zation, why does he not display the powers of human nature equally with those around him? Or, if education do every thing, where is the patron of education who will undertake to bring his mind to the perfection of that of a child a quarter of his age?"

The organs of the propensities are, on the whole, not largely developed in proportion to the other parts of the brain. Amativeness, Philoprogenitiveness, and Combativeness, are, however, of considerable size; while Destructiveness, Secretiveness, and Cautiousness, are small. With respect to the manifestations of the first of these, Mr Wilson has not been able to ascertain much: "I have observed, however," he says, "that he is more patient during the time he is teased by females than when teased by men; and he turned with a very expressive smile towards one who placed her arm within his own." Mr Wilson mentions also, that he exercises Combativeness rather frequently, immediately striking any who offends him; he is also bold and fearless. I saw him pursue a large dog, and imitate its barking; and when he had provoked its snarl, he appeared highly delighted. He seldom exercises Destructiveness, and his anger is only of momentary duration. Self-esteem and Love of Approbation are seldom displayed. Cautiousness is small, and he can easily be sent into danger. Some mischievous men one day undressed him, and persuaded him to go into the river, although for the first time in his life; he walked in until nearly out of his depth, and was proceeding onward when the sight of his godmother deterred him. Acquisitiveness and Secretiveness are not very marked; indeed, if any thing be shewn him, he looks attentively at it for a time, but seldom appears desirous of removing it. I placed some pence upon a table and turned away, but he exhibited no desire to take it. When I brought him to the Society, on a former evening, the Members asked him which he would have, a penny or a halfpenny? he invariably put his finger upon both, and wished for both; he did not scem disposed to seize the money, nor did he shew regret at not receiving it."

Such of the perceptive organs as have their place immediately over the eyes, are well developed; but on proceeding upwards to the intellectual region, we find there a lamentable and almost total deficiency." If he receives a penny," says Mr Wilson," his Locality guides him to the place where to spend it, because he has observed this first done by others who accompanied him; his Individuality informs him which is the article he wants in exchange, and he invariably chooses the largest piece, in preference that consumed, he moves away: another object attracts his attention, and he surveys it a moment with every appearance of curious delight; he passes on, alternately no

VOL, IX.-NO. XLII.

I

ticing and wandering (Individuality and Locality), until either the sting of hunger or the friendly hand of his attendant draws him home. Although he knows few things by name, yet if you direct his eye to an object and bid him reach it to you, he will do it. His Form is rather large, and he recollects individuals very well. He knew the cast-maker and myself the second time he saw us. His Language is moderate; yet I am persuaded, that, with proper instruction, he might have had a more extensive vocabulary. His attendants have never succeeded in teaching him to button or unbutton his own clothes. He shews a great desire to imitate, and the artist succeeded in taking the cast by inducing him to imitate the position shown to him." It is not mentioned whether he is a good mimic. The size of the organ of Imitation is not such as to make us anticipate this.

After stating that Dr Spurzheim strongly condemned marriage betwixt relations as likely to lead to mental imbecilities in the offspring, and remarking that the parents of this boy were cousins, Mr Wilson concluded by observing, that " phrenologists always have insisted upon the necessity of acting in obedience to the natural laws in marriages; and if these laws had been observed by the parents of him whose case I have laid before you, there would, at least, have been two of these unfortunate individuals less upon record, and I should have been spared the necessity of troubling you with a short comment upon the character of one this evening."

We shall finish the present article by quoting a short passage

from Dr Spurzheim's work on Insanity. "We are very well

aware," says he, "that a great number of facts, repeated under various circumstances, are necessary before we can draw a general conclusion; but with respect to idiotism from birth, we have made such a number of observations in various countries, that we have no hesitation in affirming that a too small brain is unfit for the manifestation of the mind. I beg to remark, that I do not say that idiotism is the attribute of a too small brain only; idiotism may be the result of different causes, one of which is a too small brain. We are convinced from observation, that the laws of nature are constant; and if we continually observe that the same phenomenon takes place under the same circumstances, we consider our conclusion as certain, till experience shews the contrary. No one, then, has the right to maintain that an inference is too hastily drawn because he has not made a sufficient number of observations. It is his duty to shew facts which prove the contrary, if he intend to deny the inference."

ARTICLE VI.

JOURNAL DE LA SOCIÉTÉ PHRÉNOLOGIQUE DE PARIS. Tome II. No. V.

WE are somewhat in arrear with our notices of the French Phrenological Journal, partly from the later numbers not having been received till some months after they were due, and partly from the urgent demands recently made upon our space. It is with pleasure that we now resume consideration of the labours of our Parisian brethren, and congratulate the conductors of the Journal on the regular advance which its contents are making in value and interest. In the introductory notice to this number, it is stated that the causes which prevented the regular appearance of the Journal during the disastrous year 1832 (when cholera raged in Paris), being now removed, the conductors have taken the most efficacious measures to cancel the arrears. "We have," they say, "immense materials in hand, and, by active communications with the principal foreign Phrenological Societies, shall enrich ourselves with the fruits of their discoveries and labours."

Upon the 22d of August, the anniversary of Dr Gall's death, the Phrenological Society of Paris holds an annual meeting, at which are reported the transactions of the previous year, the losses sustained, the acquisitions made, the state of Phrenology at the time, and the evidence afforded by lately received busts in confirmation of the principles of the science. To these annual meetings the public are invited, and on each occasion a large assembly has come forward. Last year, the Hall of St John was early filled by a numerous auditory; among whom were the Prefect of the Seine,-several members of the Institute and Royal Academy of Medicine,-several Professors of the Ecole de Médecine, French and foreign savans, advocates, and magistrates, and also a great number of ladies. The business was commenced by a discourse from the president, Professor Bouillaud; after which, a summary of the proceedings of the Society during the year 1832-3, by Dr Casimir Broussais, the secretary, was read. Both of these are printed in the Journal, and contain many interesting details.

In Professor Bouillaud's discourse, we find some very pertinent general observations on the principles of Phrenology, its practical utility, and the treatment which Gall received from his contemporaries, particularly Napoleon and Cuvier. "The opposition of these two great men," he says, "backed as it was

by the power of ridicule, so terrible in all countries but particularly in France, arrested, so to speak, the course of the new star which had just appeared above the scientific horizon. Forthwith the journals, schools, and academies, formed a sort of Holy Alliance against the system of Gall; and all would have been over with that system long ere now, were it possible for the triumph of any Holy Alliance over truth, phrenological or otherwise, to continue for ever. This conspiracy of influential men and associations against a truth may indeed delay its progress and retard its development: but there comes at length a time when enlightened public opinion takes truth under its powerful protection; and to the sway of that ruler of the world every thing, not excepting even the authority of a Napoleon and a Cuvier, ultimately yields. But what concerns us most at present is, that the heads of Napoleon and Cuvier are, if I may use the expression, the best arguments which one could desire for refuting the opinions of these illustrious men; and now, when both have descended prematurely to the tomb, Phrenology, which is not the last to pay a just tribute of admiration to the vast and lofty powers with which they were endowed, asks no other revenge for the injury, which they inflicted on it, than that of making their heads serve to demonstrate the very principles to which, during life, they were opposed. Glance, now, at these busts," continued Dr Bouillaud, pointing to the casts on the table, "glance at these busts, and, however limited your acquaintance with Phrenology may be, you cannot fail at once to perceive not only that they prove by their volume the law that, cæteris paribus, power of mind is in proportion to the size of the brain, but also that, in the difference of their configuration, may be found the cause of the chief differences presented by the characters and talents of these two illustrious individuals. This head," pointing to that of Cuvier, "ought to belong to the Aristotle of France; that," pointing to Napoleon's," suits better the modern Alexander."

The Professor is of opinion, that as Phrenology is now settled on a secure basis, its votaries ought seriously to devote their attention to its progress and improvement alone, and to the fittest means that can be devised for diffusing and rendering popular the facts with which the science is already enriched, and is daily adding to its store. It is with the view of contri

buting in some measure to the accomplishment of this important object, that the Parisian Society, besides instituting their Journal and public courses of lectures, has appointed the great annual meeting already mentioned to be held.

In the Summary of the Society's proceedings, various important subjects are introduced. The writer, Dr Broussais, begins by noticing a few of the numerous phrenological facts which

had been brought before the meetings. After alluding to several cases having reference to the organs of reproduction, reported to the Society by MM. Tanchou, Sorlin, Bourjeot Saint-Hilaire, &c., and which confirm the ideas of Gall as to the functions of the cerebellum, he states the following particulars of a case which had occurred in the practice of Professor Bouillaud. That physician attended a young man ill of a violent fever, occasioned by inflammation of the bowels. The patient's head presented a considerable development of the organ of Tune, and he sang in cessantly during his fits of delirium, with remarkable force and correctness; while of no other intellectual faculty was any activity apparent. During his periods of calm, he had no recollection of what had occurred during the paroxysms. There is next mentioned a letter from Mr Deville, of London, relating the case of an individual whose head had presented different degrees of cerebral development at different periods of his life. At first, he was abandoned to himself, without education, and in circumstances calculated rather to impair than to develope his faculties; afterwards, he was placed in a situation favourable to their development; and, finally, several years later, he relapsed into his original condition, and anew exhibited deterioration of mind. His brain presented corresponding phases of development and degradation.-Dr Broussais goes on to say, that Dr Lacorbière, in a recent visit to Germany, had successfully applied phrenology in the examination of several patients in a lunatic asylum, and that the accuracy of his phrenological judgment had made some proselytes in Hamburgh.

In reference to a Critical Examination, by Dr Sarlandière, of the classification and names of the mental faculties adopted by Gall and Spurzheim, published in the fourth number of the Society's Journal, Dr Broussais states, that among the members Gall and Spurzheim had found champions who had combated Dr Sarlandière's pretensions; and from this discussion," he, "there has resulted, I think, a truth-namely, that the question is yet insolvable, and that nothing but time and the progress of Phrenology can lead to its solution."

says

A work on the Seat and Nature of Mental Diseases, by Dr Bottex, physician to a lunatic asylum at Lyons, is mentioned with approbation. That writer demonstrates, that insanity is not a disease of the soul or mind, but an affection of the organic structure; that its essential seat is the brain; and that the morbid condition of that viscus varies according to the species of mental derangement: and he maintains, that, without the aid of the principle that the brain consists of a plurality of organs, it is impossible to account for many phenomena of insanity.

Among the skulls and casts presented to the society, and for most of which it is indebted to the active zeal of M. Dumoutier,