Christian Phrenology: A Guide to Self-Knowledge

by Joseph Bunney

The tendency of this faculty is to produce a love of order and arrangement in every thing; they are distressed by confusion, and are highly pleased with a regular arrangement of their furniture, books and other property. The organ is located in the superciliary ridge, and from its general small developement, much fact is still necessary before the organ and its value can be definitely determined: there is certainly well marked in some persons, a love of order, and in others a carelessness to disorder, the one often degenerating into precision in trifles that produces great discomfort to other persons, the latter often inducing a disregard of necessary care and attention: the medium is to be sought for by all who detect either in their own character.

18. Number.

The organ of the faculty of NUMBER is situated above and outside the external angle of the eye, a little below the external angle of the frontal bone. The special function seems to be calculation in general: it does not seem to extend to any faculty of computation beyond that of numbers, although from the tact that it associates with it, it facilitates the study of mathematics. Many instances are adduced of its large size in good calculators, particularly in George Bidder, the calculating boy. This organ, like the other perceptives requires cultivation.

19. Tune.

The organ of TUNE bears the same relation to the ears that the organ of Colouring does to the eyes. A large developement of the organ enlarges the lateral parts of the forehead, and great practice is always necessary before the organ can be successfully observed: but if two persons are placed together, the one having it largely, the other smally developed, the superior one will be perceptible at a glance. The faculty gives the perception of melody, which is only one of the ingredients of musical talent; the organs of the mind must be well developed in accordance with this, so that the soul and expression of music may be felt and appreciated, before the organs are perfectly developed; the fingers indeed may be trained to great expertness, but it is only the real lover of harmonious sounds who devotes all his powers to its cultivation that can arrive at any thing like perfect skill. As a natural faculty of nature, this organ is particularly pleasing in calming the passions, and producing pleasure by means perfectly innocent. Persons cannot obtain a scientific knowledge of music in whom the organ is deficient, and when abused as this faculty often is, it should be remembered that the line between pleasure and pain is so indefinite, that where one terminates the other begins;—music carried beyond an agreeable pitch, leads the possessor into society, and too frequently into pleasures more enervating and sensual—these are to be dreaded, and the musician should remember that as the noblest employment of his faculty is to “Praise God in the highest,”—so, nothing can be more debasing than the prostitution of it to unworthy purposes.

20. Time.

The organ of Time seems to be related to that of order in its effects, it is essential to music and versification, form some source of pleasure in dancing, and seems to give a power of judging time and intervals of duration in general. The value of time renders this faculty more than usually necessary; it leads to a right estimation of punctuality as well as punctuality in engagements: persons with the organ large are fevered by delay, they become irritated about trifles of time that they may be kept waiting by others and thus incur a charge of bad temper. The organ is especially useful in persons studying history as it tends to give a faculty of remembering dates and other periods of time, the succession of events, &c.

21. Locality.

Dr. Gall was led to infer the position of this organ from witnessing the memory of particular persons in their relation of places they had visited, and the strong impression made upon them by surrounding objects, so that he regarded this to be a primitive faculty. Spurzheim says, “the special faculty of this organ and the sphere of its activity, remains to be determined. It makes the traveller, geographer and landscape painter, recollects localities and gives notions of perspective.” Persons in whom the organ is large, form vivid and distinct conceptions of situations and scenery which they have seen or heard described, and have great power in recalling such conceptions.—The organ is large in all eminent navigators and travellers, also in great astronomers and geographers. Persons who have this organ large, are passionately fond of travelling: and where firmness is small, it influences to restlessness, and love of change; to physical pleasure as a gratification of this organ, in the neglect of other duties, and thus often exerts a baneful influence on the mind when allowed to operate without control.