. Metaphysicians contended
that the miser was merely confirmed in his pursuit by habit; but this I
was not conformable to the principles of nature. None but insane
men could, during their whole life, mistake the means for the
end. The miser experienced as much happiness in acquiring
as the prodigal in expending. The miser despised the pleasures of
sense, to which the prodigal was devoted. How then could it be
said that the miser was actuated by a remote desire for the things
which he absolutely rejected ? 'The glutton and the drunkard
never valued die delicacies of cookery or the choicest productions
of the vineyard, after their appetites were palled with satiety and
their constitutions broken with excess. The intensity of the desire
to acquire was always found to be in proportion to the development
of the organ of acouisitiveness, and this unvarying and certain
fact was alone sufficient to settle the question. It might then be
safely considered as a primitive power of the mind. Its seat was
at the upper part of the temples, at the anterior inferior angle of the
patina! bone: when the organ was too niuch developed, the feeling
was too energetic, and it then prompted the individual to acquire by
unlawful and immoral means. Stealing was one of its most com-
mon abuses, observed among both poor and rich, both in health
and in insanity. Pathology came again in aid of Phrenology in
respect to this organ. In idiots it was sometimes of excessive size,
and in all such cases the individual was observed to be always
' engaged in stealing whatever fell in his way. doinetimes in preg-
nant women it had great force, and only during their pregnancy.
The utility of this faculty was obvious. There were periods of
life when labour was impossible. The intention of Nature, in
giving to mankind this faculty, seemed to be. to inspire them with
that desire of acquiring which would provide them with a supply
of the necessaries of lite before the day of want arrived. In many
animals this faculty was much developed. and In theffi provident
habits were observed ; while in those who bad it not there wee no
foresight whatever. Several casts of heads were exhibited in illus-
tration of this faculty. Sonic of the individuals from whom they
were taken were criminals convicted of stealing, and in all of
them this organ was strongly marked. The next faculty to which
the Lecturer invited the attention of his auditors, was that which
in the Iflarenological Nomenclature was called Constructiveness.
This wawa power also common to men and animal*. Among the
latter it induced birds to build nests, rabbits to make burrows, and
heaven; iamb ati -Inasibiodois gimebleak so *sae, wades" of Wild—
jaw, by which we were defended from the external evils of the at-
mosphere. By it savages were led M Senn their wigwams, while
in civilised life architects erected palaces and mansions. With it
also were connected the fldwication of every kind of machines and
instruments, and the practice of drawing, carving, and sculpture.
A large development of this organ gave manual dexterity in using
tools in every trade, and even needles in millinery. '1 he seat of
the organ was anterior to that of acquisitiveness. In illustration of
its effects, the Lecturer exhibited a cast of Raphael, and another of
a French milliner, who had great celebrity in her skill for inventing
caps and setting the fashions of her day There was of course no
comparison attempted between the powers of these two indivi-
duals. It was true, they had each the same organ greatly de-
veloped, but In Raphael it was more elevated in its combina-
tions, and connected with loftier powers. He had now finished the
region of mere animal proponsitirs. Next followed thesentiments
that were common to men and animals. These faculties on which
he rots entering did not form specific ideas, but merely produced
what he called a sentiment; in other words, a propensity, joined
with an emotion or manner of feeling of a specific kind. The first
of these to which he should advert, was that of Self-esteem. In •
higher degree this feeling led to pride, haughtiness, arrogance, and
self-sufficienc-. Its function was to give to the individual: a great
i opinion of hiffiself. The possession of this faculty, in conjunction
with others eminently powerful, led the individual to value
himself for those faculties. The seat of the organ of sell.esteem,
is at the vertex, or top of the head. When it was not sufficiently
developed, the individual would be remarkable for his humility
and want of confidence in his own talents. In. cases of insanity,
where the lunatic had fancied himself a. Ring or supernatural
being, this organ was always found largely developed. The next
sentiment in order was that of the Love of Approbation. This faculty
made individuals attentive to the opinions others possessed re-
specting them. Those who had it in excess were greedy of appro-
bation in any way and by any means. Its application received
different names, according as it directed itself to different objects. In
sonic it wu styled emulation, in others vanity. Its general effect
was to refine ;nanny*, and bind society together by the salutary
influence of public anionic. The organ was seated on each side
of that of self-esteem, on the posterior upper and lateral put of
the head. In women this organ is usually more developed than in
men, and in certain nations more than in others. The Lecturer
illustrated his positions as he proceeded, by reference to the casts
before him, and engrossed the attention of the auditory throughout
his address. The assemblage was, as before, very numerous and
respectable.

By a Return laid before Parliament, it appears that in
1822, 1312 British ships and 143 foreign vessels entered
the port of London from Russia, Sweden, Norway, Den-
mark, Prussia. Germany, and Belgium. In 1823 there
were entered 986 British and 689 foreign ships from the
same countries ; and in 1824, 1093 British and 1433 fo-
reign vessels.
In the year 1824 the number of Bishoprics in the whole
Austrian monarchy was 100 ; among the number were
S Prince Archbishops, 10 Archbishops, S Prince Bishops,
and of these, 17 were Privy Councillors to his Majesty.
MAGISTERIAL WIIDOII.—In a amain royal burgh, not
a hundred miles from the Scottish metropolis, a medical
officer recently waited on one of the nannies to make the
requisit affidavit for receiving his half pay. On that oc-
casion the following dialogue ensiled :—Baillie: Weel, Mr.
are you no tyred o' this kind o' life? Officer: '
Very tired, Baillie, indeed-1 am very anxious to procure
professional employment, but it is not easily to be had
at present. Baillie: No—not easy to be got, I dare say ;
but micht no' ye go oot to Van Deeman's Land—plenty of
settlers there non ? Officer : plenty of settlers, Baillie, but
greater plenty of medical men—the towns are overrun with
them. Baillie: Weel, weel, MSG ; but hoo then sold you
no go up the interior? Officer : The interior, Baillie t why,
there's nothing in the interior but kangaroos! Baillie: and
what o' that man ? 'What o' that? is na a kangaroo's
money as good as that o' ony ither man ?-1 Sear /nom.
A SAD 1)111‘PPOINTIIIII.T.—On Thusday last, an ho-
nest weather-beaten tar applied to the magistrate for his ad-
vice and assistance iu a case in which Jack thought his
Worship could effectually help him. " May it please your
honour (says he) I am just returned from a voyage, and
having a fair lot of bless to receive, I ens thinking how
I happy Poll and I should be ; and so when I jumps ashore,
I steered right holm, and your Worship, when I got there,
I found a land-lubber had got possession of my snug cabin
and married my wife. I was for ropes-ending her, your
honour, but I thought better of it, and so 1 want your
honour's leave to sell her in the market with a rope round
her neck." The Magistrate declined to sanetion such a
proceeding, and recommended Jack to make himself com-
fortable, take another trip, and forget his grief, whieb Jack
said hr would do.—Lirerpoal Paper.

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