Elements of phrenology / [George Combe].

  • George Combe
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Elements of phrenology / [George Combe]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    27/250 page 13
    from parallelism between the two tables of the skull does not, in general, exceed one-eighth part of an inch ; whereas the differences of size in particular parts of equally large heads, extend occasionally to one inch and a quarter, as may be seen by contrasting the busts of Mr Joseph Hume and Dr Chalmers in the region of Ideality. These positions being granted, the possibility of Dr Gall’s discoveries becomes evident, and the question re- solves itself into one merely of evidence. As human beings everywhere exist and manifest their faculties, the means of proving or disproving the truth of what Dr Gall has reported, are within the reach of every person who qualifies himself by study and practice for making obser- vations and drawing conclusions. Phrenologists, there- fore, do not rely exclusively on recorded cases as evi- dence. They adduce these as illustrations and examples, and refer every student to Nature, stating that philoso- phical conviction can be founded only on actual obser- vation. The brain differs in different individuals, not in size merely, but in quality or constitution ; and this fact must always be attended to. Ifin any one person, we com- pare the manifestations of the organs which are smal! with those of the organs which are large, as a general rule, the power of manifestation will be found greatest in the latter ; because, in general, the whole of the same brain is of the same quality or constitution, and thus fair scope is given to the influence of size. But if we compare the manifestations of any particular organ in John and in James, although the size be the same, yet James may manifest the corresponding faculty with the greater vi- gour. This may arise from the quality or constitution of James’s brain being superior, or from his having exercised the organ in question more than John had done. If we compare James’s organs with each other, and John’s organs with each other, we shall find that the power of manifestation of each faculty in the same
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