The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1824-01-13 (London, England)

THE BODY OF TIIURTELL AND THE PHRENOLOGISTS.  The mortal remains of Thurtell were removed on Friday night last to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and placed in a room adjoining the Theatre of Anatomy. The crowd of persons on Saturday who attended to view the body was very great ; and as the place in which It was deposited was so small, that not more than eight or ten persons could be admitted at a time, there were continually numbers in smear before the door of the theatre. The persons admitted were strictly questioned as to their connection with the medical profession, and were generally asked, before they were suffered to pus, " Can you answer any question in anatomy ?" to which the affirmative, albeit a bold one even on the part of the ablest practitioners, was very freely given. The body of Mandl was remarkable for its muscularity and symmetry, and for the clearness of the skin. It was evident, that, with a local exception, he had been in a state of the most vigorous health ; and from the appearance of his limbs, it was difficult to imagine that they even yet wanted some portion of the strength and elasticity which seems to have once characterized them. His features were changed, though not in the common sense of the word distorted. The principal change was effected by the relax. ation of the muscles of the cheeks ; which in life were so powerful and massy, and gave the appearance of dignity and strength to the face, and the consequently undue prominence given to the mouth and the upper lip, which was always rather large and heavy. The eyes were half open, and of a fine blue, not more prominent than they are in many living faces, and the fixedness of death. In Thurtell, when hive, they had appeared rather small, and their colour not obviously remarkable. The hair having been removed, the head appeared exceedingly well formed, and the want of expanidon of the foneboad was less remarkable than in life. The COMO Wein bed been made (we believe, at Hertford). The dissection bad not been at all proceeded with. The corpse is five feet ten inches and a half in length. Among thaw who were most early and most anxious in their &lenience, on Saturday, were the class of people called phrenologists, who *tee all agog to find a very common prominence be. hind and above the ear which they are pleased to call, the orkon of destructiveness, or murder. Most unfottenately for the cultivators of this science, it happens that the said hemp, or prominence, is not to be found in the head of what was Thurtell—in other wards, that the organ of destructiveness was not at all prominent or developed. This was " water in the shots," of the tihrenelogises ; but what was still worse, was, that " the organs of benevolence," and of " elution," were very strongly marked. They, bowever, consoled themselves with saying, that the organ of courage was very large, and that the intellectual organs seemed scarcely developed. However, these gentlemen, nothing daunted, will awe that the character of Thurtell just corresponded to the appearances an the skull. Such is the advantage which this science possesses; that if the skull, according to their theory, suits the previously known character of the rescuer, it is well ; if not, they make another character to suit.—Evening Paper.