For the sentiment of Love we look to the upper surface of the brain as the seat of the nobler sentiments. Being a stronger sentiment than Harmony, it should be located farther back where we place the letters Love. Its antagonism must be on the basilar surface, and a little behind the vertical line, as Love is before it. This antagonistic faculty would domineer and crush. Its extremest action would result in Hatred. Its location is marked by the letters Ha. and Do.
Upon the principles already stated, the intellect occupies the extreme front of the brain—the anterior surface of the front lobe. Its general character will be represented by its middle—the region of Consciousness and of Memory (Memory). The faculties that relate to physical objects, the intellect common to animals, would necessarily occupy the lower stratum along the brow (Perception), while the higher species of intellect would occupy a higher position at the summit of the forehead. Sagacity, Reason, and other similar forms of intellect, marked Understanding, are above—physical conceptions below—Memory, which retains both, lying between them.
The perceptive power, with the widest exterior range, is at the median line, where we find clairvoyance; and the interior meditative power, such as Invention, Composition, Calculation, and Planning, belongs to the lateral or exterior surface of the forehead, according to the principles just stated. Adhesiveness (Adh.) is the centre of the antagonism to the intellect.
Religion, which relates to the infinite exterior, to the universe and its loftiest power, must evidently be upon the median line and in the higher portion of the brain, farther back than Benevolence, as it is a stronger sentiment, but not so far back as Patience and Firmness.
Its antagonism must be at the lower external surface, behind Irritability, (as Religion is before Patience,) but before Acquisitiveness. The tendency of such a faculty must be toward a lawless defiance of everything sacred, a passionate, impulsive self-will and selfishness, resulting in lawless profligacy. Profligacy would, therefore, be the name for its predominance (Pr.), while executive independence and energy for selfish purposes would be its more normal manifestation.
Thus we might go over the entire brain, showing that all the locations of functions which have been learned from comparison of crania with character, and which have been absolutely demonstrated by experiments upon intelligent persons, are arranged in accordance with general laws which are easily understood. The perfection of divine wisdom is made fully apparent when we see the vast complexity of the psychic phenomena of man.
“A MIGHTY MAZE BUT NOT WITHOUT A PLAN,”
subjected to laws of arrangement and harmony that make it so clearly intelligible. Far more do we realize this when we master the science of Pathognomy, and discover that all the attributes or faculties of the human soul, and all its complex relations with the body, are demonstrably subject to mathematical laws.
I do not propose in this sketch to go through all the details of the localities as I might with the anatomical models before a class, but would refer, in conclusion, to the location of the physiological functions of the brain.
Its basilar surfaces, pointing downwards, have their normal influence upon the body. Behind the ear they act upon the spinal cord and muscular system. Hence basilar depth produces vital force and muscular power. But as the basilar functions, which use the body, are opposite to the coronal functions which sustain our higher nature, it follows that excessive use of the body, either for exertion or for sensual pleasure, is destructive to our higher faculties, operating in many respects like the indulgence of the lower passions. Hence mankind are imbruted by excessive toil as well as by excessive sensuality and violence.