46 THE HUMAN BRAIN. 



mitted to the arms and hands \ in another, it goes forth with the 

 powers of the mouth or the sword of the spirit. Phrenology, 

 following this order, must rather start from a type, and gradually 

 depart from that, than attempt to make the type universal in the 

 relations of shape and place. In short we must admit a compara- 

 tive phrenology in the human race itself. 



Phrenology, however, is one of a group of sciences different from 

 anatomy, and its truths are of larger stature than those which we 

 are considering. It belongs to the doctrine, not of the human 

 body, but of man, and is one of the lesser departments of anthropo- 

 logy. It furnishes also a contribution to that which is the science 

 of sciences, namely, the significance of forms. Considered as a 

 branch of observation it has not been assailed successfully, because 

 no one has paid so much attention to its facts as the phrenological 

 student. We take his word for its truth, at least provisionally, 

 since the oppugners have formed no contrary induction, which in 

 destroying phrenology, might supplant it by a better practical 

 system. And if we are not mistaken, the world will give it a 

 long trial, were it only that it deals with the substances of character, 

 and seems to create a solid play-ground away from the abstractions 

 of the old metaphysics. Color and life, substance and shape, are 

 dear to mankind, as homes against the wind of cold speculation. 

 We cannot give them up for patches of sky a thousand miles from 

 the earth, or for anything, in short, but still more substantial houses. 



An important set of problems concerning the brain and nervous 

 system remains to be noticed; namely, the doctrine on the one 

 hand, and the denial on the other, of a nervous spirit or fluid. On 

 this subject interest has ceased, in consequence partly of the use- 

 lessness of the controversy. Each party has wielded a sword to 

 which the other was invulnerable; a sign that Providence did not 

 intend the dispute to be settled upon the terms of either. Nor 

 perhaps can we ourselves command a decisive victory for our 

 opinions, which are affirmative of the existence of a nervous spirit. 

 Nevertheless we think that our side has been increasing in strength 

 of late, and that the contest must be renewed. 



In the first place we remark, that no part of our frames is so 



