The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-08-17
NOTHING IN CRANIAL BUMPS.
Scientist Declares Phrcnoiogy Is IL
Fake and Its Claim Foolish.

rake anu us Vain L poiish-
That the weak chin" "unintel-
lectual forehead eloquent
mouth and ''patrician nose" the
bumps of domesticity," 'secretive-
ness. observation, and all the
various and sundry distinguishing
marks of the human mead and face
are misnomers, without the least
significance as indexes to mentality
of character, is declared by Dr. Ales
Hrdlicka, in charge of the labratory
of physical anthropology, United
States National museum. DR.. Hrd-
licka's conclusions are based upon
extensive scientific work which he
has been carrying on, particularly
during the past five years.
DO you find any truth at all in
the science of phrenology?" the an
tbropologist was asked.
None whatever he replied. "All
of the widespread ideas about hui
man character showing in the con-
figuration of the head and face have
their origin in the early years of the
last century. The earliest pioneers
in phrenology did some actual good
to science. They stimulated the re-
search in the localization of the brain
functions resulting in the discov-
cry that definite parts of the brain
controlled certain groups of muscles,
such as those of the thumb, arms,
legs, etc. But here their usefulness
ended. Before gaining more complete
knowledge from actual observation
they extended phrenology along the
lines of purely unwarranted theory
and claimed that mental activities,
as well as the muscles, had definite
brain centers which developed in
proportion as their respective func-
tons were exercised. They then took
the further step and taught that a
special development of any mental
faculty was accompanied by a pro-
trusion of the skull over the brain
center serving to this particular
faculty, belief in ability to dag
nose mental Qualities by these
bumps and the practice of "phren-
ology' for such characterization.
nj n
methods have discovered that such
functions as hearing and seeing oc-
cupy certain areas of the brain which
are large and not clearly circum-
scribed, and that there is a definite
lobe of the brain concerned with
speech. But here the differentiation
of the brain, so far as mental acti-
vities are convened, seems to end
and no amount of study has thus
far been able to isolate our mental
functions, which-except so far as
they depend on sense impression
seem to be manifestations of the
gray matter of the cerebrum-or
greater brain at large.
'Of what significance, then, are
the various bumps on the skull?"
THE various elevations of the
skull are features more or less COM
mon to all people, but showing more
in some than in Others They have
nothing to do whatever with mental
ity or with any function of the
brain. Some are due merely to diff
ferences in muscular developments.
There cannot possibly be a shadow
of reality in any diagnostication of
mental qualities based on the shape
of protuberances of the skull. Those
who claim they are able to do so
are deluded, or which is quite the
rule, are chalatins pure and simple,
living on the credulity of these who
do not know better"
Does not head high above the
ear indicate superior brain capa-
city,"
Not at all. When an infant is
kept upon it's back long time it's
back head becomes compressed,
with the result that its whole head
becomes higher broader and short
er. Interference with the develop
ment of the head in one direction is
compensated for by growth in an
other, The very high head of Sir
Walter Scott, if not due to some
pathological cause, was doubtless
the result of compensation for some
shortening of his head
How about the 'retreating fore
head?' 1t is commonly supposed to
indicate low mental caliber.'
I'm many cases it is due merely
to unusual development of the bony
ridges over the eyebrows. These
ridges are influenced in develop
ment by what are known as the
frontal sinuses hollow spaces in
the bone of the forehead above the
root of the nose. These are never
pronounced in woman who, on this
account, very rarely has a forehead