The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-10-17
From ne Boston Mercantile Journal, Oct. IL.

MR. CoM,E's LEcTuRE-Mr Combe lectured on
Phrenoogy last evening at the Masonic Temple
His audiencewas not large one, consisting OF only
between three and four hundred persons, among
whom, however, were included many Of our most
intelligent citizens DESTROYS of listening to the les
sons Of instruction from man with whose writings
they had long been familiar. Mr. Combe as we
have already stated has pretensions TO oratorcal
accomplishments he makes no display whatever,
but his manner is remarkable for its plainness, its
simplicity its earnestness all Of which is calculated
to fix the attention Of his readers His language is
good and his style by means difuse, and his rea-
soning clear and powerful.
Mr. Combe, IN his predatory remarks, briefly re-
lated the cause, which induced him to become
Phrenologist, and afterwards teacher of Phrenolo-
gy and public lecturer, result which he had not
contemplated when he began the study He stated
the reasons which induced him to visit this country
in compliance with invitations which he had re-
ceived from many Of our literary men. He alluded
TO our institutions TO our peculiar form of govern
ment and regarded the free States Of America as
charged with heavy responsibility 10 all the ma
tons Of the earth. Alleges were fixed upon them
Ii this government succeeded In securing the hap
piness Of the people the cause Of liberty would tri-
umph in every CLINE but il we suffered our free in
situations to be demolished and anarchy and misrule
10 take the place OF good order and saluiary laws,
the soul ofevery despo would leap for JOY and every
lover Of the human would hang his head in dis
may Mr. Combe explained why he had selected
Boston as The place to commence his lectures, and
in very feeling manner alluded to Spurzheim, his
teacher his friend, and his greatest benefactor who
had died in this city while teaching his favorite
study, surrounded by friends, although in strange
land
Mr.. Combe said that his lectures would probably
occupy from an hour and half to two hours each,
but he should introduce variety of details, and il
iustrations which would, he hoped, prevent the
dience from being fatigued-anG il has been his
usual practice to pause for several minutes when he
had reached the middle of his lecture 10 give his
auditors an opportunity relax their attention. and
thus tend 10 dispel WEAKNESS.
After these predatory remarks, he entered upon
alluded TO the opposition which great discoveries
in science were compelled to encounter, when pre-
sented to the world He then urged various reasons
for believing that the brain was the organ Of the
mind the mind itself being unknown us only as it
manifested itself through the brain. He described
the effects Produced on the mind by the use OF ardent
spirits or opium-of swoonng caused by the rush
Of blood TO the head and adduced several positive
facts, showing that insensibility was caused by
pressure on the brain. He then undertook to show
that If the brain the organ of the mind, it
not single organ but congeries of organs, and
urged various arguments in proof ofthis principle as
analogy-the double column of the spinal marrow,
one being devote TO notion the other TO sensation
the unequal development of the mental faculties in
The infant-the Partially OF genius-the phenome-
non Of dramng-monomania-p idiocy &c.
He also showed that the opinion that the brain con-
tains plurality of organs not of modern origin,
but had been entertained by philosophers in remote
ages.