The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-05-07

Entomology it is not thought requis'
tie to sum up the arguments and
:. proofs which establish it. inasmuch as
it is taught by all eminent Physiolo'
glsts Of the present time, by the most
eminent writers en- mental philosophy.
and is sanctioned by the general opin.
ion and knowledge Of the public. But
the doctrine of the plurality Of the
mental organs requires of the truth
searching reader the most deliberate
consideration, for it is the most i'm.
portant of all, and it is here phrenol.
ogy has encountered from its enemies
the most opposition.
In support Of the second principle Il
may be, argued.
1. The faculties do not manifest
themselves simultaneously, which
would reasonably be the case if they
were all manifested through one and
the same organ, but in succession,
and at different periods of time as the
partsjof the brain in which they are
supposed to be seated, become sue.
cessively developed. Thus, the cere.
bellum is greatly inferior in size, to
the rest of the brain in childhood
!. than in the adult age when its faculty
amativeness attains its greatest ener.
gy, and so with many other faculties
of the mind. ss t4& &sfa
!. 9. That the intellectual and NOR.
al faculties are multiple every one ad.
mits, and in all ascertained instances
| of the animal economy no one organ
is known to perform different func.
} tons, but the reverse; thus, the sto
: mach digests food, the liver secrete:
: bile; the heart propels the blood, the
arteries convey it to the extremitie!
of the system, and the veins convey
:. it back to the heart again; the lung:
respire; there is one system of nerve.
for locomotion, a second for feeling o.
touch, third for taste, a fourth fol
/ hearing, a fifth for vision, &c. Hence
: to suppose all the faculties of the
mind; of courage, cautiousness, Gun
ming, benevolence, ideality, &C., a
| taught in Phrcnolygy; or even thu
faculties of perception, conception
imagination, memory, and judgment
as taught by Metaphysicians, shoulo
emanate pell NELL from an organ o
such exceedingly delicate and compi
Gated structure as the brain, seems il
itself not only absurd, but withou
r any ground Of argument to sustain it
8. The fact that persons are otter
found possessed of great genius O
}, talent for some particular art or sci
ence, at the same time being inferio
in all others, cannot be reconcilet
, with the doctrine of the unity of tn,
f brain, for if the whole brain were
f Immediately concerned in the mani
festations of every particular faculty
, there could be no difference in the ma
tural mental abilities Of the same in
l dividual. Gall relates the instanc,
of a youth, the son of a blacksmith ii
Germany, who, though not iavouret
: with any school education, could solve
the most difficult arithmetical ques
: tons almost as soon as put to him
|, and long before it could be done by
j, the most experienced teacher supplied
with pen and paper. This youth wa
! not remarkable for superior rintellec
8 in any thing else. In his head the or
g gans Of calculation were very large
lily developed. !
n 4. In dreaming, some of the fac
: ulties are active, while the others ar
asleep. This, could not be the case
: if the whole brain were Immediately
concerned in all the mental NANTES
e tations.
+ S. Insanity and idiccy are not al
ways general, but more frequent!
partial. Thus there are numerous in
# stances Of persons, who, at the SAM
: time they are insane are deficient il
: one or more Of the mental NANTES ia
!. tons possess all the others health.
J, and energetic. The case Of hercdita
$ ry insanity, and the strong peculiar
ties Of disposition SO frequently trans
mitted from parent to son illustrate
in striking manner the influence tn
cerebral organization and condition