The Sun. — 1849-04-09 (London, England)

HOLM'S LECTURES ON PHRENOLOGY. On Thursday evening Mr. J. D. Holm, the executor of Dr. Spurzheim, the late distinguished phrenologist, delivered the first of an interesting series of lectures on the science of phrenology, at the Western Literary and Scientific Institution in Leicestersquare, to an attentive and respectable audience. The lecture was directed to a consideration of the necessity of studying phrenology, by beginning at the beginning- of the brain as the organ of the mind, of the temperaments, of the division of the head, together with the brain, into regions—the three latter' heads of the course being illustrated by the lecturer, as he pro.`.: ceeded, by numerous casts, diagrams, and preparations. Among other things, he produced .a cast of the head of Bishop the murderer, with another of the head of Mr. Horace Smith, one of the authors of "the Rejected Addresses," with the view of showing twat we could not too much bear in mind the influence of temperament. He then went on to say that a very small brain was inconsistent with the manifestation of great talent, and that the quality of brain had a material effect on the intellectual powers. He thought it necessary, however, to caution his audience that though these were essential conditions of talent, they were not the only conditions, and they were to be careful how they judged of a person's capacities by the absolute size of his head. Physiologists considered the head in proportion to the body, and few things could be more important than to keep that consideration in view. Proportion was important to the production of a fine form, but the principle of proportion, like every other true principle, had its basis in utility. What, for example, was there in the foot of a Chinese lady to caovate any one save her infatuated countrymen ? Ihe same false view of the principle of proportion might be traced to tight-lacing amongst his own fair countrywomen, which he would take leave to characterize as the straight-waiscoat of fashion.—(Great applause.) An examination of the Egyptian mummies proved that man was not different 8,000 years ago from what he is at present, and an inspection of the statue of the famous Venus de Medici would show our fair countrywomen how erroneous were their notions of the beauty of form and symmetry. Before be entered on a more minute exposition of the several divisions of the organs of the brain, he would make a few observations on the heads of the two sexes. He had found what a vast field they had yet to explore before they could come to any settled conclusion on the subject. There was much of a terra incognita in all that regarded the human species; but there was no portion of that vast country which contained a tract so little known as that portion which was called the female world. It had been partially, presumptuously, and ignorantly explored. Much regarding it had been concocted, and much had ,been assumed ; but we could know nothing :of it except from the inhabitants themselves ; and he hoped to see the day when women could speak for themselves, and silence those who weakly and presumptuously pretended to speak for them.—(Applause.) A man could not feel as a woman, nor a woman as a man ; the sexes were subject to the modifications of their respective circumstances, and neither properly comprehended the natural or conventional conditions of the other. On comparing the configuration of the heads of the two sexes, it was found that the heads of men were broader at the sides than those of women, that female heads were more flattened at the sides, and there was a larger portion of brain from the ear to the occiput than in male heads. The lecturer pursued the comparison to much greater length, but we regret that our space does not admit of our further reporting his interesting observations. The lecture was listened to with the greatest possible interest and attention, and at intervals warmly applauded.