the extinction of these very powers? That long-continued functional disease of other parts of the body, the heart for example, does cause organic disease, cannot now be doubted; and it would be difficult to point out any reason why the same law should not apply to the brain.* Passion is frequently the exciting cause of apoplexy, thus breaking down and destroying the texture of the brain as effectually as a musket-ball, or the process of inflammation. May not, then, the irritation of a diseased mental impression, sustained for years, act in a like manner ? Be this as it may, the following facts are certain. The tumours mutilated the organs of Tune and Time, and she who was formed for and fond of singing, ceases to sing, or be affected by music. Order is implicated; and first she is afflicted by the defilement of her aërial persecutors; and, secondly, she who was the pattern of neatness and cleanliness, becomes slovenly and dirty. Self-Esteem, which was large, prompted her to resume her former habits; but the effort was vain-she knew not how to do so. The disease of the organ of Language was indicated by her unusual taciturnity, and her peculiar mode of expression. Weight participated, and she could not walk without staggering. Locality was completely destroyed, and she lost her way in the common hall, with all the objects in which she had been for years familiar. The diseased phenomena of the other Knowing Organs, such as Form, Size, &c. were unfortunately not noticed. Indeed, it is remarkable that details of so many peculiarities, and those so strikingly illustrative of the pathology of the disease, have been preserved. The loss of others, which must have existed, and Many of Serres's cases of cerebellar apoplexy appear to countenance these views. Should they prove to be correct, many of the most obscure phenomena of insanity will become easily explicable-such, for instance, as the manner in which the indulgence of particular propensities, or the violent excitement of other powers, produces permanent disease. + We are inclined to regard Mr Browne's conjecture on this point as less plausible than the supposition that the deranged perceptions of his patient were the result, not the cause, of the disease. Vision-seeing, no doubt, indicates great exaltation of the functions of the Knowing Organs; but the ques tion here arises, Did vision-seeing precede and give origin to the disease; or was not the order of events rather the reverse of this? The organ of Wonder, we admit, stimulates the Knowing Organs, so as to occasion the perception of apparitions; and it is intelligible that in this way disease of the anterior lobe might arise from functional excess. We are not aware, however, that any instance of such an occurrence has been recorded; while, on the contrary, there are many where disease of the Knowing Organs was the precursor of vision-seeing. Unless the organ of Wonder in Mr Browne's patient gave rise to the perception of apparitions during her whole life, we must conclude that disease was present before such perception took place. Besides, the organs of Order and Number, which are not essential for vision-seeing, and would therefore not be implicated in the supposed functional excess, were notwithstanding affected by the disease.-EDITOR. might have proved still more valuable in the exposition, establishes the necessity for noting every particular in the conduct of the insane, however trivial the manifestation, and however chronic and incurable the malady may be. ARTICLE VIII. PHRENOLOGY SIMPLIFIED: Being an Exposition of the Principles and Applications of Phrenology to the Practical Uses of Life. Intended as a Sequel to the "Catechism of Phrenology." By a Member of the Phrenological Society of Edinburgh. Glasgow: W. R. M‘Phun. 1836, Pp. 208. THE anonymous compiler of this volume, calling himself a member of the Phrenological Society, states in his preface, that "in preparing it for the press, utility, more than originality, has been aimed at." This avowal is, no doubt, exceedingly candid; but its import would have been yet more clear had the writer mentioned that, of his 208 pages, about 188 are transcribed verbatim from works already in the hands of the public, generally without acknowledgment-thus leaving twenty which seem to have the attribute of "originality." In plain terms, we have never witnessed a grosser instance of barefaced plagiarism, or greater clumsiness in stringing stolen paragraphs together. The works chiefly plundered are the Phrenological Journal, Mr Combe's Constitution of Man, and treatises by Dr Caldwell. For more than three-fourths of his ma terials the compiler is indebted to our pages, so that in “aiming at utility" he has laid us pretty severely under contribution. From p 24 to 68, he has copied nearly the whole of Dr Caldwell's Treatise on Penitentiary Discipline from the seventh volume of the Journal, awkwardly intermixing with it (“ in illustration," he says of what we have just stated"! p. 32), extracts from the Constitution of Man, pp. 136 and 138, the Transactions of the Phrenological Society, p. 313, and our fifth volume, p. 557. At p. 51, he suddenly jumps from Dr Caldwell's essay to the Prospectus of the Phrenological Society of Paris (translated in our seventh volume, p. 295), wherein is set forth the utility of Phrenology to artists; but on p. 55 he resumes with Dr Caldwell the subject of prison-discipline! Then follow (p. 59) an anecdote from the Court Journal, and (p. 63) a second slice of the Prospectus of the Parisian Society. On p. 65 Dr Caldwell is rejoined at the point where he was parted from on p. 59, and nothing is found but extracts from his essay above named, and from his Thoughts on Physical Education, till we arrive at p. 71, where commences a series of acknowledged extracts from the Journal on various topics, occupying twelve pages. Then, on p. 82, a leap is suddenly taken from an adventure in a stage-coach, back to penitentiary discipline; and Dr Caldwell is once more faithfully adhered to till we reach p. 98. Here the compiler introduces, with the following veracious words, a page of quotation from a different author: “Since writing the above, we have laid our hands on a description of the person of Jesus Christ," &c. Yet every syllable of "the above" is from the pen of Dr Caldwell, except in one sentence on p. 83, where a little alteration was convenient instead of saying, as Dr C. does, "We possess the skull of a man who was executed at the age of about thirty, for the last of nine murders, the whole of which he acknowledged he had committed from an inherent love of slaughter," the compiler (who might have been requested to exhibit the said cranium) tells the reader that " we have seen the skull of a man,” &c. Perhaps, however, he took a trip to Kentucky for the purpose of inspecting it. From p. 100 Dr Caldwell's treatise on Penitentiary Discipline is again unmercifully plundered as far as p. 113, where the compiler says-" We shall conclude our remarks on the discipline of prisons by a few cases illustrative of Phrenology, communicated by Dr Otto of Copenhagen to the Phrenological Journal." With these cases, accordingly, he fills seven or eight pages, at the end of which, still copying verbatim from the Journal, he speaks thus in his own person"We leave it to every body acquainted with Phrenology to judge," &c. (p. 120); and again—" In the foregoing remarks we have entirely confined ourselves to the application of phrenological principles to the reformation of criminals, and to moral education generally. We shall now," he adds, " attempt to shew that they may be applied with equal power and efficacy to religious instruction," (p. 123). And with this flourish he introduces unacknowledged quotations from Mr Combe to the moderate amount of twenty-six pages! Nearly the whole of these are from our seventh volume, pp. 325, 201-4, 326, 204, 327-330, 205-212. Then we are treated (p. 149) with a speech of Dr Welsh at a dinner of the Phrenological Society, an extract from Dr Combe's work on Mental Derangement, and eleven pages of a report of a lecture by Mr Deville. Next comes (p. 163.) a narrative of Dr Spurzheim's visit to the Edinburgh Lunatic Asylum, which is acknowledged to be taken from the Journal. On p. 167, "We proceed now," says the compiler," to speak of the principles of Phrenology as applicable in the formation of marriages;" but, instead of "speaking" as proposed, he makes other men speak for him, in plundering Messrs Combe and Smart (Phren. Jour. vii. 414, and viii. 464-472), by whose aid his volume is carried as far as p. 182. On the following page a paragraph is stolen from Dr Caldwell's Thoughts on Physical Education, and afterwards Mr Combe (Phren. Jour. vii. 412–13-20-21-27) is quoted from, down to p. 187. Next are fifteen pages (plundered verbatim from the Journal, v. 426; vi. 211-15, 218; v. 427) on the choice of servants by their heads. Here we find such expressions as the following reprinted without alteration. "A friend informed us lately, that in England he had met with an extensive merchant who stated that he never engaged a clerk without previous examination of his head. We speak from experience in assuring our readers that they will find the advantage of following the same rule," (p. 187). And-" We have been favoured with the report, and commit no offence in publishing it," (p. 198). In short, the volume is altogether so disgraceful a production, and so evidently interferes with literary property, that the publisher has thought it prudent to comply with the demand of the proprietors of the Journal, that it should be instantly withdrawn from circulation. Even the title, we may remark, savours of dishonesty; for, independently of what is hinted at in the first paragraph of this notice, the book, so far from "simplifying" Phrenology, is such a jumble of heterogeneous matter, that it is calculated to confound rather than enlighten persons still in the threshold of the study. It is dedicated, without permission, to Dr Welsh. ARTICLE IX. STATISTICS OF PHRENOLOGY. cfr.235-;400. WE are happy to learn that our very intelligent friend Mr Hewett C. Watson is engaged in the preparation of a work on the "Statistics of Phrenology," intended to comprise a brief account of the different Phrenological Societies now established in the British isles; a notice of the progress of the science in the provincial towns, so far as any particulars can be ascertained; a list of the distinct works on Phrenology, pro and con, and of essays and communications on the subject to be found in other works; records of the printed opinions of authors and men of science, and other matters. Mr Watson's object is to shew the collective strength of phrenologists, and to warn editors, reviewers, and others, that prudential considerations should make them now abstain from further opposition to the science; it being too firmly fixed, and too rapidly increasing in public consideration, to be safely attacked by any one, and, least of all, by persons whose reputation or pecuniary interests hang upon public support. In order to render his work serviceable to phrenologists, and an accurate record of the present state of phrenological science in Britain, Mr Watson particularly so licits local information, and references to phrenological essays introduced into works on other subjects. The following circular has been issued to intimate the kind of intelligence sought for, and we earnestly solicit phrenologists in all quarters to cooperate with Mr Watson, who will receive with thankfulness letters in reply from all who are disposed to assist him in his undertaking, whether the circular has been sent to them or not. "SIR,-Being engaged in collecting information for the purpose of shewing the present state of Phrenology in Britain, and the extent to which any knowledge of it is diffused through society, I take the liberty of forwarding to you the following queries on the subject; respectfully soliciting replies to such of them as you may deem proper and find it convenient to attend to. In case of not being prepared to name precise numbers, more general expressions can be used-as, many, few, very few, about a dozen, about a score, &c. I have the honour to be, &c. HEWETT C. WATSON. DITTON MARSH, near KINGSTON ON THAMES. “I. Queries concerning the Phrenological Society of 1. Is there any Phrenological Society in 2. When was the Society instituted? 3. What number of members does it now consist of? 4. What number of Members of the Society belong to the Medical Profession? 5. Has the Society any Museum or Collection illustrative of Phrenology? 6. What number of Human Skulls are in the Collection? 7. Ditto, Casts? 8. Ditto, Busts or Models? 9. What number of Animal Skulls? 10. Ditto, Casts? 11. Ditto, Models or Preparations? 12. What number of Books treating of Phrenology? 13. What number of detached Portraits, engraved or other wise, illustrative of Phrenology? 14. What entrance-fee and annual subscription are demanded from persons becoming members? 15. How often does the Society meet? "II. Queries having reference to the public of generally, and in the replies to which the Members of the Phrenological Society of to be counted. are NOT 16. What number of educated and competent persons in and |