The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-28 00:00:00

PHRENOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

At the first meeting of the London Phrenological
Society, for the present month, the President, Dr.
Elliotson, in the Chair, Mr. Henry, a gentleman re-
cently returned from America, presented to the so-
ciety, on the part of Mr. Drew, a member, two casts of
sculls of the, fiat-headed Indians who inhabit the banks
of the Columbia river. The appearance which these
specimens presented was most remarkable. The
whole- of the superior .anterior part of the skull was
flattened nearly to the level of the eyebrows,
so that it would be supposed that all that part
of the brain which phrenologists consider
to be the seat of the intellectual faculties would seem
to be altogether wanting. But it was the opinion of
Mr. Henry (in which • the meeting generally con-
curred) that the organs were displaced, or dislocated,
and not destroyed by the artificial pressure which
produces the deformity. For he had found those In-
dians as intelligent, or nearly so, as those of neigh-
bouring tribes, who did not use the same unnatural
custom. lie said that the sculls were obtained with
difficulty and risk ; for the natives have great vene-
ration for the remains of the dead, which they watch
with so much jealousy, that eleven Englishmen have
been shot in attempting to obtain possession of speci-
mens. The thanks of the society were voted with
much applause to Mr. Drew, for this valuable contri-
bution.

MESMERO-PHRENOLOGY.-Mr. Atkinson read his
promised paper relating to experiments, from which
Mesmerism was supposed to establish, not only the
truth of the phrenological theory, but the exact and
precise correctness of the phrenological allocation and
nomenclature of the several organs. From the last
report which we gave of the proceedings of this
Society, it was seen that simultaneously in America
and in the South of England, several gentlemen,
having no communication with each other, and no
knowledge of each other's proceedings, reported dis-
coveries of very wonderful phenomena in Mesmero-
phrenology. Mr. Atkinson states that his discoveries
were accidental, and that he supposed them to be
exelusively his, as, at the time the phenomena pre-
sented themselves to his observation, he knew no-
thing of the experiments of Dr. Collyer and the other
physicians in America, or of Mr. Gardiner in Hamp-
shire. After some preliminary observations on the
reluctance of most persons to acknowledge new
truths, and the claims of 'Mesmerism to calm and
dispassionate examination, he explained the progress.
of his own, mind in relation to this mysterious
subject, from incredulity to convinced belief.
He had no love of the marvellous, and what he was
going to relate was only what nature had revealed to
him in the presence of a number of intelligent per-
sons, some of whom were at the time opposed both to
phrenology and mesmerism. His first case was that
of a young lady, 18 years of age, of a sanguine, ner-
vous temperament, brain well developed—ldeality,
Wonder, and Time, very large, the perceptive facul-
ties moderate.
After being thrown into the mesmeric
sleep, she appeared as if lost in the enjoyment of an
exquisite dream. Her countenance assumed an ex-
pression of intense happiness, and when spoken to, she
prayed not to be disturbed, "she was so happy," she
turned her head round, and rubbed the organ of
Ideality against the cushion at the back of the chair.
After a time she put back her hair from over
Ideality, and began passing her fingers back-
wards and forwards over that organ. Her expression
continued a beautiful exhibition of the natural lan-
guage of ideality. Moving her fingers a little
higher, she exclaimedl "Oh ! Grand !" Her sister
then played some expressive music ; whereupon
she passed her fingers on to the organ of Tune. In
reply to a question from Mr. A., she said, " Oh, yes ;
I hear the music. It is beautiful. It is part of the
picture." On being awakened, she had no recollection
of what had passed, more than that she had slept a
long time, and had been very happy. The second
case was that of a lady subject to fainting fits and
hysteria. She was mesmerised in five minutes the
first time, and could not be awakened by ordinary, but
only by. mesmeric means. The following day she was
mesmerised without being conscious that the process
was performed on her, the operator being behind her,
and, as she supposed, sketching at the window.
Her attention was, at the same time, confined to
her work, by a ady who sat beside her. Her
eyes became perfectly closed, and then a book was
held before her, from which she read, though with
difficulty and reluctance. But the size of the type
seemed to make no difference. The next case was
that of a young lady, who read some lines from a book
held over lier Sorehead, so that she could not have seen
it if her eyes had been open ; but they wire in fact
perfectly closed, and she had not power to open them.
Air. A. held the back of his watch (and it was a hunting-
watch) over the organ of Time, when she told the hour
correctly. A great many other experiments were made
upon her with the like success. On one occasion she
read, and she then said it was on account of the re-
cent leech-marks that were there. She could be mes-
merised in spite of strenuous efforts on her part to
resist the influence. The hands pressed firmly over
the eyes, and pressing down the lids, did not interrupt
the vision. By picturing different scenes, effects, and
feelings, the mesmeriser excited different organs at
pleasure, alternately inducing laughter, tears, joy, and
sorrow. He pictured to her the effects of battle, its plea-
sures and horrors, love, friendship, bright colours, music,
Sic., and she followed him in the most excited
manner, passing her hands from organ to organ, in
rapid succession, and in a manner which would be
impossible tO the best phrenologist in his working
state. She used sometimes one, sometimes both hands,
pressing on one or several organs as on the keys of
a pianoforte. She stretched out her fingers to cover an
excited part ; and, if one hand could not reach it, the
other went to it, fur she seemed to act with one side
of the brain only at a time. She pressed the different
organs the more firmly, the more they were excited,
covering one or several at once, as they were excited
singly or in combination. Her age was twenty—
frame firm—temparament bilious lymphatic—head
ordinary size—intellect well balanced—perceptive
faculties predominant, but not deep. ' She was subject
to hysterical fits, shortness of breath, sleepless nights,
fatigue from little exertion, and want of appetite—of
all of which she had been relieved by mesmerism ; and
Mr. A. affirmed that he had cured others by those
simple means.

In answer to questions from Mr. Churchill, Mr.
Nodm, and Mr. Kirby, who had been present at
many of the experiments related by Mr. A., confirmed
his statement in every particular.
Other cases were mentioned, of which the
Archbishop of York was a witness ; and two
gentlemen related the case of a lady in
Devonshire, who, from a fright, had incurred a
morbid nervous sensibility, and manifested a power
of clairvoyance similar to that of Mr. Atkinson's
patients, being able to read without the eyes ! Mr.
Bulteel, the son-in-law of Earl. Grey, and two arch-
deacons (whose names escaped the reporter) had
witnessed and borne testimony to this lady's extraor-
dinary faculties.
MESMERO-PHRENOLOGY IN MANCHESTER.— The
Manchester papers of last week contain reports of
public experiments, by Mr. Crooks and Mr. Wilson,
in every respect corresponding with those related by
Mr. Atkinson. But the detail is too long for ourin-
sertion here. The most curious appear in the Man-
chester Advertiser of Thursday last, 24th inst., in
reports of public lectures in that town.

ANOTHER “ DELICATE AFFAIR."

The tea-tables and fashionable circles of the town for
the last fortnight have had ample materials for gossip,
seasonas we do not remember a so famous for " delicate
affairs," and, by the way, it must be remarked that some
of those " affairs " have, on investigation, turned out
1 any thing but " delicate." The year 1842, it is predicted,
Iwill be a very extraordinary year, and if one were to
judge from the past, the work has gone on bravely
enough up to the present period. The following of the
many strange affairs, is perhaps the strangest that has
occurred ,for some time, and the truth of the details are
guaranteed. Some four or five weeks ago the Rev. Mr.
H—, a young gentleman who had just been admitted
to orders in the Protestant Church (a native of a
northern county), entered the shop of a certain trades-
man in Sachille-street, for the purpose of making
some purchases. At the moment the shopkeeper
was engaged attending a fashionable-looking young
man who happened to be purchasing similar articles
to those required by the Rev. Gentleman. A con-
versation ensued, and the first customer strongly recom-
mended the clergyman to deal at the house, as he could
vouch for the excellence of all the goods sold by his
friend, &c. The "country curate," not knowing much
of the town, being rather " raw," replied " he was aware
of the fact ; for," added he, " I am sure my friend, Mr.
, of --, would not recommend me to this house if
what you assert were false." " Bless me," said the
strange gentleman, whose initials are J. R. R., "do you
know my friend -- ? Sir, lam glad to see you ;" and
thereon he presented his card to the clergyman, with an
earnest request that he would visit him, and "make his
lodging his own" dui ing his stay in the metropolis. Our
country friend did call the next day, and after an agree-
able tete-a-tete, departed—shortly after which he missed
a pocket-book, containing 251. in notes and some memo-
randa. (It should have been mentioned that Mr. R.
occupied elegant and expensive lodgings in Gardi-
ner's-place.) The conclusion arrived at by his rever-
ence was, that the property had been abstracted by some
pickpocket in the street, and notice thereof was given to
the police. Things went on in this manner, each party
visiting, &c., at the other's lodgings, until, shortly after
one of these visits, which took place in the evening,
the Rev. Mr. IS missed a gold repeating watch and
other articles of small value, but the slightest suspicion
never fell on his friend, Mr. R—, nor why there
should be any attached to him. On Thursday last the
reverend gentleman requested the pleasure of Mr.
R—'a society at dinner, which Mr. R— promised
faithfully to attend to at six sharp ; but in the mean time
Mrs. B-I—n, a lady of the first respectability, who re-
sides in a fashionable street off Stephen's-green, and who
is aunt to Mr. H--, called in her carriage at his lodg-
ing, and insisted on his " taking pot luck" with herself
and his fair cousins on that day. He begged to
be excused, as he had a " friend" to dine 'with him at
six o'clock ; but this objection was at once obviated by
the lady telling him to bring his friend with him, as he
would be most welcome. Things were thus arranged,
and at six o'clock, Mr. R— called to the house where
his friend lodged. The Y— street business was men-
tioned, and the idea delighted Mr. R----, Both parties
went to the place, and, in the course of the evening " a
few friends" dropped in to Mrs. B—'s, no doubt to see
the ladies, as the Misses B. (four in number) are con-
sidered, not only as extremely wealthy, but extremely
handsome and accomplished young ladies. Cards
were introduced, and Mr. R— lost a few shil-
lings with the temper of a perfect gentleman, but
then protested that his purse was empty. An offer made
on the part of his friend to accommodate him had the ef-
fect of causing Mr. R— to draw from his pocket a book,
which contained a couple of bank notes; this book Mr.
ll thought—of course it was only a thought—that he
had before seen, and had been its owner. However, matters
went on until Mr. It— really lost all his money, when
another offer was made him, whereon he " drew a dial
from his poke," and, ;" looking on it," not with " lack
lustre eye," declared it is time to be off. Again Mr.
ll thought he beheld the watch before, but the idea
fled as soon as formed, and, after a little coaxing, he was
induced to take another hand. He then took out his
draft-book, and filled a cheque on a certain banking-
house for 50L, receiving the difference in notes and gold.
Luck seemed to favour him this time, and lie became a
considerable gainer. The party broke up, and oa leaving
the house Mr. R—'s liberality to the servants was very
remarkable. The cheque on the bank was presented
next day, but the surprise of the party may be imagined
when the answer was, "No account here—don't know
such a person." The truth was instantly out—Mr.
R— turned out to be a notorious blackleg, and some-
thing worse. On making inquiry at his lodgings, " the
bird had flown," and has not since been heard of. A
warrant has been issued for his apprehension, and the
officers are on the look-out. So, at present, stands this
"affair in high life."-=Dublin Pilot.