Thirty-third annual report of the directors of James Murray's Royal Asylum for Lunatics, near Perth. June, 1860.

  • James Murray's Royal Asylum for Lunatics
Date:
1860
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thirty-third annual report of the directors of James Murray's Royal Asylum for Lunatics, near Perth. June, 1860. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Relative “de- We will contrast their results with the statements of phrenological of indiwduai writers, so as to bring prominently under the notice of our readers the u^Brain' °f points both of agreement and difference. Let us begin with a selection of the more important “ organs ” into which phrenologists divide the Brain. Amativeness 1. Amativeness.—“ There is no organ which is a more frequent cause of insanity than this,—none the excessive indulgence in which is so apt to superinduce idiocy, paralysis, epilepsy, and other nervous diseases, pulmonary and other complaints. . . . Besides the many forms of Mania produced by the excessive size and activity of this organ, some are the result of its necessary sympathy with other parts of the system. . . . They are all accompanied by undue excitement of those organs of Secretiveness, Combativeness, Destructiveness, and Alimen- tiveness, which we have remarked as being excited by this organ. This is manifested by sullen disobedience, the effect of Combativeness—an inclination to injure and even kill those around them; great suspicion especially relative to the subject of alimentiveness—that the food is poisoned; and the direction of the Destructiveness is to the neighbouring region of Philoprogenitiveness and Adhesiveness, the hatred being greatest toward husband and children.”—[Smith, p. 87]. The first statement quoted from Smith, according to our experience, is, to say the least of it, greatly exaggerated, while the last is by no means borne out by our statistics. Table I. shows that Amativeness was very large in 3 patients of either sex; but 9 other “ organs” were very large in a greater number of males, and 1 other in a greater number of females. It was large in a greater number of men than women, in the proportion of 54 to 84, as 45 to 89. But 2 “ organs ” were large in a greater number of males; 2 were large in a greater number, and 6 in an equal, or nearly equal number, of females. It was small in about an equal number of males and females (9 of the former and 10 of the latter), while it was very small in none. Table II. shows that, in 8 females labouring under Erotomania, it was very large only in 1 patient, large in 5, and very small in none. In 6 Masturbators (5 males and 1 fe¬ male) it was very large or very small in none, but large in 5. In 5 females, who showed a marked partiality for dolls, it was very large and very small in none, but large in 4. Table III. shows that, of 6 patients (3 male and 3 female) in whom Amativeness was very large, the real character of the individual was found confirmatory in 3 only. Phiiopro- 2. Philoprogenitiveness.—“ It is more considerably developed in the gcmtiveuesa. pemaje jieac^ both 0f ^he human species and of the lower animals, than in the male.”—[Smith, p. 88]. “ While visiting a Lunatic Asylum, we observed in one of the female inmates, about 38 years of age, a very large development of this organ, and remarked to the Physician of the Establishment that she would manifest extreme solicitude about children. He mentioned that she had no children, but that it was certainly re-