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or craniology, as he will probably call it, is, by himself, according to the scale of his sympathies, disbelieved, or rejected, or contemned, or detested? He must acknowledge, that he has not examined its facts at all, and very slightly and contemptuously skimmed its "absurd" doctrines; and he must refer his first decision back to the Edinburgh Review.* It is amusing to observe the result, on the public mind, of the abuse heaped by that journal on the "cunning craniologers,”—namely, a sort of partizanship, or general array against the subject, with a kind of feeling of duty, or point of honour, to take the side against phrenology, whenever it is alluded to, and resent all arguments, and especially all staggering facts, as personalities, and so many most obtrusive attempts 66 to force the matter down the public throat." In such a state of matters, although nothing for phrenology will go down "the public throat," any thing against it finds facile descent. It was easy to mislead the public yet farther; and the public has been misled in a manner quite unprecedented in an enlightened age.

For two or three years, notwithstanding Dr Spurzheim's lectures, in London and Edinburgh, the subject was either forgotten in this country, or resorted to as a sort of gossip and badinage; but its philosophical converts were few. The respect now paid to it is the result of A REVIVAL,—a revival by men of philosophical habits, many of whom readily acknowledge that they once joined in the general mirth ;— and because a revival, carrying the weight of second thoughts and deliberate reflection. Very striking facts began to force themselves on the notice of inquiring men both in England and Scotland. A systematic examination of the doctrine followed, and, by the force of evidence, converts were made, who put Germany and the Edinburgh Review alike out of the question;-converts of calm and candid reconsideration,

The Quarterly Review, about the same time, bore a testimony of uncommon feebleness against "craniology," which, we are not aware, told either one way or the other. The circumstance is forgotten; the conductors of that otherwise able work have a deep interest that it should.

with whom a once-refuted quackery had no chance of coming to life again; and who, be it well marked, have, without even the most visionary interest, adopted the system, in the face of almost universal unmitigated ridicule.

The Essays by Mr George Combe of Edinburgh were published in 1819, and by the facts they detailed, the reasonings founded on these facts, and their complete refutation of the too long-triumphant article in the Edinburgh Review, most materially advanced phrenology in this country. Sir George Mackenzie next published on the subject; and a small anonymous work, of much eloquence, as well as ingenious reasoning, lately appeared in Edinburgh, entitled, "Observations on Phrenology, as affording a Systematic "View of Human Nature." Mr Combe began in May 1822 to lecture on the subject in Edinburgh, and continues to give a winter and summer course every year. In England, Dr Parry of Bath, in his Elements of Pathology, speaks favourably of the doctrine; and Mr Abernethy, of high medical renown, has, in a tract on the subject, in 1821, borne his testimony to the beauty and certainty of the philosophy of mind, to which the phrenologists have been led.

Of periodical works, the first which had the honour, since the subject was revived, to scorn the general laugh, was the New Edinburgh Review, which for more than two years powerfully, yet candidly and temperately, advocated the doctrine. The London Magazine was the next to discard the unworthy prejudice which prevails against phrenology, and has set the subject in a very strong and attractive light; and the London Medico-chirurgical Review,—a work of the very highest estimation in the medical world,-in an article which appeared in March last, characterized by much good sense as well as talent, declared phrenology well worthy of the most serious attention of men of science.

Of associations for the cultivation of Phrenology the first was instituted in Edinburgh in 1820; which place, as it produced the most inveterate enemies, has, by a sort of redeeming compensation, furnished some of the most zealous

friends of the philosophy of Gall and Spurzheim. The Phrenological Society, the first volume of whose transactions was lately published, consisted, at first, of a very few members, who have been the objects of more bad wit than any of their fellow-citizens. The members of the institution have since increased to above eighty in number, among whom are many professional and scientific gentlemen, and several eminent artists. This example has been followed by the formation of a phrenological society in Philadelphia, to which a complete set of casts was sent from Edinburgh; and last winter a phrenological society was formed in London.

In France many men of science and letters have yielded to the evidence, and adopted the principles. Among the most celebrated is Blainville, professor of comparative anatomy in the College du Plessis, who, in his lectures, states the evidence of the principles of phrenology as not subject to doubt; and Geoffry St Hilaire, also a name well known to the scientific world, as an author, a member of the Institute, and one of the most distinguished professors at the Jardin des Plantes, goes nearly as far. The necessary consequence is, that the French public have ceased to make merry with the subject, and phrenology is respectfully treated by them as a science; the only satirists being English, who, at Blainville's lectures, distinguish themselves by a sneer when the professor comes to that part of his course.

No endowed philosopher in this country has yet avowed his patronage of the new doctrine, or ventured even to allude to it, as a science, within college walls;* but some men, not so trammelled, held in public estimation at least as high as any that are, have given the science their candid investigation, and, it follows, their enlightened and zealous support. It is a little too much, after all this, for any man, be his talents and acquirements what they may, who has

Some of our own professors bestow occasional hits upon the subject, which only prove how much it is in their way. Their good sense is beginning to whisper them that it is as well to drop this practice. It will soon become very amusing to their own students.

not studied the subject, to reject it, but yet more to endeavour to run it down. We would simply ask him, whether he can furnish an instance of any quackery, such as he ignorantly believes phrenology to be, which has been so revived and so supported? *

This vigorous career of phrenology being too much for its enemies to bear with equanimity, the hostility is revived of all who had committed themselves by scorning or railing at that system. It touches pride, but it touches still more nearly some other sensibilities. If phrenology be true, all other systems of the philosophy of mind are false. Philosophical reputations are at stake, and, yet more, patrimonial interests; and it were indeed an outrageous demand on human nature, a grand miscalculation of the state of the balance between the amour de la verité and the amour propre, to expect that great established philosophers should have the candour-the heroism, for the sake of mere truth, to throw down their own pedestals, and shut their own chequers. From contempt, phrenology has accordingly risen to be the object of fierce opposition and intense hatred with some persons who pass for scientific men. This is particularly manifested in their hatred of the phrenologists,—a certain sign that their opposition to the doctrine is candid, fair, and philosophical. But truly there is much indulgence due to these eminent persons. They are like fishes which the water is evidently leaving dry, and, to their last gasp, they must retain a cordial hatred of the exhausters of their atmosphere.

The formal attempts at refutation have been fewer than, from the prevalent disposition on the subject, might have

It is edifying now to look back on some of the conceited predictions of the short life of craniology." Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, (under its first and inoffensive management,) in its very first number, (April 1817,) thus conIcludes one of the most perfectly inane papers which has perhaps yet been penned against the new science. After proposing a system of cordiology, or the mind in the heart, as "the brain has had its day," says, "Such patch-work "systems of conjecture and speculation are fortunately destined, by the immutable and eternal laws of truth, to last but for a season. Craniology has almost lived its little hour. In this city, we are certain that, with the absence of Dr Spurzheim, and the introduction of some other novelty, as a French dance or a new beauty. it will be very scon forgotten."

been looked for; but the reason lies in that uniform and signal defeat which has overtaken, and will ever await the imbecility of speculative reasoning when opposed to an extensive and well-established induction. The best proof of this is the far-from-enviable situation in which the reputations of the regular anti-phrenologists have been left by their success hitherto, in the controversy. With an insignificant exception or two, therefore, public disputation has been scrupulously shunned.* The war, however, has not come to an end. While the phrenologists have kept the field, they have been annoyed with sundry small attacks, which, although utterly despised by them, have told upon the public ignorance, and had the effect of fostering the public prejudice. Much of this very safe warfare is maintained on convivial occasions. Most dinner parties have long had the matter all their own way, and, the same jokes serving again and again, the "grand nonsense" has been refuted, and refuted to the perfect satisfaction of the harmonious disputants. We have seen some variation in the fortune of the afternoon, when a person who had informed himself on the subject has chanced to be present. So long as the whole company, as is the custom, attacked him at once, little progress is made, and he appears stunned by the very noise of the assault; but when his replies shew the ineffable worthlessness of some of the most prominent of the attacks,-especially when each gentleman has answered the preliminary question, "Have "you studied the subject?" with the well-known indignant formula, "Not I! God forbid !"—we have seen a number of the enemy fall off, and become spectators of the fight which is kept up between the sturdy phrenologist and his assailants. It is then lamentable, in a company of men, often, who are leaders and lights where they are informed, to hear each after each propound his own jejune preconception,

It behoves the world to know that, notwithstanding all the noise made by the opponents of phrenology, they have not yet pointed out one single fallacy in one single fact published by the phrenologists. Of this statement we challenge contradiction, with better proof than a priori argument.

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