The various theories of the relation of mind and brain reviewed / by George Duncan.

  • Duncan, G. (George)
Date:
1869
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The various theories of the relation of mind and brain reviewed / by George Duncan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    are scarcely in a position to manipulate the human head. Now, that races of men, or the varieties of a race, may be determined by the shape of the skull, I admit freely; and that a knowledge of this subject is- useful, nay indispensable, to scientific men, I also admit. But that this kind of craniology differs materially from the craniology of the phrenologist, I think none Avill dispute, and I dare say there is much room for progress in both of these sciences. Again, phrenologists tell us that they not only have the assent of the man who is being manipulated that their statements are true, but they likewise have the concm'ring testimony of those who know him. But, under the circumstances, I place little value ha that sort of evidence. For instance, I have read some two hundred heads dm-ing the last three years, and I generally had the concurring testimony of those who knew the parties. I confess that I know very little of phrenological manipulation; but my experience is, that if the parties present are prejudiced in favour of phrenology, then all the statements of the phrenolo- gist will be true: but if the said parties are prejudiced against phrenology, then all, or nearly all, his state- ments will be pronounced false. Men are not fi*ee from prejudice on this vexed question, and their bias- Tvill be manifested in one form or another. I have found phrenologists very far wrong in their delinea- tion of character, and hoaxes have been pei*petrated on them, which tell perhaps not a little against then-