The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-01-13 00:00:00

THE BODY OF TIIURTELL AND THE
PHRENOLOGISTS.

The mortal remains of Thurtell were removed on Friday night
last to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and placed in a room adjoining
the Theatre of Anatomy. The crowd of persons on Saturday who
attended to view the body was very great ; and as the place in
which It was deposited was so small, that not more than eight or
ten persons could be admitted at a time, there were continually
numbers in smear before the door of the theatre. The persons
admitted were strictly questioned as to their connection with
the medical profession, and were generally asked, before they
were suffered to pus, " Can you answer any question in anatomy ?"
to which the affirmative, albeit a bold one even on the part of the
ablest practitioners, was very freely given.
The body of Mandl was remarkable for its muscularity and
symmetry, and for the clearness of the skin. It was evident, that,
with a local exception, he had been in a state of the most vigorous
health ; and from the appearance of his limbs, it was difficult to
imagine that they even yet wanted some portion of the strength
and elasticity which seems to have once characterized them.
His features were changed, though not in the common sense of the
word distorted. The principal change was effected by the relax.
ation of the muscles of the cheeks ; which in life were so powerful
and massy, and gave the appearance of dignity and strength to the
face, and the consequently undue prominence given to the mouth
and the upper lip, which was always rather large and heavy. The
eyes were half open, and of a fine blue, not more prominent than
they are in many living faces, and the fixedness of death. In
Thurtell, when hive, they had appeared rather small, and their
colour not obviously remarkable. The hair having been removed,
the head appeared exceedingly well formed, and the want of ex-
panidon of the foneboad was less remarkable than in life.
The COMO Wein bed been made (we believe, at Hertford).
The dissection bad not been at all proceeded with. The corpse is
five feet ten inches and a half in length.
Among thaw who were most early and most anxious in their
&lenience, on Saturday, were the class of people called phreno-
logists, who *tee all agog to find a very common prominence be.
hind and above the ear which they are pleased to call, the
orkon of destructiveness, or murder. Most unfottenately for the
cultivators of this science, it happens that the said hemp, or pro-
minence, is not to be found in the head of what was Thurtell—in
other wards, that the organ of destructiveness was not at all pro-
minent or developed. This was " water in the shots," of the
tihrenelogises ; but what was still worse, was, that " the organs of
benevolence," and of " elution," were very strongly marked.
They, bowever, consoled themselves with saying, that the organ of
courage was very large, and that the intellectual organs seemed
scarcely developed. However, these gentlemen, nothing daunted,
will awe that the character of Thurtell just corresponded to the
appearances an the skull. Such is the advantage which this sci-
ence possesses; that if the skull, according to their theory, suits
the previously known character of the rescuer, it is well ; if not,
they make another character to suit.—Evening Paper.