Statistics of phrenology : being a sketch of the progress and present state of that science in the British Islands.

  • Hewett Watson
Date:
1836
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Statistics of phrenology : being a sketch of the progress and present state of that science in the British Islands. 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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    S I. JIISTOUY OF PIIKENni.OOT. inventive writers on taste. In Llio proreding year Sir George liad openly avowed liinisclf a convert to tlie new doctrines, to the astonisliment of his compeers and scien- tific friends; and, as they doubtless then believed, to the certain injury of his sti'iitific reputation. Dr. Parry of Rath, a physician and author of much repute, also gave his testimony of the value of Gall and Spurzheim's disco- veries. And Mr. Lawrence, who takes such high rank in the surgical profession, spoke very favourably of the sys- tem in 1S19; but honestly admitted himself to be not sufficiently acquainted with iL^ facts to give a decided opinion. Yet these gentlemen had been anticipated by men of established name in science; for a work in explanation and defence of phrenology, under the title of a Sketch of the New Anatomy and Physiology of the Nervous Sys- tem of Drs. Gall and Spurzheim, was published in 1815, by Thomas Forster, F.L.S., author of several works on Na- tural History ; and the work contained also a very decided approval both of the anatomy and pliysiology of Gall and Spurzheim, in a letter from Dr. Leach, one of the most sci- entific naturalists of the present centurj'. This Sketch was an enlarged reprint of an essay previously published in the Pamphleteer. While a large portion of the periodical press was op- posing its influence to the diffusion of phrenologA', and not a few writers were guilty of the most unjustifiable attempts to injure the personal reputation of phrenologists, the Medico-Chirurgical Journal and Review lent ils support to the cause of truth, so early as IS]7, by publishing a statement and defence of Spurzheim's proceedings in Edinburgh, on the occasion of meeting Dr. Gordon, his detractor in the Edinburgh R«view. The defence in question is stated to be from a eorre>p()n(lenf, whose cha- racter is beyond suspicion of niisrej)resentation, and who was present at the time. Tliis was followed up. in
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