Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-09-18

DEATH OF GEORGE COMBE.

George Combc, the celebrated Phrenologist, died
suddenly, of pulmonary disease, at the Hydro.
pnthic establishment in Surrey, whittier he had
gone to visit some friends. lie was 10 years Of
age. The New York Times contains q sketch of
his life, from which we copy as follows.
In the year 1915, the doctrines Of Gall and
Spurzhcim were brought under discussion in Edin,
burgh, and the attention of Mr.. Combe was direc'
ted to the science of Phrenology. An interview
with Spursheim, who visited Edinburgh about the
same time, led Mr.. Combe to Il careful examination
OF the new theory, and from an investigation be
became n believer and an earnest Champion
With his brother Andrew, he became phtonologi'
cally controversial. Letters were published, in
which the brothers described each others charac.
teristics as defined by the organs developed on
their skulls, and 10 spite of the sneers of she re-
views aud the refusal of the en~cyclop0lists to
commit the handling Of the subject of phrenology
to the believers in tho new science, the pub
lie faith grew, mainly through the efforts of
George COmbe, who saw in it "a my sIlution OF
the problem of the structure aud functions Of the
BRAIN. In 1876, the Society Tor the Diffusion Of
Useful Knowledge" was instituted, for the pur,
pose OF supplying good and cheap books to the
working classes but unfortunate circumstances
caused a delay in the issue Of its publications, and
it was only in 1927 that its first tract was printed.
Six weeks before its appearance, George Combe
read before the chronological Society of Edinburgh
the first part of a work, to which he gave the title
of The Harmony 6ettceen tie Mental and Mordl Con.
s~titution Of Nan and tie LauS qt Physiciat Nature.
This was the germ of his celebrated work, entitled
The Constitution Of Nan in Relation to External
objects. The Society for the Diffusion of Useful
knowledge having refused to publish among their
cheap cries any work on Phrenclogy, Mr.. COmbe
set himself in earnest to follow up the undertaking
he had already begun Among the works on that
subject. which folio wed each other rapidly from
his pen, were the Elements, outlines and System Of
Phrenology aud Lectures on Popular Educdiion.-
In 1888, he married Miss Cecilia Sidduns, and four
or five years later gave up the practice of his pro-
lession. In 1888. he visited the United States, and
remained here for two years, lecturing on phrenol'
ogy, and preparing a journal of his tour. which wat
afterwards published under the title of Notes. His
reception in this country was cordial in the extreme
Spurzheim had died here a few years before Mr.
Combe's arrival, and the believers in Phrenology
looked 30 the latter gentleman as the Legitimate
successor to the honors paid to the lamented leader
The Constitution Of Nan, first published in 1928
was reprinted here, and reached an enormous sale
1t is by this work that Mr.. Combe is chief,
known. It's circulation in great Britain soon rar
upon to 100, 900 copies, and it has been translated
into several languages. After his visit to thu
United States, MIR. Combe passed some years il
travel on the continent. The later years of hi,
life were a period of infrn health, incapacitat
log him for active efforts"