New-York daily tribune., 1842-11-01

Hall to a lecture from DR.. BUCHANAN, on what
he calls the Science of Neurology He spoke.
first, OF the fac, that, notwithstanding ali our know
| ledge of the mechanical working of the different
organs of the animal frame, we are entirely igno-
rant Of the source of power-thc moving springs
OF Hfe-the vital principle-the dynaulics OF the
system. Phrenology, he thought, had made seme
slight advance toward this its deductions were
incorrect in several important respects Equal
quantities of brain of like quality often exist
with totally dissimilar mental and moral charac-
ters. In his unprejudiced Investigations into the
truth of Phrenology, DIR. Buchanan said he had
discarded portions of its tenets and adopted 9TH
ers until he found himself constructing new sys-
ten. His first aim was TO discover some direct
method of testing the truth of Phrenology without
resortiDg to the laboIous and intermnable process
Of dissection and observation of various heads.
Tie functions of other parts of the system were
determined by suspending them: thus we knew, by
closing and opening the eye, that it was an organ
Of light, &c.
He wished in some way to make similar expert
ments with the brain but this was not possible in
the ordinary way--of removing portion to see
what function thereby suspended. This bad
been attempted especially by the French; but
with very partial success. Galvanism readily oc-
Cured to him, but for various reasons this also
found to be not feasible Blisters, intense heat,
&c. though they would effect the object of exct-
ing any desired part were evidently out of the
question He had found. however another agent,
which he called Neuaura, or the nervous fluid.
1t was an influence similar to animal magnetism,
produced by placing the hand upon any portion of
the head. Sleep was thus frequently produced by
pressing the fingers upon that portion of the head
between the eyes, and the Doctor related several
instances of his in this well as other
periments-such as reducing increasing the
muscular power, &c. He had also succeeded in
exciting particular chronological organs those
Of color, calculation, reverence, &c. By thus de-
termining that an influence passed from the hand
through the system, which could effect these re-
Suits he said we evidently possessed the key the
whole Physiology and Psychology of Man. What
this nervous fluid is, Cf it does in fact exist, J
whence it comes, what are its nature and laws,
how, in short, it leads Us to distinct understand
ing of the relation of the mind to the body, and
gives US key to all Anthropology, spiritual
and material, we suppose ne will explain here
AFTER as he did not do it last evening His state
ments, however, and the experiments by which he
verifes them, are highly interesting and worthy of
attentive study.
R5 horrible murder committed in Fre-
donia, Chautauque Co. by man named Sander
son, supposed to have been deranged, on boy
only IA years old. The two were at work together
in barn husking corn, and from the marks on the
body it is supposed Sanderson must have murdered
the boy with pitchfork-as there were some sixty
holes in the body made by that instrument. The
murderer buried his victim under the barn. He
had not been arrested, though the Buffalo Com
mercial, in whichwe find the account, says that an
active pursuit had been commenced
D The Richmond Star says that black
man on Church hill, on the 25tb, hung her
child about years old.
FIRE.-A fire broke out this morning about 9
o'clock, in the grocery store Of Mr.. Jacob Smith,
at the corner of l20th-street and Third-avenue,
and entirely destroyed that and the two adjoining
buildings, all good two story frame houses. The
flames we're so rapid that Mr.. Smith and his
clerk, who lodged in the store had time only to
escape with a part of their cloths, not being able
to save his books any part of his stock OF goods.
Mr. Folsom, who resided in the adjoining house
and occupied the lower part dry goods and
fancy store, lost nearly every thing; the flames
pursued him so closely that he could not save bis
money drawer, which he was unable to reach
Two of the buildings were owned by Mr.. Raynor,
one of which insured. MIR. Folsom as we'll
as MIR. Smith was partly insured. Com. Adv.
ANOTHER CoLLIsIoN.-The steamer Cllau-
tauque ran foul Of and sunk the schooner Lodi,
Capt. Tubbs, last night somewhere in the vicinity
of Sturgeon Point. The Lodi was bound for Con-
neaut, and had on boad "a packages of merchan-
disc to Mr.. Hall, ID for MIR. Ford, and few bar
rels Of salt to the master. The articles lost con-
sist of tea, coffee, spices, crockery, and other
pershable commodities. Buffalo Com.
FATAL AcclpENT.-Mr. William Tew an old
and respectable citizen of Townsend, Sandusky
County, Ohio, was killed accidentally on Thursday
last. There was thrashing machine in operation
in his barn, and while going up on the scahold, or
throwing down wheat, he fell upon the machine
His arms were drawn into it, which, with his head
and side, were injured, that he lived but about
three hours. He was nearly 20 years of age.
D a small boy, while sweeping chimney in
Washington Row Thursday afternoon, got by
mistake into the Aue of the chimney of the adjoa-
ing house. FIRE burning below, and the
boy was suhocatea and fell, and was caugh, in
narrow part.of the lue, Efforts were Immediately
made to get him out By cutting hole in the Chin
ney, but it was an hour before he was extricated
and then he almost iifeless, and it was doubt
full whether he would live. Trenton State Gaz