mit a similar mistake, and imagine that education fails to invigorate them and develope their organs, when, in fact, our endeavours have been wrongly directed and could not be successful; but the present paper has run already to so great a length that I must postpone any farther remarks on this part of the subject till another opportunity.

Before taking leave, however, I would again enforce the absolute necessity of physiological knowledge for the successful guidance of teachers and parents. If the size of the cerebral organs admits of being increased by judicious exercise, and impaired or retarded by mismanagement, it obviously becomes an indispensable qualification for those who undertake their right direction to possess an accurate acquaintance with the functions and laws of the animal economy; and it is rather strange that we should have gone on to the present day without such an obvious truth having been universally perceived and acted upon.

Having now shewn, 1st, That judicious mental exercise promotes the development of the cerebral organs in youth; 2dly, That there is strong presumptive evidence in proof of the same effect taking place even in mature age; 3dly, That we are still little acquainted with other important physiological conditions which act powerfully in modifying the results of exercise; and 4thly, That the knowledge of these conditions would greatly extend the efficacy of moral and intellectual education, and multiply our means of advancing the moral welfare and happiness of the race; I do not require to add another word to induce phrenologists to collect additional evidence on all the doubtful points, and to prosecute the inquiry with persevering accuracy, and with a constant view to its important practical advantage.

In a future paper I may touch upon the question, Whether inaction of a mental faculty leads to diminution in the size of its cerebral organ, and consequently to a permanent change of character. At present neither time nor space will permit me to add more.

ARTICLE IV.

CASE OF CHANGE OF DISPOSITIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH CHANGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CERTAIN ORGANS IN THE BRAIN.

TO GEORGE COMBE, Esq.

DEAR SIR,

BARNARD CASTLE, 2d January 1837. DURING the last few weeks a case of change of character, accompanied by a corresponding change in the form of the head, has occurred within my own practice and observation, which

is strongly illustrative of the views of the writer of Article III. in the last number of the Phrenological Journal; and, as this branch of phrenological study deserves the utmost attention, I take the liberty of sending you the particulars of the case to which I allude.

A. B. is a female, who, in her youth and for some years after her marriage, was exceedingly fond of gaiety and dress; she was haughty, and exhibited all the distinguishing marks of active Self-Esteem. Some years ago a decided change took place in her character: this commenced by religious impressions, and since then she has gradually become more and more remarkable for the increasing humility of her disposition, and for manifestations of character directly opposite to her former conduct. She has had seven children, one of which died about six years ago, and other three within the last two years. During the early period of her matrimonial life, she shewed less than the ordinary degree of attachment to her children; but during the period of the above named bereavements, her mind was much exercised over her offspring, and she felt a strongly increasing attachment to them. Her love for her remaining children is at present ardent-she seems to doat upon them with the fondest delight, and her solicitude and affection for them is extreme. She is herself subject to frequent attacks of severe illness; and during these attacks the all-engrossing subject of her thoughts is her children, and she absolutely makes herself unhappy by picturing to her mind the state of helplessness and distress which she fancies must be their lot in the event of her death. On the 3d of last month, I (being the medical attendant of the family) was sent for to consult on a subject which she alleged had been giving her considerable uneasiness. She then related to me that a great change in the form of her head had taken place, which lately had become so apparent, as several times to have attracted the attention of the servant who was in the habit of occasionally dressing her hair. Placing her hand upon the posterior and inferior part of the head, she observed that the large protuberance there had come within the last year or two; and then again, over the posterior and superior part of the head, she observed, "It has fallen away from here." I examined the parts and found the organs of Philoprogenitiveness, Adhesiveness, and Concentrativeness, enormously developed; while over the region of Self-Esteem and Love of Approbation, there was a complete depression, and the tables of the skull there appeared to have receded to a considerable extent. The increasing size of the one part, and depression of the other, had been matter of repeated observation between herself and the servant before mentioned. As serious apprehensions began to be entertained that it was indicative of

disease in the head, I was sent for and consulted upon the case. The only symptom complained of was "a throbbing sensation in the back part of the head when under any mental excitement; at any other time no inconvenience or pain was experienced." The lady and her servant are both entirely ignorant on the subject of Phrenology, and at the time of my visit were not even aware that such a science existed.

I make no comment on this case, but if you think the facts mentioned will be of any service in assisting the investigation of the important question to which they refer, you can communicate them to the Journal, or make what other use you please of them they certainly do appear to prove the accuracy of the sentiments entertained by the writer of the article in the last number of the Journal to which I have before alluded, in which he mentions a class of cases of change in the head, caus-ed by one or two feelings becoming exceedingly active, or subjected to great neglect or suffering. I am, Dear Sir, very truly yours, MARTIN KIRTLEY.

ARTICLE V.

PHRENOLOGICAL OPINIONS OF JOHN GIBSON LOCKHART, Esq.

ALTHOUGH the Quarterly Review has uniformly sneered at Phrenology, there are good grounds for supposing that Mr Lockhart, its present editor, entertains a somewhat higher opinion of Gall's system, and knows it better, than the exhibitions of the writers in the Quarterly may have led some to imagine. In Peter's Letters to his Kinsfolk, published by Mr Lockhart several years before his editorship began, Phrenology is introduced so frequently, and in language so serious and respectful, that every candid reader will be forced to believe the writer to have regarded this doctrine as both highly important and essentially true. "I saw yesterday, for the first time," says he, in Letter IX.," an original portrait of David Hume; and you, who know my physiognomical and cranioscopical mania, will easily believe that this was a high source of gratification to me. Really you are too severe in your comments on my passion for the human head divine.' I wish to God some plain, sensible man, with the true Baconian turn for observation, would set about devoting himself in good earnest to the calm consideration of the skulls and faces which come in his way. In the present stage of the science, there is no occasion that any man should subject himself to the suspicion or reproach of quackery, by

drawing rash conclusions, or laying claims before the time, to the seer-like qualities, which a mature system of cranioscopy, well understood, would undoubtedly confer. All that can be done for a very long time, is, to note down the structure of men's heads in one page of a memorandum-book, and brief outlines of their character, so far as these are known, in another. If fifty rational persons, in different regions of Europe, would keep such books for a few years, and then submit the whole to be inspected by a committee of cool inquirers, there can be no doubt data enough would be found accumulated, either firmly to establish, or fairly, and for ever, to overturn the idea of such a system. Whatever might be the result, I cannot think but that the time devoted to the inquiries would be pleasantly, nay, profitably spent. The person engaged in such a study, I do not at all mean perpetually engaged in it, could not fail to extend his acquaintance with his own species; for he would be furnished with a stronger stimulus than is common, to be quick and keen-sighted in the scrutiny of individuals. I, for my part, have already my skull-book, and I flatter myself its pages, even now, might furnish no uninteresting subject of study I promise you, I intend to enrich it prodigiously before you have any opportunity of inspecting it."

Mr Lockhart then offers the following interesting remarks on the configuration of Hume's head :

"The prints of David Hume are, most of them, I believe, taken from the very portrait I have seen; but, of course, the style and effect of the features are much more thoroughly to be understood, when one has an opportunity of observing them expanded in their natural proportions. The face is far from being in any respect a classical one. The forehead is chiefly remarkable for its prominence from the ear, and not so much for its height. This gives him a lowering sort of look forward, expressive of great inquisitiveness into matters of fact, and the consequences to be deduced from them. His eyes are singularly prominent, which, according to the Gallic system, would indicate an extraordinary development of the organ of Language behind them. His nose is too low between the eyes, and not well or boldly formed in any other respect. The lips, although not handsome, have, in their fleshy and massy outlines, abundant marks of habitual reflection and intellectual occupation. The whole has a fine expression of intellectual dignity, candour, and serenity. The want of elevation, however, which I have already noticed, injures very much the effect even of the structure of the lower part of the head. It takes away all idea of the presence of the highest and most god-like elements of which our nature is capable. In the language of the German doctor, it denotes the non-development of the organ of Veneration. It

is to be regretted that he wore powder, for this prevents us from having the advantage of seeing what was the natural style of his hair-or, indeed, of ascertaining the form of any part of his head beyond the forehead. If I mistake not, this physiognomy accords very well with the idea you have formed of David Hume's character. Although he was rather fond of plaguing his theological contemporaries, there was not much of the fanaticism of infidelity about him. His object, in most cases, was to see what the mere power of ratiocination would lead to, and wherever he met with an illogical sequence of propositions, he broke it down without mercy. When he was led into ill-toned and improper feelings, it was chiefly by the intoxication of intellectual power, for there seems to have been much humanity and graciousness in his disposition."

-a

Of Jeffrey's forehead, Mr Lockhart says, in Letter VI., that "it is very singularly shaped, describing in its bend from side to side a larger segment of a circle than is at all common"circumstance indicative of a great development of Eventuality and Comparison. Henry Cockburn's head is thus described in Letter XXXIV.: "Full of the lines of discernment and acumen immediately above the eyebrows, and over these again of the marks of imagination and wit, his skull rises highest of all in the region of veneration; and this structure, I apprehend, coincides exactly as it should do with the peculiarities of his mind and temperament." Of Professor Playfair" the forehead is very finely developed-singularly broad across the temples, as, according to Spurzheim, all mathematical foreheads must be; but the beauty in that quarter is rather of an ad clerum character, or, as Pindar hath it,

προς το παν Ερμηνεων χατίζει.

I, however, who really, in good earnest, begin to believe a little of the system, could not help remarking this circumstance; and more particularly so, because I found Mr L's* skull to possess many of the same features-above all, that of the breadth between the temples." (Letter VII.)

But it is on the heads of Sir Walter Scott and other contemporary poets that Mr Lockhart's remarks are most interesting. "In the general form (of Sir Walter's head) so very high and conical, and, above all, in the manner in which the forehead goes into the top of the head, there is something which at once

you that here is the lofty enthusiasm, and passionate veneration for greatness, which must enter into the composition of every illustrious poet. In these respects, S-bears some resemblance to the busts of Shakspeare, but a much more close resemblance to those of the great Corneille; and surely Corneille was one

* Professor Leslie is here meant.