Christian Phrenology: A Guide to Self-Knowledge

by Joseph Bunney

OF

PHRENOLOGY.

In examining the history, or the progress of discovery in any particular science, we are irresistibly led to enquire why a series of facts like those which constitute its basis should have remained so long hidden from the eye of man. We know that the doctrines we are investigating are founded upon facts, and if those facts are in operation at this moment, they must have been equally so a thousand years ago, or our enquiries cannot be based upon Truth, since Truth is eternal. If, then, in perusing the records of phrenology, we are led to wonder at the long ages of human ignorance, Are we not equally surprised that all physical science should have existed so many ages, without the cognizance of man? Do we not wonder that thousands of years floated down the stream of Time, before man discovered why the lightning flashed across the heavens, or why the needle pointed to the pole, and are we not even now unable to tell why the polar Aurora diffuses its ethereal light? Why then single out Phrenology for disbelief, because it is new, is gold the less gold because fresh from the mine? or truth less true because recently revealed? We cannot tell why phrenology has so long remained unknown, but we may refer the reason to the wisdom of that Almighty Intelligence who placed his bow in the heavens, and fashioned that wonderful cycle of events that in every age has been suited to the wants and capacities of man. Phrenology could not have existed in any age but one wherein mind had asserted its mastery over matter, and although the understanding was in some measure prepared for the reception of new truths by the physiognomy of Lavater, and the facial line introduced by Camper, yet experience proved that Lavater’s theories were not generally applicable, and the means proposed by Camper at the best times uncertain. Anatomists and physiologists toiled at discovering the seat of the mind, they dissected and drew conclusions—but so vague and unsatisfactory was the knowledge communicated, that the more the anatomist dissected, the more he became entangled in a mass of conjecture and perplexity. The metaphysician failed too; he studied the mind chiefly through himself and by recording his own knowledge of his faculties, was led into error: like the nautilus he retreated into his own shell and thus sought to learn what was without, and as may be supposed men of different minds arrived at different results:—such was the state of mental knowledge about 1760. The method pursued by Dr. Gall, was essentially different; at an early period he was led to notice the difference of talents and disposition in his schoolmates and companions, he found one with a retentive memory, another with a talent for languages, one was remarkable for elegance of style, another for dullness, and a third for close reasoning; he found their dispositions equally different, and this diversity appeared to regulate their partialities and aversions; some showed a liking for play, others for books, and a third class for mechanical handiwork. In this manner every one presented an individual character; some years after he found that persons with a great talent for learning by heart were those with whom it was most difficult for him to compete, and he noticed that all these had prominent eyes, he then recollected that his early companions had the same feature prominent, and when he entered the University he directed his attention to this fact, and found that all those who had prominent eyes possessed a great facility of learning by heart, even in cases where they possessed no particular talent. Although this connexion between talent and external appearance was not sufficiently established to be considered as a certain circumstance, Dr. Gall could not divest himself of a belief in the relationship of the one fact to the other, and after much reflection he conceived that if memory for words had an external indication, the same circumstance might be traced to the other intellectual powers; looking therefore only at general indications he believed he could trace the existence of talents for painting, music and mechanics, he marked also the external features of individuals possessing great determination of character, this suggested to him the idea of looking to the head for all the moral sentiments, referring the state of the skull to the influence of the Brain.

Here then commenced the difficulties which appeared as soon as Dr. Gall compared his own observations from nature, with the opinions of Physiologists and Metaphysicians; he found that while some placed the sentient soul or intellectual faculties in the brain, others placed it in the heart, or the cerebellum, or even in the viscera, so that he hesitated about the correctness of his conclusions, he observed also that the principal difference of mental faculty was not owing to difference of education or accidental circumstances,—if the difference were accidental, the project he now contemplated would be hopeless, but he recollected that his brothers, and sisters, and schoolfellows had all received a similar education and equal care, yet many upon whom the teachers had bestowed great attention were still far behind their companions.

“Often,” says Dr. Gall, “we were accused of want of will, or deficiency in zeal; but many of us could not, even with the most ardent desire, followed out by the most obstinate efforts, attain, in some pursuits, even to mediocrity; while in some other points, some of us surpassed our schoolfellows without an effort, and almost, it might be said, without perceiving it ourselves. But, in point of fact, our masters did not appear to attach much faith to the system which taught equality of mental faculties: for they thought themselves entitled to exact more from one scholar, and less from another. They spoke frequently of natural gifts, or of the gifts of God, and consoled their pupils in the words of the Gospel, by assuring them that each would be required to render an account, only in proportion to the gifts he had received.”

Convinced by this, that there is a diversity of talent and of disposition, he encountered another obstacle in the conventional terms used to express the actions of the mind. Metaphysicians spoke of judgment, perception, thought, memory and imagination, but Gall wished to express a faculty for music, for painting and for mechanics, he therefore abandoned the theories and opinions of others resolving to learn by direct observation from nature; he visited prisons, schools and lunatic asylums, was introduced to courts, to colleges and the seats of justice; and wherever he heard of persons distinguished for any particular endowment or deficiency, he observed and studied the external features of those particular heads. In this manner by degrees of induction he felt himself warranted in his belief that the configurations of the head indicate the mental powers; in addition to this examination during life, whenever any of the persons died with whose peculiarities he had become acquainted during life, he used every means to be allowed to examine their brain after death, and thus he succeeded in arriving at the first outlines of those facts which time afterwards developed. In these researches he found that the brain covered by the dura mater presented a form exactly corresponding to that which the skull had exhibited during life: and being confident in the correctness of his system he announced it to the world at Vienna, in 1796. The successive steps that he passed over, were, 1. He observed the relationship between particular talents and particular forms of the head. 2. He ascertained that the figure and size of the brain corresponded in every point with the skull. 3. He dissected the brain minutely so as to investigate its structure.

Dr. Spurzheim studied under Gall, in 1800, and in 1804 became associated with him in his labours; since that period many new and valuable discoveries were made by them in the anatomy and physiology of the brain; the truths thus elucidated mere formed into a system of mental philosophy.

It was impossible to foresee what results would follow the exposition of this doctrine. Dr. Gall’s mode of enquiry was plain and simple; thus he found that a desire for gain bore relation to the size of one part of the brain—he called it the organ of theft, because he found it largest in thieves; the propensity to destroy, he called murder, because he found it largest in individuals condemned for that crime—in like manner benevolence and other organs, for as Dr. Gall had not laid out any arrangement, a series of disjointed facts was all that could be arrived at, leaving their value to be determined at a future period, when the multitude of facts should require some arrangement. As soon, therefore, as the value of the materials had been ascertained by time and further investigation, the eye of philosophy at once detected the materials for a system of mental elucidation, and phrenological facts were arranged into a scientific system, whose importance has been universally recognized: facts that had hitherto appeared isolated were soon connected with others and the obloquy that had been thrown upon it by public ridicule, was overpowered by the presence of truth. The doctrines which at first were a rude and undigested mass of unconnected facts, whose apparent results were neither promising nor inviting, now became changed in character,—it was recognized to be the science of mind and its value was apparent, the new opinions had been doubted, simply because they were new, but they bore upon them the impress of truth: those who were adverse to its doctrines, were those who had not studied its principles; and those who doubt it now are those who have never examined the volume of nature, from which the page of science has been torn. Those who consider its relative bearing, both upon individuals and the human race, will be convinced that Phrenology carries in its train the most valuable assistance in furthering the cause of education, morality, and religion. We cannot conclude this chapter better than by quoting the annexed extract by a popular writer from the Foreign Quarterly Review;—

“Nothing that ever was devised by man has put in his hands so powerful an instrument to know himself, as that which we (phrenologists) have given him; for, if he believes in us, he cannot deny the evidence of his own organization. The first key to unlock the hearts of others is that which opens our own; and to know whether we judge our neighbour fairly or not, we should measure the quantity of our own feelings which we mix up in the judgment. But from this acquaintance with ourselves and others may result the greatest benefit that could accrue to social intercourse, mutual indulgence. When we recollect that each has his own particular organization, as we have ours; that it is not easy to controul the dispositions which nature has thus implanted in our minds; that we have defects as insupportable, perhaps, as any that we encounter, we shall be more disposed to bear with others’ foibles, that they may pardon ours; and mutual necessity will make us tolerant.

“A still higher function of phrenology, as it relates to mankind at large, not merely to the few unfortunates who labour under malady, is its empire over education. The vast error, that men are alike fitted for all professions, that all can turn their mental powers to the same account and profit, has done much injury to the education of individuals, and consequently to the general progress of the world. But our science (continue Drs. Gall and Spurzheim) shows that all men are not alike fitted for all purposes; that, in one, a receptiveness for musical, in another for mathematical instruction predominates; that some are endowed with the power of prompt perception, and others with that of abstruse induction; in short, that every walk of social life has its destined votaries. Now, it is to be hoped, that when parents have the authority of phrenology for the talents and disposition of their children, they will cultivate those which nature has made the most salient in their cranium, and not torment them with studies for which they have no sufficient organ. Should one of their boys, in defiance of birch-rods and ferulas, neglect his vocabulary to carve his taw, or cut out waggon-wheels with his penknife, let them consult one of us, and we will tell them that all the betula of Windsor forest will not make a scholar of him; we will show that, not being one of the ox-eyed, he can but ill remember words, but that having a fulness in the frontal bone just above the spheno-temporal suture, he may become an expert mechanic, an engineer, a mill-wright, or a Watt; that it is in vain to thrust in through the gluteus maximus what cannot penetrate the head; and that flog him as they may, his propria quæ maribus will always be covered with chips and chisels. In the same manner we will teach them to oppose the bad propensities of youth, by withholding aliment from self-love, from obstinacy, from cruelty, and by cherishing benevolence, justice, piety; and correcting levity by gently stimulating the reflecting faculties. We can tell, too, why many a school-boy, who has carried away prizes and rewards, sinks into an ordinary adult; and why more than one dunce has burst out like a luminary in later years; for we can show the organs which make a brilliant infant and a dull man, and those which are of little use at Eton, but most essential to a statesman or a philosopher. Neither shall we allow ourselves to be imposed upon by any urchin’s cunning, or mistake ill will and idleness for inability. The marks by which we judge are registered by nature, indelible, immutable, and clear to every eye.