finger, when reading, and proceeds from line to line without any alteration in his tone or cadence. When he meets with any word that is too long to be taken in as an individual, he divides it without any hesitation into two; if the word, for instance, in the Greek is agaλaußava, he will individualize the age as a single word, and pronounce it as such, and then the latter half in like manner making a pause between the two, as distinct and long as between any other two words in his reading.

If these views are correct, the strength of the boy's talent lies in his organ of Individuality, which is extremely large. The faculty has been exercised more in this way than in any other; but the boy has a very quick and accurate observation in all things, and nothing in the room escapes his notice. There are numerous facts to prove that a moderate endowment of the faculty of Language, when accompanied with largely developed organs of Comparison, Eventuality, and Individuality, will fit a person for eminence in scholarship, better than a much larger development of the same organ, if the other three are inferior in size. The former combination occurs in this instance; but I conceive that the organs of Comparison and Eventuality take no part in the present limited exercise of this particular power. Such an endowment will certainly afford him great capacity for literary acquirement. Considering, however, the general development of his cerebral organization, I think that if equal scope be afforded for the exercise of all his faculties, the chief tendency of his mind will be in a different direction. With a more than moderate development of the organs of the perceptive faculties in general, he combines an extraordinary development of the organ of Constructiveness; and, with a combination of this kind, I should conceive, that under favourable circumstances he would be less likely to prove remarkable as a linguist, than to distinguish himself in the capacity of a civil engineer, or in some other department of physical science, affording a sufficient field for the exercise of his organ of Constructive

ness.

It is gratifying to notice, that the boy is likely within a short time to be placed in a situation favourable for the cultivation of his moral and intellectual faculties, and for the proper restraint of the inferior powers. Some benevolent individuals having opened a subscription for defraying the expenses of a plan they have in view, have made a proposal to his mother, to which, after some unwillingness, she has at length acceded. It is intended to place him under careful tuition till he is of age to be removed to Christ's Hospital in London; and it will then be left to time, and the effect of past education, to determine the direction of his future movements.

If there be any thing to make this sketch worthy of a place

in a public journal, it is the circumstance I have just mentioned; for, being acquainted, as we are, with his development when a child, it will be interesting to observe the changes produced on it by time, habit, and education; as well as to watch the influence exerted by his organization upon these. I desire to add, that it is not without some hesitation I have offered any remarks upon this case, as my acquaintance with the boy's development has been derived from a single examination of the living head; and though I have reason to think it is correct as far as regards the leading features of his cerebral organization, I doubt not there are some errors which a more accurate examination would unfold.

BATH, Dec. 18. 1834.

H. J. PRINCE.

The foregoing interesting communication has been sent us in consequence of a note in our 42d Number, p. 192 of the present volume; and we return our best thanks to Mr Prince for his attention, and also to Dr Barlow, at whose suggestion the sketch was written. As we possess neither a cast of the head nor a note of its dimensions, it is impossible for us to judge of the accuracy of Mr Prince's statement of the cerebral development. If possible, a cast should be obtained, as it would throw light on some rather obscure points in intellectual philosophy, and serve hereafter as a standard whereby to measure the future changes which the head may undergo.

Mr Prince ascribes the remarkable facility with which the boy reads to the great development of Individuality; but we are decidedly of opinion that Form is the organ chiefly concerned. It is the physical appearance of printed words which he remembers so accurately, and the appropriate articulate sounds are recalled chiefly by association. When forms are not presented to him, there is no great verbal memory. So little did we anticipate a large development of Language, that the note in our 42d Number is entitled simply "ORGAN OF FORM ;" and the only remark made on the case is, that "Supposing the brain to be healthy, the manifestations are those of a large organ of Form." We refrain, however, from offering any farther observations, founded on the development as given by Mr Prince, because he himself is doubtful whether it is correctly stated, as he had only one opportunity of examining the head. We admire the spirited and philosophical philanthropy of the gentlemen at Bath, in so generously rescuing the boy from the dangers of his wandering life, and placing him in a situation so favourable for future improvement. We trust, however, that special care will be taken not to hurry on his intellectual education so rapidly, as to endanger the health of the brain, and lead to the loss of the talents by

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which he is at present distinguished. He appears to be in safe hands.

A printed circular, containing the following additional particulars, was kindly sent us, about three months ago, by Dr Barlow.

"It may be proper to inform the friends and patrons of this highly gifted child, that he has been for some time at Merthyr Tydvil, living under the same roof with his parents, and receiving daily tuition from the Rev. J. Jones, from whom several very satisfactory reports have been received of the daily improvement and gradual development of his intellectual faculties.

"In order to provide for every contingent expense for three years, including a sum of money already given to the parents to enable them to establish themselves at Merthyr Tydvil,—an annual allowance for the board of their child (as any attempt to separate him, in tender infancy, from his parents, would have been a measure that might very properly be deemed harsh, unfeeling, and unnatural),-and the expenses attending his education,-it is proposed to raise the sum of L. 200. This amount will not only be sufficient for the important object intended, in the first instance, to be accomplished, but will leave a small surplus to be appropriated for the future benefit of William Manuel.

"Of this amount, the sum of L. 108 has been already collected, and it is to be hoped that the publicity of this advertisement will re-excite a generous interest in behalf of this highly gifted child, and soon procure, in liberal contributions, what may be necessary to carry fully into effect the earlier stages of his education. At the end of three years the means will be afforded of forming perhaps a more decisive opinion on the quality of his intellectual powers, and the practical application which it may be right that they should subsequently receive.

"Subscriptions will, as heretofore, be received at any of the Banks in Bath; and also by Mr Musgrave, at the Post Office." Farther accounts of William Manuel will always be acceptable-EDITOR.

ARTICLE IX.

LETTER FROM SIR G. S. MACKENZIE, BART. ON MR SIMPSON'S VIEWS AS TO THE SENSE OF RESISTANCE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHRENOLOGICAL JOURNAL.

SIR, I have been deeply interested by the perusal of Mr Simpson's paper on Force and Resistance, in your last number;

and as he appears to wish that its effects on my mind should be made known to your readers, I now sit down once more to reflect on the subject, and to endeavour to place in as clear a light as possible, some ideas that have occurred to me in reference to what is understood by the term Sense of Touch.or

It is needless to go back in order to take a view of former errors. Mr Simpson has done me the honour to place my spe culations on the metaphysical dissecting table, and has wielded his scalpel in such a manner that I have felt no pam, but, on the contrary, very great pleasure. Although I might, perhaps successfully, infuse some agreeable sensations into his mind by a similar operation, conducted in the same spirit, on his paper, I think it is better to go forward at once into another branch of the road to truth; and I feel assured that my highly valued fellow-traveller will be delighted to accompany me, and be ready to support me should he perceive any loss of equilibrium in my steps. Having perused his excellent paper, it at once occurred that something had been missed by both of us which may yet be found; and, while I doubt Mr Simpson's affirmation that his powers for the investigation in which we have been engaged are inferior to mine, I hope that our joint efforts may elicit something of value in the science of mind.

In the departments of observation and reflection phrenologists have yet much to do; and I own that I should be rather pleased to see the rising generation applying itself to the metaphysical department, than that it should be left to heads that have passed their meridian: not that any excuse is wanted for such heads not working as long as they can; but that younger phrenologists should get into the habit of observation and reflection, to enable them to rectify any mistakes in the speculations of their predecessors. All of us labour under one disadvantage-the poverty of language. Were we richer in terms, we should be more able to express and explain our ideas. This poverty, and perhaps also some error in the conventional meaning of terms which we have, has, probably, not only retarded the improvement of Phrenology, but also furnished the enemies of its progress with means of retardation. In other sciences their votaries are continually forced to invent new terms. From the rapid multiplication of these, some confusion has certainly arisen, in consequence of the desire for new names having in some cases become a mania, causing unnecessary and puzzling substitution for old and received terms, as well as the invention of new ones when really wanted. Although phrenologists have experienced inconvenience from the want of terms, still it is best to accommodate known words to their wants as far as that may be practicable, and to explain them carefully, so that, in the use of them, all may attach to them the same ideas.

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Keeping this in view, I now propose to attempt discovering whether there be any real difference in the meaning of the terms Touch and Resistance; and, at the outset, I announce my present belief to be, that touch, in the common acceptation of the term, and resistance, are precisely the same thing, and that the faculty of force is necessary to the sense of touch; that is, that the perceptions of the sense have all a direct reference to the faculty of force, which cognizes them. This is not very correct language perhaps, but the meaning will be obvious. That there is another, a sixth sense, usually comprehended under the term touch, seems also unquestionable; but it is not Resistance. Mr Simpson has not given us any definition or explanation of resistance, to shew that it is unconnected with touch; and I propose to shew that every thing connected with touch is the perception of force, and counterforce or resistance; and that the idea of resistance is nothing more than an estimate of the amount of muscular force in reference to that of other forces.

It must be kept in view that the sense of touch, as commonly understood, is not confined to the fingers, but is diffused over the whole surface of the body. Let us suppose now, that, desiring to know its qualities, we move a finger towards a body at rest. The faculty of force moves the muscles of the arm; and being ignorant of the qualities of the body, the force communicating motion to the finger is small. The finger comes into contact with the body, and the first sensation is plainly that of resistance, and nothing else. Now, if we inquire into the cause of this resistance, (which, supposing our eyes to be shut, informs us of the presence of the body), the cause, viz. of its remaining without motion, we find that it is retained in its place by one or more forces operating in a direction different from that of the force which moved our finger towards it. This is obvious, in whatever circumstances the body may be. Hence the office of the sense of touch is, in the first place, to inform us that there exists a body distinct from our finger, on which certain forces are operating, sufficient to counteract or stop the motion of the finger produced by the muscular force we willed to exert. This first office is clearly to indicate what we call resistance, and nothing else. Now, let us increase the force with which the finger is pushed forward, and we may find that the resistance applies not to the whole point of the finger, but to different parts of it. This want of uniformity in resistance is what we call roughness, in contradistinction to smoothness; which last quality is indicated by a general sense of resistance uniform over the whole surface of skin applied to the body under examination. Hardness can be estimated only to the extent of the force that can be exerted by the muscles. Softness is nothing more than a low degree of hardness. When a body