The greater number held diplomas of doctors in medicine, or of surgeons. Nor did they, on this occasion, ruffle for the first time unfledged pinions; for many of them were gentlemen extensively travelled, and known, moreover, as debaters in different societies for a period of several years. Nevertheless, we are constrained to say, that they manifested throughout a profound ignorance of phrenology, with a deficiency either of ability or inclination to grapple fairly and manfully with its principles; they indulged in a spirit of cavilling on petty and isolated points, wandering through a maze of random assertion, founding on hearsay statements; and when they ventured to allege a fact in support of their own views, they coupled it with a positive declaration that its accuracy must be received on their report, and that they had taken the most effectual means to prevent the phrenologists from finding out the individuals alluded to, so as to verify the assertion by their observations. The Phrenological Transactions, on the other hand, replete with principles and facts, were published before the debate, and in the hands of the Medical Society; we likewise furnished one of their members with a copy of our First Number before publication, also containing many facts, and it was placed on the Medical Society's table for a week before the first night of discussion. These publications must have been diligently read; for members of the Medical Society not only visited the Phrenological Society's collection of casts on the regular days of exhibition, but solicited and obtained private inspection of them day after day, and were incessant in examining and measuring them.Nevertheless, in the whole discussion no opponent once ventured to attack the principles stated and elucidated in Mr Combe's essay then read: only one called in question any part of the essay, and this was on a speculative point; and no member of the Medical Society, except one, (of whom we shall speak presently), denied the correctness of the facts stated in the Phrenological Transactions or Journal, which they had the means of verifying by an unrestrained inspection of the casts and skulls.

VOL I.-No II.

X

Our astonishment, therefore, was indescribable on hearing it reported all over the town, after the termination of the discussion, that the members of the Medical Society had completely refuted phrenology, and put it down for ever. There was no vote of the Society on the question, so that this assertion must have had reference exclusively to the supposed effect of the speeches. We traced the report, and found it to originate with the members of the Society themselves, who loudly proclaimed a victory at once brilliant and decisive. In anticipation of a discussion really interesting, we had requested a gentleman, who is much interested in phrenology, to take down the speeches in short hand, and three other friends to take notes; on comparing which, we found ourselves in possession of a very full and accurate report of the debate. On hearing of the boasted triumph of the opponents, we congratulated ourselves in possessing these materials, and resolved, in perfect candour and good faith, to give the public an opportunity of judging between us and our opponents. Aware, however, that we were liable to be viewed as partisans, and that if we reported the speeches exactly as they were delivered, many persons might suspect us of misrepresenting them; and anxious, at the same time, to do the speakers ample justice, we resolved to apply to themselves for notes of their speeches, and to print whatever they furnished us with. We accordingly sent the following circular to each of the speakers in the debate :

66

"THE Editor of the Phrenological Journal, intending to give an account of the recent debate on phrenology in the Medical Society, will be happy to receive from Mr -, notes of the facts "and arguments brought forward by him in his speech, so that the "report may be as full, accurate, and complete as possible, and "that the public may have an opportunity of judging of the "real merits of the question at issue. The Editor has only to add, "that no statements can be published that are not accompanied by "the names of the individuals who made them, and that they will require to be in his hands within a fortnight from this date; the "limits of the Journal require also, that brevity and condensation "should be attended to as far as possible. Communications to be "directed to the Editor, to the care of Messrs Oliver & Boyd, "Tweeddale Court, Edinburgh."

66

In addressing this circular to the members of the Medical Society, the Editor never for a moment imagined that he was proposing any thing to which they could be reluctant to agree; indeed it was reasonable to infer, that they would rather be pleased than offended with such a request. Understanding, however, that the members of the Medical Society believed that they were prohibited by their own laws from publishing any proceedings within its walls without permission (which, however, we know is not the case), and actųated by respect for that belief, he addressed the following note to their President :

Edinburgh, 28th November 1823.-The Editor of the Phre"nological Journal presents respectful compliments to the President "of the Medical Society, and solicits the favour of his reading the "annexed circular to the Society, and also begs that the Society "will be pleased to grant permission to their members to furnish "him with notes of their speeches at the late debate on phrenology." -A copy of the circular was annexed.

This letter being communicated to the Society at their next meeting on 28th November, the president of that meeting, as instructed by the Society, returned the following answer :

Edinburgh, 28th November 1823.-The President of the Me"dical Society presents compliments to the Editor of the Phrenolo"gical Journal,-acknowledges receipt of the note from him of "this date, requesting that the Medical Society would be pleased to grant permission to their members to furnish him with notes "of their speeches at the debate on phrenology, and informs the "Editor, that said note having been communicated to the Society at their meeting this evening, the request therein contained was "unanimously refused."

To the circular, the Editor received the following answers, the names subscribed to which he suppresses, out of respect to the writers, but the originals are ready to be produced when called for :

" Dr

begs to acquaint the Editor of the Phrenologi"cal Journal, in reply to his obliging communication of the 27th ❝ult., that his regard for the laws of the Society of which he is a "member prevents him from complying with the condescending request of the Editor."

"SIR,-In answer to your circular, I have the honour to inform you, that, by the laws of the Medical Society, I should incur the penalty of expulsion, were I, of my own unauthorised movement, "to furnish you with any materials for the publication of its debates. I would decline doing so on this ground also, that what "I stated in the course of Tuesday evening, with the exception of "the mere facts, was the product entirely of the discussion, unas"sisted by notes or previous preparation, so that I no longer can I give an account of the arguments I employed on that occasion. "Besides, I must confess, that, even were I both permitted and "able to give you the information you desire, I should withhold it "in consideration of the tone of your letter, which, permit me to 66 say it, has more the air of a summons than a request, and seems "to imply, what is the reverse of the truth, that I must be ambi"tious of seeing my name figure in the pages of the Phrenological "Journal. I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient humble servant,

"To the Editor of the Phrenological Journal."

"Mrpresents his compliments to Dr as Editor of "the Phrenological Journal, and begs to inform him, that a compliance with his request will subject Mr to expulsion from "the Medical Society, and the Editor, if he perseveres in his de"termination of publishing an account of the debate, to a prosecu"tion for breach of privilege of the Society. If, however, the Editor "chooses to make an application to Mr as a private individual, Mr will, after duly weighing the matter, and finishing "his researches, be happy to write a paper for his Journal. To "publish the crude undigested facts which Mr

MITTED to state to the Society, would destroy Mr

was PER

-'s repu

"tation as a man of scientific research,-be discreditable to the "Medical Society,—and afford no just grounds of honour to the "phrenologists."

"

Edinburgh, 2d December 1823. "SIR,-I had the honour of receiving from you, some days ago, a note requesting me to send you the substance of my speech at "the Medical Society at the recent debate on phrenology. I should "have had no objection to send you whatever I might recollect "of my speech, or rather speeches, (for I spoke at the end of the "second as well as at the beginning of the first debate), but that it " is contrary to an express law of the Society, and also contrary to "its wish, as signified at the last meeting.

"Considering these circumstances, I must beg to decline comply

This letter is from the gentleman who called in question the accuracy of the statements made by the phrenologists, relative to the casts in the Society's collection. We add no comment.

"ing with your demand; and I have, in my turn to request, as any notes taken by you or your friends at the time must necessarily be incomplete, and perhaps beset with errors in several "points, that you will not publish any thing that I may have said, as you will thus most probably give a garbled statement to the "public. I remain,

Sir,

Your very obedient servant.”

"SIR,-Having received from a committee of the Royal Medical "Society, their orders not to publish the speeches on phrenology, you will of course see that it is out of my power to give you an "abstract of mine. In place of it, therefore, be pleased to receive "my opinion of the science, as concisely expressed as possible, viz. "I. Those organs which we possess in common with the lower "animals are seated in the base and back part of the head.

"II. Those intellectual organs to which there is only an ap"proximation in the higher orders of brutes, are seated in the "middle and highest parts of the brain, advancing as far as the "frontal sinus.

"III. Those organs which are purely intellectual and human, "and to which there is no approximation in the lower animals, are "seated in the forehead and projecting parts of the brain.

"That part of phrenology which has been founded upon obser"vations upon the lower animals I will and must believe; but it appears to me, that the central parts of the brain are not capable "of that minute subdivision into organs which we find in Dr Spurz"heim's work, and that the organs in the forehead have been "brought to a degree of ideal perfection which can scarcely be "founded upon actual observation.

"Farther, I cannot conceive that these organs, even where they "exist, are the sole cause or even the main cause of human actions. The "cause of hunian actions is a certain powerful impulse, which guides "us and prompts us to our deeds. Upon such organs as do not exist, "the impulse cannot operate; but where they do, the impulse acting "upon the organs produces effects not in proportion to the size of "those organs. In fine, to make my ideas better known by a com"parison, I would say, that the impulse is to the organ as the male is to the female; and, as we find men produce greater effects in "society than women, so we must assign, after all, an unknown "impulse as the main cause of human actions. I am,

Sir,

Your very obedient Servant." "P.S.-Your society is at full liberty to publish this letter if they "think fit."

The refusal of the members to furnish their own speeches was followed up instantly with a threat, by the agent, of legal proceedings if we should dare to publish any account of