The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-02-26
Reeoher ON PhrannIngY.

do not suppose that phrenology is q
perfect system of mental philosophy. It
hits here and there. It needs revising,
as In its present shape it is crude; but,
nevertheless, when it becomes necessary
to talk to people about themselves, /
know of no other nomenclature which so
nearly expresses what we need, and
which is so facile in its use as phrenology.
Nothing can give you such formulated an
alys1s of mind as that can.
see man with q small brow and big
In the lower part of his head, like bull,
and know that that man is not likely to
be q saint. All the reasoning In the
world would not convince me OF the con-
trary, but would say of such man,
that he has very intense ideas, and will
below and push like bull of Bashan.
Now, practically, doyou suppose I would
commence to treat with such a man by
Haunting rag in his face My first in
stinct in regard to him is what q man
would have If he found himself in q field
with wild bull, which would be to put
himself on good manners, and use means
of conciliation, if possible.
On the other hand, if L see a man
whose forehead is very high and large,
but who is very thin in the back of the
head, and with very small neck and
trunk, I say to myself, that is man,
probably, whose friends are always talk
ing about how much there is in him, but
who never does anything. He is man
who has great organs, but nothing to
drive them with. He is like splendid
locomotive without boiler.
Again, you will see man with little
bullet-head, having accomplished more
than that big-headed man, who ought to
be strong giant and great genius.
The buIlet-headed man has outstripped
the broad-browed man in everything he
undertook /; and people say, stWhere is
your phrenology?" In reply, say,
| $ Look at that bullet-headed man, and
see what he has to drive his bullet-head
with !" His stomach gives evidence that
he has natural forces to carry forward his
purposes. Then look at the big-headed
man. He can't make spoonful of blood
in twenty-four hours, and what he does
make is poor and thin. Phrenology
classifies the brain regions well enough,
but you must understand its relations to
| physiology, and the dependence of brain
work upon the quantity and quality of
/ blood that the mans body makes.
You may ask, 'sWhat is the use of
knowing these things2" All the use in
/ the world. IF a person comes to me with
dark, coarse hair, I know he is tough and
enduring, and know, If it is necessary,
that / can hit him a rap to arouse him /;
but if I see person who has fine, silky
hair, and light complexion, 1 know that
he is of an excitable temperament, and
must be dealt with soothingly. Again,
if I see one with a large, blue, watery
eye, and its accompanying complexion, I
| say to myself that all Mount Sinai could
not wake that man up. I have seen men
of that stamp, whom you could no more
stimulate to action than you could lump
of dough by blowing the resurrection
trump over it.
Men are like open books, if looked at
properly. You must know what men are
in order to reach them, and that is part
of the science of preaching If there is
any profession In the world that can af-
ford to be without this practical knowl-
edge of human nature, it certainly is not
the profession of preacher.