Year: 1860

ADSONNlLLEi OdH. lSOU.


EDITOR DEMoCRAT:-In a recent number of
the DEMOCRAT there appeared an editorial
entitled Remarkable Contradictions of
Fhrenology," in which, I think YOU commit.
ted at least one or two errors md with
your permission 1 should be pleased to call
your attention TO them Passing over the
cases referred to by NJ. Peisse-sohich prove
absolutely nothing at all will merely, in as
lew words as possible. call your attention to
two cases of your own citation. You say:
ITO the distinguished men mentioned by
Peisse we might add Byron, whose head was
OF an uncommonly small size. Daniel Web
ster's head was very large one but when
the brain was taken out it was found to be Of
weight very little beyond that of the
brains encased in average human heads
Now, suppose we compare the above with
the hgures. The general weight of the brain
In man is from two pounds five and half
ounces to three pounds three and three quar-
ter ounces Only one man in every twelve
hundred has brain that will reach four
pounds. But, how was it with Byron and
WebstesH Why the brain of Lord Byron
without its membranes, weighed six pounds :;
whereas Websters with its memLranes-the
usual way of weighing the brain-weighed
little upwards of four pounds eight ounces.
Thus 1t will be seen that Wedster's brain
weighed about one pound nine ounces more
than the average; while the brain encased in
Byron's Uranium exceeded double the weight
of that possessed by the commonality of man.
kind. Phrenology is an established science
OF immense benefit to the human family. 1t
Is one OF the sciences that should be taught
IN all classes of schools because there is
more practical benefit lost by not under
standing its teachings than can, in my opin-
Ion. result from an ignorance of all the other
sciences combined. 1t is tie science that
should form the basis of every child's educa-
ton, as the man who launches his bark upon
the turbulent pillows of this world without
knowledge of his powers, is like mariner
upon the tempestuous ocean without a chart
or compass; he may reach the shore in safety,
but he stands a much greater chance of being
stranded on the shoals of miscalculation.-
Many fond parents hope has been crushed
after spending an immense amount of time
and money in educating favorite son for
certain profession, upon learning that his
child had chosen business in which he could
never excel. How are we to know then the
business or profession in which we can ex-
eellY Pope tells us in the folio wing lines:


"Know then thyself; presume not God to scan


The proper study of mankind is man"


We often hear the question asked, "Who
is the most talented man2" Now that is
very hard question to answer, for one man is
talented in one thing, and another is talented
in another thing. That man has never been
met with who possessed universal talents. A
man may be pre- eminently profound upon
one subject. and as ignorant as 0hild upon
another. Plenty of men of very low de-
gree of general ability, will successfully and
prosperously conduct certain kinds of busi-
ness, at which plenty of men of much greater
talent would starve. And kind reader, the
only way that we can learn. how to COM
mence the world right. is to master the
science of mind. A knowledge of phrenolo-
gy is just as indispensable to the physician, as
knowledge of physiology is. AS the sur
geon cannot amputate without first ascer-
tanning where the arteries lie; so is phrenol
ogy and physiology so intimately blended
together, that one of them cannot be sue
cessfully pract'ced without knowledge of
the other 1t is not enough for a physician
TO simply know that such and such drugs are
said to operate thus and so, in such and such
diseases. He should reflect more than the
majority of them do upon the important fact
that mind governs matter. No physician
will administer medicine to his patients with
out governing it by the temperamerts; but
how few of them ever think of making a
diagnosis of the state of tie mind. No ply
sician can practice his profession as it should
be practiced, who cannot upon arriving at the
bedside, at glance, correctly determine the
general characteristics, and condition of the
mind which he is about to deal with. This
is absolutely essential, not so much for the
purpose of knowing how to administer drugs,
as it is to proper knowledge Of the method
to be adopted to instil confidence in the pa
tient and thereby secure his invaluable aid in
his case. Tile physician sOho cannot secure the
full confidence of has patients, might as weH
hro,O has medicine into an iron boiler, for he
can ncver do justice to himself, or them either.
But the great discrepancy of opinion arising
from the teachings of the science in question,
results from the much. to.be-regretted fact
that it is cursed with hosts of bogus profess
sors who are ignorant Of its elementary prin-
ciples. have actually seen lecturers upon
the science of phrenology. who could claim
no further knowledge of the science than the
simple ability of determing "big bump"
from small one OF the relative strength of
an organ, whether its power was augmented
or lessened through the influence of other
organs; or of the quality, activity or inactivi-
ty Of the brain they knew nothing. Nor
were they even aware that large brain
placed upon a diseased physiological organi-
Eation, was in consequence thereof shorn of
much of its mighty powers Who would not,
under the circumstances, expect to meet with
remarkable contradictions of Phrenology p


But Mr.. Editor, as had not in the COM
mencement the least idea of discussing the
merits or demerits of the science of phrenolo-