4G Olservations on Gall and Spurxkeim's new Sy stent 



shall, I think, remove many objections against the leading doc- 

 trines of the system which popular prejudice and misconception 

 have imagined to exist ; and shall sec that it is a most beautiful 

 and perfect system of anthropology. 



Anatomy and Physiology. 



Although on a superficial inquiry, many people mr,y doubt of 

 the physiology of the organs or the general results of the system ; 

 yet the anatomical discoveries into the structure of the brain 

 and nervous systeni are matter of absolute demonstration, and 

 will remain a memorial of the industry and perseverance of Dr. 

 Gall and Spurzheim, before whom the anatomy of these organs 

 was wholly unknown. By means of these discoveries we now 

 see the great consistency of Nature in all her productions 

 throughout the creation. Animals endowed with similar facul- 

 ties have corresponding parts of the brain. Indeed till now 

 comparative anatomy has been a very confused and imperfect 

 science : probalily in future a more philosophical arrangement will 

 be made of animals founded on the particular structure of the 

 brain of each class, order, genus, and species. 



Of the Plurality and Place of Organs. 



The division of the parts of the brain into different organs of 

 the faculties of the mind, and their local arrangement, is strictly 

 philosophical, tliough the facts on which it is founded were dis- 

 covered by accident, from time to time. The propensities are. 

 all at the lower and back part of the brain and cerebellum. The 

 sentiments at the upper part of the brain, and the knowing and 

 reflecting faculties constituting the intellectual part of our minds, 

 are placed in front. All the organs have been discovered by 

 observing that where a person had this or that part of the liead 

 most developed, the same person had particular "faculties in a 

 high degree ; the particular faculty always corresponding with 

 the organ. It was by such accidents that the local develop- 

 ment as connected with particular functions was found out. 

 But though we have this positive proof of the necessity of the 

 development of the parts to the special faculty assigned to 

 them ; yet we have not the same proof of local action. Analogy, 

 and the physiognomical expression of the feelings constitute, 

 I think, the greatest proof we can obtain of this fact. To those 

 who dispute the locality of the organs, it may be asked. Have 

 not people in all ages considered the brain as the organ of the 

 mind ? Is it not, therefore, more rational to regard it as an 

 assemblage of different organs corresponding to the different 

 manifestations of the mind, than to suppose one simple organ 

 performing such various functions ? 



If 



