every principle of analogy, that some propensity of a similar character must exist also in the sane state, of which these manifestations are only abuses caused by the disturbing influence of disease;-in short, that disease can no more produce, as a first cause, a violent tendency to destroy, than it can create a sixth sense, a new sentiment, or an intellectual power. Is there, then, such a tendency manifested in derangement or not?

The following cases are published in Dr Gall's Physiologie du Cerveau. M. Mayer of Berlin, surgeon of a regiment, shewed Drs Gall and Spurzheim, in presence of Messrs Heim, Formey, Gæricke, and others, a soldier, who, from distress at the loss of his wife, had suffered a wasting of the body, accompanied with excessive irritability. At last he was seized every month with convulsions. He perceived their approach, and as he felt an immoderate propensity to kill increasing upon him, in proportion as the paroxysm approached, he begged his attendants to bind him with chains. At the end of a few days the fit and propensity diminished, and he himself indicated the time he might with propriety be set at liberty. At Haina they saw a man, who, at certain periods, felt an irresistible desire to commit violence upon others. He also was aware of his unhappy tendency, and made himself be confined till such time as he felt that he would not abuse his liberty. A man, subject to melancholy, assisted at the execution of a criminal, and the spectacle excited in him such a vivid emotion, that he was instantly seized with a vehement desire to kill, and at the same time preserved the greatest abhorrence of such a crime. He spoke of his unhappy condition with tears and extreme confusion, begged of his friends to save themselves from his hands, and thanked them when they strenuously resisted his attempts. Pinel, also, a celebrated writer on insanity, who is not a phrenologist, remarked that patients are frequently furious without derangement of the intellectual faculties, and he therefore testifies dissatisfaction with the definition which Locke has given of insanity. He speaks of an individual who was subject to periodical attacks of mania, and whose fits regularly returned after intervals of calm of several months duration. "Their ap

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proach," says he, "was preceded by the sensation of a burn"ing heat in the interior of the abdomen, then in the breast, " and latterly in the face; next redness des joues, sparkling eyes, "great distention of the veins and arteries of the head, and at "last an uncontrollable fury, which inspired him with an irre"sistible propensity to seize an instrument or offensive weapon "to knock on the head the first person who presented himself "to his view. He experienced a sort of internal combat be"tween this ferocious impulse to destroy, and the profound hor"ror which rose in his mind at the very idea of such a crime. "There was no mark of wandering of memory, magination, or judgment. He avowed to me, during his strict seclusion, "that his propensity to commit a murder was absolutely forced " and involuntary,—that his wife, whom he tenderly loved, had

nearly become his victim, he having scarcely had time to bid her "fly to avoid his fury. All his lucid intervals were marked by "melancholy reflections and expressions of remorse; and so

great did his disgust of life become, that he had several times attempted, by an act of suicide," (this is common in the excess of Destructiveness)" to bring it to a close. What reason have "I (said he) to cut the throat of the superintendant of the hos"pital, who treats us with so much kindness? and yet in my moments of fury I am tempted to rush upon him, as well as others, and plunge a dagger in his bosom. It is this unhap"py and irresistible propensity which reduces me to despair, "and makes me attempt my own life." (Sur l'Alienation Mentale, deuxième édition, p. 102 et 103. § 117.) "Another aliena❝ted patient,” says Pinel, "experienced attacks of fury, which "recurred periodically during six months of the year. He was "sensible himself of the decline of the symptoms towards the "end of the fits, and indicated precisely the time when he might "be set at liberty in the interior of the hospital. He requested "the attendants to defer his liberation, if he felt doubts of con "trolling the blind impulse which prompted him to commit "acts of the greatest violence. During his intervals of calm, he "avowed that while the fit lasted, it was impossible for him to repress his fury; that if any one presented himself before

"him, he experienced, believing that he saw the blood flowing "in the veins of the man, an irresistible desire to suck it, and to tear his limbs to pieces with his teeth." (Ibidem, p. 293, 284. § 239.

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The following case is given on the authority of Dr Zimmerman of Krumbach. "A peasant, born at Krumbach in Suabia, aged twenty-seven, and unmarried, and of parents who did "not enjoy the best health, was subject, from the age of eight years, to frequent attacks of epilepsy. About two years ago "his malady changed its character, without it being possible to assign any reason for the alteration ;-instead of the attack of epilepsy, the man, since this period, felt himself seized with a "violent propensity to commit a murder. He felt the approach "of the attack sometimes several hours, sometimes a whole day, "before its actual invasion. From the moment in which he "felt the presentiment, he earnestly entreated to be chained, to prevent him from committing so fearful a crime. When

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"the propensity seizes me, (said he), I am absolutely forced to "kill or strangle, were it even an infant.' His father and mo"ther, for whom he felt a sincere attachment, would have been, "during the attack, the first victims of his propensity. Mo"ther,' cried he, in a tone of voice truly terrible, fly, or I "shall be absolutely forced to strangle you."

M. Fodéré, also, who is rather an opponent than a convert to phrenology, cites several examples of the great activity of the destructive propensity in mania; among others, that of a young man, of twenty-five years of age, who had several times lifted his hand against his father, and who was shut up on this account in a lunatic asylum. He was always very neat in his person, and appeared sensible, "which induced me," says Fodéré, "to en"deavour to excite in him a feeling of remorse; but he would "never admit the enormity of his crime, and he frequently eyed me to give me a blow,-his manners all the time being "extremely polite." (Traité du Délire appliqué à la Medecine, par M. Fodéré, tome premier, p. 401. § 196.) Other cases are recited by Pinel, p. 119, 120, and 165, which it is unnecessary to detail.

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These cases might be multiplied to a great extent, by mere reference to the public newspapers. We shall cite only one, which appeared in them in May 1822. "MURDER OF A CHILD "BY ITS MOTHER.-On Sunday morning, about half-past ten "o'clock, a most sanguinary and horrid murder of unparalleled “inhumanity, was perpetrated on the body of a fine female infant, "about eight months old, named Sarah Mountford, by her own "mother, wife of Mr Mountford, weaver, No 1, Virginia Row, "Bethnal Green. The husband, who is a Methodist, had gone

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chapel, leaving his wife to clean, and send to the Sunday school, "her young family. Having done this, it appeared she cleaned "herself and her infant, when, overcome by some extraordinary "aberration of intellect, she cut off the head of the child with a razor, and, besmeared with the blood, immediately told the persons in the house of the bloody deed, desiring to be given into custody, as she wanted to be hanged. From the conduct of the "wretched woman after the transaction, no doubt can be enter"tained of her insanity. Mrs Mountford underwent a short "examination on Monday, and was committed for trial. A co"roner's inquest has since been held, which returned a verdict "of wilful murder against the wretched woman. The distress "of the family is extreme. The unhappy husband and two of "the eldest daughters are seen running about the streets in a "state of distraction. One of the latter has been deprived of 66 utterance since the horrid transaction." This woman is said to have been "overcome by some extraordinary aberration of "intellect;" which mode of expression may be forgiven in the writer of a newspaper paragraph, but, viewed philosophically, it is absurd. The intellectual powers enumerated by the metaphysicians, such as Perception, Conception, Memory, Imagination, and Judgment, furnish no propensities to action, which, being deranged, could produce such a piece of barbarity. Derangement of intellect causes the patient to reason incorrectly, and speak incoherently; but, if his feelings be sound, he is not mischievous. Here, however, the unhappy woman seems to have been inspired with a blind and irresistible impulse to kill.

These, then, are phenomena actually occurring in human

nature, and to some principle of the mind they must of necessity be referred; and we should like to know to what faculty admitted by the metaphysician, they can with propriety be ascribed, or whether they indicate any such propensity in man as that now under discussion?

But, farther, we may inquire, whether such a tendency as that of Destructiveness has ever manifested itself in the history of the world. Tacitus, after narrating a battle in the City of Rome, between the partizans of Vitellius and Vespasian, continues, "About the combatants the people were gathered as spec"tators; and, as if they had been only attending the represen"tation of a fight exhibited for public amusement and sport,

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they favoured and espoused now these, anon those, with "theatrical shouts and clappings: Nay, as often as either side "recoiled, and particular individuals had fled into houses, or ❝lay hid in shops, they insisted upon their being dragged out "and slain, and thus came to enjoy themselves the largest part "of the prey." History, b. iii." Upon the slaying of Vitellius, war was rather seen to cease than peace to commence. The "vanquishers continuing in arms, hunted all over the city after "the vanquished with eagerness and implacable hate. The "temples and places of public resort were filled with carnage "and mangled corpses, as in them were butchered all whom "chance presented to the destroying sword. Nay, this lawless "violence increasing, they searched private houses, and dragged forth such as lay hid. When they beheld any one remarkably tall, and in the prime of years, him they murdered "without exception, whether he were soldier or citizen. This "cruelty, which, during the fresh impulse of animosity and ran"cour, glutted itself with blood and killing, was afterwards trans"formed into rapaciousness." We forbear to describe the sack of Cremona,described also by Tacitus, or to give a picture of the barbarities practised at the siege of Jerusalem. We cannot mention the names of Sylla, Tiberius, Domitian, Marcus Caius, Aurelian, Caracalla, Septimus Severus, or, coming nearer to modern times, recall the scenes which were enacted by the Spaniards at Cuba, Mexico, and Peru; or the Sicilian Vespers,

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