The morning call., 1891-08-29
PHYSIOGNOMY.
How to Read Character by Means
of Physical Features.
An Exhaustive Thesis Explaining Why Ger.
tain Defects in Disposition Exist and
How They Can Be Detected.

Physiognomy," delivered series of lect
ures this week 10 the faculty and student:
of the medical department of the Statt
University at the Toland Medical College
Mrs. Stanton is an easy. graceful. dignifed
speaker, and she handles her subject witt
great facility and earnestness. She is the
first lady who has been invited to lecture in
this college, and 1t is the first institution oi
learning of modern times to take the inita
tory in introducing the subject Of scientific
physiOgnomy, a precedent which will Prob.
ably be followed by similar institution:
throughout the land. The following is 8
brief abstract of her lectures:
The lady introduced her subject by ask
ing the question, "What is scientific physi
ognomy?" answering it by saying that il
was 'the art or science of discovering the
character of the mind from the features OF
the face; or the art of discovering the pre-.
dominant temper or other characteristic
quality of the mind by the form of the
body; but especially by the external signs
OF the countenance OF the combination OF
features"
She then entered into general detail of
what was required in the system of practi-
cal and scientific physiognomy, taking into
consideration the form and size Of the body
and head, all Of the features of the face, the
color Of the complexion, hair and eyes, the
quality Of the skin and hair, the bright
ness Of the eyes, the shape, direction and
location of the lines and wrinkles of the
face. hands, wrist and neck, the
shape OF the teeth and tongue the
the face and body. the voice, walk, ges-
lures. movement, habitual attitude of the
body. the handwriting, hand-shaking. form
and color of the hands. fingers and finger
nails. the size, shape and position of the
feet, the form and size of the legs and their
waist. hips. abdomen, and the head. the
forehead and the chest. She then proceeded
to develop tho science of reading.
THE MEANING OF THE EYE,
OF which there were sixteen details to be
observed, each feature of which presented
nearly as many details to be attended to in
giving comprehensive delineatiOn of char
acter from facial indications. Every cir
cumstance, no matter how minute, Is highly
significant in determining signs of charac-
ter. She claimed that her system not only
gave method of discovering the mental
and moral characteristics of the human
subject, but showed also how to discern in
the face the power or weakness of all of the
viSceral organs, viz. The kidneys, the intes-
tlnal system, the reproductive system, the
liver, lungs, heart, stomach, muscles, bones,
the nervous system and the brain.
In answering the question, "What is
scientific physiogDomy ?" the lady cited as
authority for her theory the names of some
of the most noted scientists of ancient and
modern times. She then proceeded to the
consideration of the question, Why is the
face the index of character p" In arguing
this branch OF her subject she made
strong point by showing how very neces-
sary II was that those whose duty it was to
instruct teachers how to understand the ma
fnlaR IL hrrR lxI@-
psychology and moral philosophy should
themselves be masters of the science they
endeavored TO teach. She claimed that the
lace was the index by which all Of
the existing conditions were made
known, and in support of her theo-
ry instaBced the undeyelOped races and
their peculiar facial characteristics,
particuiarizing the native Australian as be-
longing to the lowermost strata of the races
of the earth. Her deductions were that a
knowledge of the science would teach one
TO discern mental characteristics, show
them how TO protect the health, induce
longevity, increase the beauty of the face
and feature, mind, morals and disposition,
give the signs of the natural physician, sur
geon, inventor, mechanic, musician, artist,
cook, chemist, etc.-ln word, show the
difference between a thoroughbred and a
In contracting marriage
or Or In selecting an occupation for
y.
Instinct and intuition of themselves
will not do, Scientific law and demonstra-
tion must be added to make it mighty
power The lady closed her first lecture by
saying: Men will undertake the superin-
tendeHce of large numbers of children. in
institutions of learning, in reformatores,
Jalis, hospitals and asylums, without know
ing where to locate single sign of charac-
ter in the face, or will perpetrate matri-
mony in the most reckless manner, without
so much as knowing whether the face OF the
chosen one denotes moral weakness, un-
sound lungs, torpid liver, mediocre intel
lect want of conjugal feeling or parental
love, yet the same person will act with the
greatest caution when about to invest 500
in donkey"
ELEMENTS OF THE HUMANsFACE.
The second lecture by Mrs. Stanton enter
tanned the broad proposition that the human
face combined and illustrated all of the pure
elements of form, not one being wanting. The
point or least element of form is represented
by the so-called blind spot of the eye, where
the optic nerve pierces the anterior surface
of the eyeball. The sphere or globe is the
most primitive of forms, and is exhibited by
the eyeball, the only perfect circle in the
human organism: The opening of the iris
Is always round in man, but in animals
whose range of vision requires to extend
widely in a horizontal direction, as the
herblvorous animals. it is in the form of an
ellipses. The curve is many times re-
peated in the human face, and finds its
Illustration one hundred and forty-four
times in the human organism. The
line is conspicuously displayed in the physi-
ognOmy of man in the form of the normal
shaped mouth, and the straight line is the
representation of moral principle. The
angle finds its highest representation in the
angles of the eye and of the nose where it
joins the upper lip. The acute angle of
( ha POrnprs 0f the eve dpnnfpa trrifh Gda1it,y
and love. in marriage or out of it, and the
more obtuse the angle the less the develop
ment of these principles. Thirty-Six curves
are essential to the expression of highly
developed Caucasian face. The cube is best
represented in the thorax of such bodies as
those of Washington, Martin Luther,
Napoleon, and other cubical shaped
bodies, and denotes powerful and per-
feet action, giving force and vigor to the
brain and body. The presentation of these
normal or regular factors and laws of form
suggest the question, "How come these in
are observed in the feeble-mnded, the
idiotic. insane. eccentric and congenital
In answering this question
the speaker mentioned the following phe-
nomena in connection with such cases:
Obiquity of vision or crossed eyes, angular
tty OF the head, slanting of one foot, cat-like
skew OF the eye, extreme slope of the
shoulders, crOoking of the mouth, cro0king
of the lower joint of the leg. devious,
winding, serpentine gait, or pur-
poseless, uninteligent shuttle from side to
side; angular, awkward or half-curving
gestures; crooked features Of the face; too
flexible fingers, hands and limbs; voices
either extremely harsh, discordant and bass,
or else extremely soft. silly, sweet and in
sincere. lacking in volume and reality, or
lisping. These defects are the result of an
infraction of the laws Of normal form, and
are the results of illy-mated couples. They
are the products of violations of the laws of
nature, art and science-true illegitmates,
having upon their escutcheon, the face, the
bar sinister. They bring forth congen-
ital criminals, liars, sneak-th thieves, con-
ideDce operators. mental and moral
weakness and idiocy. They also bring
forth several stages of eccentricity. tending
sometimes to madness and sometimes to the
bordeIland of genius. They are governed
by the law of scalenism. or perversion,
which applies to defective beings. or late
years idiocy, feeble-mindedness and dipso-
mania are regarded as diseases or defects,
and are treated as such, whereas in former
years the -possessors were regarded as
demons. But very little justice is