A new illustrated hand-book of phrenology, physiology and physiognomy.

  • Wells, R. B. D.
Date:
[1878?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A new illustrated hand-book of phrenology, physiology and physiognomy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    will only be two or three table spoonfuls of this fluid; but in a state of disease, such as softening of the brain, hydroce- phalus, &c., it increases in quantity to the extent sometimes of a basinful or more. This fluid is a stumbling block to many amateur phrenologists, for unless they can determine whether there is much or little of this fluid, they are apt to make mistakes. Some time ago we were introduced to a 3'oung man who had a ver}^ large head and who appeared to be very intelligent; but on placing our hands upon his head we found that there was a kind of leaden feeling and a want of warmth in his cranium, indicating the presence of a large quantity of this fluid, and we at once declared him to be semi-idiotic, or in other words, that he had not the proper control over his mind. Our statement was verified by his friends, who informed us that his head had been examined several times by amateur Phrenologists, and in each case he had been pronounced to be quite a genius. We were guided in our deductions as to the quantity of this fluid b}^ a peculiar feeling in the head, and the want of heat. We have already stated that the cerebrum is divided into two equal parts or Hemispheres, called the right and left hemispheres. Sir Charles Bell says, Whatever we observe on one side has a corresponding part on the other ; and an exact [general] resemblance and symmetry is preserved in all the lateral divisions of the brain. And so, if we take the proof of anatomy, we must admit that as the nerves are double and the organs of sense double, so is the brain double, and every sensation conveyed to the brain is conveyed to the two lateral parts, and the operations performed must be done in the two lateral portions at the same moment.