200 gall's craniognomic system, 



form diftinct eminences on the cranium, and that a cranium 

 perfectly round, whatever may be its magnitude, never exhibits 

 faculties either great or numerous. 

 Conjecture as to I do not recollect that I ever heard Gall give his reafons for 

 the reafon. ^ e CO nclufion : " but I think we may confider thefe heads in 

 a ftate fimilar to that of obefity, and as we do not judge of the 

 mufcular ftrength of a man or animal by the volume of its 

 members, but by their particular developement, fo I think we 

 mull judge of the force of the faculties by the developement 

 of their refpective organs." 

 The external JLaftly, the fourth principle which -is the molt important in 



figure of the the practice of the fyftem of Gall, is : That we may judge of 

 the organs and thefe different organs and their faculties by the exterior form of the 

 fhews the power cranium. 



becaufe die form ^ e trutn °^ ^ s principle is founded on another ; namely, 

 of the cranium that the formation of the cranium depends on that of the brain, 

 d f Pe h ld b°" that a trut h g ener ally known and proved by the anteriority of the 

 brain, and by the impreffions or indentations within the cra- 

 nium. 

 Remark. Note, It is true that there are craniums in which there is 



an internal protuberance of the bone correfponding with the 

 external projection ; and this irregularity, which is fometimes 

 r found to be a diforder, moft commonly in an advanced age, 



when the organs of the brain do not fo powerfully refift the 

 cranium, throws a degree of uncertainty in the practice of the 

 fyftem of Gall; but this is the fate of all our truths which are 

 dictated by experience : thefe cafes, however, are not very 

 frequent. 

 On thefe princi- Guided by thefe principles Gall has examined nature ; he 

 pies Gall has ^ as compared the craniums of men and animals, and thofe of 

 organTof men men °f fimilar and of different faculties. His refearches have 

 and animals. almoft inconteftibly proved, not only the truths above ftated, 

 but that the faculties of animals are fimilar to thofe of man ; 

 that what we call inftinct in animals is alfo found in man ; for 

 example, love, cunning, circumfpection, courage, &c. that 

 "the quantity of organs is the ftandard which fixes the generic dif- 

 ference of animals ; their mutual proportion, that of the indi- 

 viduals ; that the difpofition to any faculty which is originally 

 given by nature, may be developed by exercife and favourable 

 circumftances, and fometimes by diforders ; but that it can 

 2 .never 



