Phrenology, or the doctrine of the mind : and of the relations between its manifestations and the body.
- Johann Spurzheim
- Date:
- 1825
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Phrenology, or the doctrine of the mind : and of the relations between its manifestations and the body. Source: Wellcome Collection.
68/352 page 52
![I'llliKNOLOC Y. % out and vvithiii. The excrescences are sometimes spongy, soft, and smooth ; but more usually solid, hard, and uneven, or gibbous, like stalactites or cauliHowers. These gibbosities have ])eeii mistaken by superficial observers for convolutions of the l)rain ; but they really present nothing analogous to such as are found in nature. In every one of them the place of adhe¬ sion to the surface of the skull by a root larger or smaller, may be distinguished, and the whole mass is frequently larger than a healthy ox’s brain. The half of such a fancied petrified brain, shown to us by Professor Bonn, of Amsterdam, was larger than a whole natural brain. As to the influence of these bony excrescences upon the cerebral functions, it is certain that, notwithstanding their ex¬ istence, men and animals can live for many years/and manifest various faculties. It is, however, improbable that the faculties suffer no derangement from their presence ; as in all the exam- ])les, except that cited by Duverney, which he himself did not see, the same symptoms have been remarked which take place when the brain is compressed from any other cause. The cow of which Dr. Simson speaks, ate and drank, saw and heard, as well as any other animal of the kind, but she had a difficulty of breathing which made her snort in her sleep ; and instead of getting flesh when she was fed to be slaughtered, she rather })ined away and became leaner. The pressure in such cases does the less harm, because the excrescence grows very slowly. Although I have not yet had an opportunity of observing one, I think it very probable that the brain is not compressed in proportion as the bony excrescence increases, but that the cavi¬ ties of the skull become larger by degrees, just as happens in dropsy of the brain. Whatever then has been said refrardino- ossified brains, must be attributed to ignorance of anatomv and physiology. Some share of the blame may also attach to inaccurate observations and excessive love of the marvellous. I rcj^irat here what Dr. (xall and 1 have alwavs said, that if](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2929597x_0068.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
