In the late 1820 s phrenology came under attack by the church and was ridiculed by scientific journals everywhere. Despite this, the science flourished. In this system, brains are studied based on the sizes of certain areas, or organs, that are thought to control a characteristic of the personality or intellect. For example, there are assigned organs for self-esteem, cautiousness, colors, etc. The size of the organ indicates how much of the characteristic is present.
Imperfect traits occur when the organ is too large or too small, upsetting the balance of the mind.
For example, O. S. Fowler performed a phrenological examination of Samuel Morse, the inventor of the Morse code and the magnetic telegraph machine. He explained that Morse s leading groups were constructiveness, ideality, and perceptives, all of which would allow him to create such an important invention. Morse, an educated white man, represents the phrenological ideal of a highly developed human. The vast majority of noted phrenologists considered whites to be the most highly developed race. In comparison to Morse, the ideal, other races were seen as greatly inferior in intelligence and general development.