Piney Woods planter and Amite union literary reflector. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1838-1838, 1838-10-27
From The Ven Orleans Bee.

MIR. EDIroR,-
Iperceiye you have spoken fayorabIy
of phrenology. From the little examina
ton have made of the doctrine, am
disposed to give it some degree of cred
ence, but do not know whether rightly
understood the principles on which il is
based. Will you oblIge subscriber by
giving a succint account of them.
We shall comply with the wishes of a
subscriber to the utmost of orr ability,
though our acquaintance with the science
is but limited. Phrenology signifies the
doctrine Of The mind. II is founded upon
two propositions; the first is, that the
brain is the orfian of the mind; the second,
that the faculties are plural or multiform.
With regard to the first, it Is almost suf
6cient to observe, that it is an opinion coe-
val with the clements of mental philoso-
ply, that it is sustained by thousand
facts, and by analogies of various kinds.
Every function in the animal economy re-
qures an organ for its development. vi
sion is performed by the eye, tasting by
the tongue. Iocomotion by tho muscles,
and thought by the brain Each organ
performs its appropriate function, by the
presentation of some stimulus which calls
it into action. Light striking upon the
optic nerve is the stimulus to sight the
tongue stimulated by certain substances,
produces the sensation of taste; the mus
| cles excited into activity by the opera
tons Of the mind, or by external stimuli,
| occasion the phenomena of motion; and
| Impressions acting on the brain produce
thought. The brain therefore is an organ
like the eye, the tongue, the muscles, and
has an especial function TO perform, which
is termed mind. So far the opinions of
phronologists coincide with those advanc-
ed in almost every system of philosophy.
None, we believe, deny that the brain is
the instrument of thought.
But phrenologists go a step farther in
the process of inductive reasoning. The
brain, say they, is certainly the organ of
the mind, but the brain according to their
principles is compound organ, or con
geries of organs, and hence performs va
rious faculties. To illustrate, phrenao-
gists consider the propensity to love the
desire Of acquiring, the love of music, the
disposition to destroy, as distinct functions
which require separate organs. These
organs according to their views, are loca-
ted N various portions Of the brain, and
| as the dissections of that substance prove
that its fbres tend from the base to the
circumference, they imagine that these
organs are discoyerable by external ex-
animation of the skull. Itis evident then,
| that if their theory be true, the original
character of an individual may be infer
red from the CONFORMATION of his head.
The doctrine ofplural faculties is sustain
ed by a great number of facts which we
can only allude to briefly. The diversity
of character in different individuals, "a
diversity which difference of education has
failed to elucdate), the phenomena of
dreaming, the disease termed monomania
or madness Of a single faculty, peculiari-
ties of certain nations, the analysis Of
genius, and otherfacts, all contribute to
substantiate the doctrine No other svs-
tenn of philosophy can adequately explain
them. Phrenology does account for them
in satisfactory manner. The doctrine
of plural faculties once established by
these arguments, facts alone are needed
to prove the coincidence between certain
faculties and certain protuberances on
the Uranium. This has been sustained
by millions of facts-experiment on ex-
pertinent has been repeated, and with a
success as uniform as it is extraordinary.
Phrenology, therefore, is no visionary be-
lief, nor is it mere hypothesis; but, on
the contrary, it is theory perfect in its
parts, and founded on an immense number
ofiacts. 1t is extremely simple, consis-
ting as it does of the two propositions
mentioned. These are regarded as cs-
tablished beyond disproval The science