The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1837-08-11
DIR sEwALL on PHRENoLoGy.

DIR SEWALL on PHRENOLOGY.
We shall present some Of the most important OBJ
jeciions Of this writer, and remove them as we pro-
coed.
lot Neither the cortical nor fbrous parts Of
the brain reveal on dissection, any Of those com.
parlmenls or organs, on tie existence OF which the
main fabric Of Phrcnoogy is fo1nded-no such
divisions have been discovered BY The cye or mi
erOscoPe, or eren alleged Ly Phrenologists to haue
been discovered"
Any man who has read the WORKS Of Drs. Gall,
Spurzheim and Others, must be surprised a, this
assumption. The former gentlemen dissected 80
who had died in state Of insanity 10 discover with
certainty the organ of ideaIi,y, and to ascertain
the fact Of its inflammation in connection with
that particular organ under the violation Of which
they became insane They, on their credit as ply
ssciaas and analomists, aud they were honorable
and ssiliul men, testify that there are organs dis.
covered, conge,'es Of nerves that these bundles
Of nerves contains the same number Of nsrres"--
IL is OF the anatomical structure of the brain that
the truth Of the science is founded" The result
therefore is, that the authority Of Dr.. Seawe mus,
stand opposed 10 tia, Of Drs. Gall, Spurzhein, and
hundreds Of distinguished medical gentlemen in
Europe and Ainerca--bui where is the rerqeity
Of the Dr. tior We cannot impu,e ignorance to so
"sagacious writer he is called when be
says nor eUsr Gil,ged BY Phrsaoiogias to hare
been dssorered.
2dly. The ,en,orium. horizontal membrane,
separating the superior from the inferior part OF
the brain as well as ihs arrangement Of the lateral
sca,Ficles and ether parts clearly show he absur.
cliy OF the idea Of organs as described BY PhfeG.
Olos is,s."
The Icutorium is very thin membrane stretch.
ing ,Ae postcror part othe brain to prevent
iiirom sustaining Too groa, pfessore-ii does not
cove, hafbe space 10 tho line Of section and would
and does not ans more preclude the existence or
sympathy Of organs than the dia phFagm which Sc.
paraes tho upper from the lower viseera the exist
cnce and sympathy OF those important, organs Of
liit--ihs Dr. :. should well know As to the rem.
irele' and ot.sr parts have nothing 10 say, the
latter being indefinite, aud the former nothing 10
DO with the science further than incidental ercum.
stances nhaence--they constitute as much for or
against the science as the pdpsse system the
laws Of muscular motion.
80 Mr.. Comb said Il We take two heads in
sound health Of similar age, IA each Of which the
several organs similar 10 their proportions bot
tila - sit ,shn
i The prepo0defance Of the power Of manifestation
is not IN favor Of The first then Phrenology must
be abandoned as destitute Of foundation One in.
divdual eminent for genius was ascertained 10
have Gn aooommonIy small brain
Can an isolated case either confirm or -efute &
principle IN science Does the Or. present case
in point TO Tie very guarded position Of Mr., Comb
Can two such heads. IN every way answering the
specification, be found Might not the small head
and brain have been that of a small man, and
therefore sirikingly large in comparison with his
body Might not his intellectual organs have had
fine dovelopement1 Blu, it is a well known fact,
that the great mass Of distinguished men have
had large heads and a fine development of the
perccptiyO and reflective faculties,
itb "A strong objection is drawn from the diff
ieten, shapes of skulls and different parts of the
same sku--,he impossibility Of determining the
difference"
The objection is powerless when it is under.
stood that it is no more necessary 10 ascertain the
fact of the thickness of the Uranium than of the
exact periphery and variation in magnitude Of
any bone IN the system, in order 10 discover the
power Of muscles and sinews We Judge in all
science from the evidence we have and not that
which in the nature Of the case it is impossible
to ob,ain--besides the difference in thickness in
the same Uranium is eviden, TO the sight and touch
and is part of the teaching Of the science. The
DIR. must have been aware Of this, If indeed he
gave the subject the investigation he ought TO have
done, before he came out q, this late period Sc
cond time against il.
5th. " Drs, Gall and Spurzheim, il seems, about
twenty years ago, visited the prison at Berlin,
where upwards OF two hundred oulprits, OF whom
they had never heard till that moment, TO whose
crimes and dispositions they were total strangers,
we're submitted TO their inspection. Dr. Gall not
only discovered their natural propensties but al.
80 indicated the offence for which each was mpri.
sensd. A few days after, they made visit TO