the same. I gave him verses and calendars, in order to see whether he might not be misled by the unequal irregular lines; but the boy stood the test. The same took place with Roman letters, and, what appears incredible, yet is literally true, with written papers, and even with notes. Two friends of mine have frequently attended these experiments, and may testify the truth of what I say.

"I did not know at that time the science of Phrenology, and consequently did not dream of any sense of form. It was not till I had made myself acquainted with Gall's doctrine, through Dr Otto's writings, that I observed my son's eyes to be so much depressed at the internal angle, as almost to deform his face. I have since had many proofs that he has a very great sense for forms. He is now in his fifth year, and recognises people whom he has seen only once, and even when they are most differently dressed, so that I myself do not know them. He likewise draws everywhere on slates, glass-panes, &c., and this very symmetrically, for he never forgets, whenever he puts an ornament on one side of his figures (which for the most part are mathematical), to put a similar one on the other side.

"Constructiveness and Imitation are also very large in the head of the boy; and he has consequently talent to become a portrait-painter. His eyes are very prominent, and though he stammers, his tongue runs perpetually; and, by assisting me in the garden, he has learnt with facility many difficult Latin names of the flowers, only by hearing them from me. His organ of Colour is extremely small; and he has indeed no just idea of colours, and confounds their names, although always corrected. He lately called a green coat black."

To the foregoing cases, reported by Mr Schiotz, I shall add an extract of a letter which I received some time ago from Dr Manicus of Eckernforde, in Holstein, the author of several excellent articles in my Phrenological Journal. It contains an account of a singular instance of mental derangement.

"You will allow me to communicate to you a case, which in a very striking manner proves the truth of some of your opinions, and probably will become the subject of a dilemma juridico-medicum. Some declare the patient irresponsible, and have put him in the state of minority: others declare him to be responsible, and call the proceeding of the former cruel and despotic. As the patient is rich, every one takes an interest in this contest, and gives an opinion according to his psychological notions. The case is as follows: The patient, about forty years old, has from childhood displayed a singular obstinacy of disposition, and shewed so little regard to social manners and customs, that he was generally considered as an odd fellow.' He got early possession of a very large fortune, and was on that account able to

satisfy every foolish wish and every whim. In the mean time, his passions were excited by law-suits, the objects of which were of no greater value than a few dollars, but which nevertheless cost him five hundred, which he willingly paid. Nobody has ever perceived in him any sign of benevolence towards others, or any sense of that esteem we owe to the rest of mankind. He was also totally void of veneration towards the Deity. But, what appears still more remarkable, even the strongest propensities, such as that of self-preservation, that which leads to social intercourse, and all the moral feelings, are entirely subdued by his stubbornness. Amongst his fixed ideas, one predominates, viz. that every thing is impure; on which account he washes himself incessantly, and has thus contracted an affection of the chest, attended with hectic fever, which probably will kill him. About six months ago, this practice of washing was forbidden him, whereupon he resolved not to touch any thing with his hands, -a resolution which he has been firm enough to keep to this day. He will never eat any thing in a house where he expectorates, spits, or discharges the alvine or urinary excretions; and, as the state of his health has not allowed him to walk out, he cannot be persuaded to take any thing but fluids. His rooms. must frequently be washed, and he threatens not even to drink, if this is not done,—a threat which he certainly will execute. Notwithstanding these hallucinations, his intellectual faculties are in the best order. He speaks sensibly about every object, and prosecutes with much sagacity and cunning the plans that tend to minister to his obstinacy. Finally, he has a depressed and passive appearance, and never offends any body by words or actions, being himself the only sufferer, whenever he meets with any obstacle to his whims. I should wonder if any of the old psychologists will be able to find a place for this mental disease in their systems.

"On his cranium I perceived at the first glance a prominence as large as a small hand in the region of the organ of Firmness; and before this, on the place where the organ of Veneration lies, a large depression. This depression extends itself over the organ of Hope, and indeed the man has never hoped any thing here or hereafter. The friendly conversations of the parson are, as soon as they assume a moral or religious character, immediately interrupted by him, with the remark, that it would be well to reserve such things for the pulpit.

"Is this mental disease not to be considered as a monomania in the organ of Firmness? And is not the patient to be looked upon and treated as irresponsible? At any rate, his insanity is only partial; his predominating stubbornness (firmness) subdues all his propensities and feelings."

We are much indebted to Dr Otto for this communication, and hope to be favoured with another from him soon. He is Editor of the Danish Medical Journal, and in the winter of 1830-1 read to the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Copenhagen some remarks on mental derangement, founded entirely on phrenological principles, but without one of the technical names peculiar to the science. His paper was received with much approbation, which would certainly not have been the case, if he had made an express reference to Phrenology. How inconsistent is mankind!-ED.

ARTICLE VII.

SKULL OF A HOTTENTOT, AND CHARACTER INFERRED
FROM IT.

A HOTTENTOT skull was lately sent by W. A. Davies, Esq. through Dr Mackintosh, to a phrenologist, Mr Combe, whose opinion of the mental qualities which it indicated was at the same time solicited. He accordingly drew up the following note of the development

Region of Animal Propensities, very large; size of Anterior Lobe, full; portion of Brain above Cautiousness, full; do. above Causality, full.

This development was transmitted, with the skull, to Mr Simpson, who thus inferred the character.

Inferred Character." The organization is essentially savage, and the character, with occasional gleams of kindliness and sagacity, would be almost entirely animal. With a basis of considerable quickness and intelligence, there would be cunning and disregard of truth and honesty; and a tendency to rage and revenge: the revenge, if ever taken, would not stop short of murder, pro

vided no formidable resistance was offered: secret and safe revenge would be preferred. The aspect would be sombre and melancholy; and, had there been a touch of insanity, there would have been danger of self-destruction. This savage would be vain, elated with praise, and irritated by ridicule; fond of children, and probably unsettled and wandering."

The development and inference were sent to Dr Mackintosh, and the following document has since been received from him.

"The Dying Confession of Matroos the Boschiesman.—I was a true Boschiesman, born in the Boschiesman's land. My name is Matroos, so given to me by one of my first masters. I was in the service of several cattle-farmers, along the borders of the colony at the New Plantation; but never would I behave myself well to any of them, leaving their service and wandering about; preferring an independent life to servitude. I went marauding and murdering through the country, and for a long time I escaped punishment. But at length stealing some horses from the farmers, I was pursued and surrounded, but scorned to surrender myself, though repeatedly called upon so to do. I defended myself with my assagais and poisoned arrows, as long as I had any left, and then made an obstinate resistance by hurling stones at my pursuers; but at length I was mortally wounded, and am now dying, being, as I believe, only about eighteen years of age.

06

Agter Suenberg, 182-."

"This statement was drawn up by Major Rogers, guardian of slaves, who accompanied Mr Justice Burton on the Circuit, when the skull of Matroos was presented to him at Graaf Reinet.-W. M. FORD."

It will at once occur to the reader, that the Boschiesman's confession confirms the character inferred, in its most striking features, but that it does not touch on some of its points. This was likely to happen, because the confession could not be expected to be a complete character of the individual.

The skull has been presented to the Phrenological Society*.

Although we are seldom at liberty to publish cases of this nature, where the powers of Phrenology are put to the test, such cases are of not unfrequent occurrence among our phrenological friends. Another of them, possessing no common degree of interest, forms the subject of the 5th article of this Number.

ARTICLE VIII.

CURIOUS AFFECTION OF THE FACULTY OF COLOURING.

A VALUED correspondent has communicated to us the following particulars:-"I shall mention to you a circumstance, which may be interesting, respecting several members of a family I formerly knew a good deal of. Two sisters and a brother (all the children except one) had a strange connexion in their minds between sounds and colours. Every word spoken suggested to them the idea of some colour. It had no relation to the sense; e. g. the word 'green' was not green, nor of the same colour as verd and xxwgos. They said it was the vowels that determined the colour. It was certainly no fiction; for if you shut them up in three rooms, and asked them separately as to the colours of various words in unknown languages, they would all agree; and so they would as to the notes of different birds or musical instruments. Can this be explained by any reference to the organ of Colour ?"

We published a case very similar to this in vol. iii. p. 420. The individual was a friend of Dr Otto of Copenhagen, to whom we were indebted for our information. "He tells me," says Dr Otto," that every thing that is represented to his mind is considered and afterwards thought of as a colour; or, in other words, all his ideas are associated with different colours. When you speak to him of a person or a thing, a red, blue, or white colour rushes into his mind, and he cannot think of the person or thing afterwards, but as a colour: when he thinks of me, for instance, I am a blue colour. All the days of the week are thought of as different colours: Monday is white to him, Tuesday blue, &c. He does not at all wish to make such associations-it happens quite instinctively and involuntarily. The most curious phenomenon is, that abstract terms, as goodness, philosophy, justice, &c. have to him different colours, and when you name to him a quality, one of the colours immediately comes into his mind. He is a very respectable man, and I can fully rely on the truth of his assertions in this respect." Dr Otto mentions that the organ of Colouring was very large in the head of the individual alluded to, who was extremely fond of painting, and successfully practised the art. He thinks that the phenomena can be explained only by supposing great activity of that organ.

We can add nothing to what was formerly remarked on this subject in our third volume, viz. that Dr Otto's conjecture is the best that can, in the present state of our knowledge, be hazarded.