352 Morton’s Crania Americana. 
very apparent. One of the most singular features in the history 
of this continent, is, that the aboriginal races, with few exceptions, 
have perished or constantly receded, before the Anglo-Saxon race, 
and have in no instance either mingled with them as equals, or 
adopted their manners and civilization. ‘These phenomena must 
have a cause ; and can any enquiry be at once more interesting 
and philosophical than that which endeavors to ascertain whether 
that cause be connected with a difference in the brain between the 
native American race, and their conquering invaders? Farther, 
some few of the American families, the Auracanian, for instance, 
have successfully resisted the Europeans; and the question is 
important, whether in them, the brain be in any respect superior 
to what it is in the tribes which ‘have unsuccessfully resisted ? 
It is true, that Dr. Gall’s fundamental principle, that size in the 
brain (other conditions being equal) is a measure of the power of 
mental manifestation, is directly involved in these enquiries ; but 
we can discover no reason why it should not be. put to the test of 
an extensive and accurate induction of facts. The unphilosophi- 
cal prejudice that every proposition and fact in physiology must 
be neglected or opposed, because it bears on the’ vexed question 
of phrenology, has been too long indulged. ‘lhe best interests 
of science require that it should be laid aside, and we commend 
Dr. Morton for having resolutely discarded it. He does not enter 
the field as a partisan, for or against Dr. Gall’s doctrines, but as a 
philosophical enquirer; and states candidly and fearlessly the re- 
sults of his observations. 
Dr. Morton reports the size in cubic inches, of the interior of 
nearly every skull described by him. “An ingenious mode,’ 
says he, “of taking the measurement of the internal capacity, 
was devised by Mr. Phillips. -In order to measure the capacity 
of acranium, the foramina were first stopped with cotton, and 
the cavity was then filled with white pepper seed,* poured into 
the foramen magnum until it reached the surface, and pressed 
down with the finger until the skull would receive no more. 
The contents were then transferred to a tin cylinder, which was 
well shaken in order to pack the seed. A mahogany rod (previ- 
ously graduated to denote the cubic inches and parts contained in 
ee 
* White Pepper seed was selected on account of its spherical form, its hardness, 
and the _—- size of the grains. It was also sified, to render the equality still 
