354 MENTAL FACULTIES. 



cording to Burdach, the proportion of cases of disease of the cerebellum, 

 in which there is any manifest affection of the sexual organs, is really 

 very small, not above one in seventeen. The results, too, of unpre- 

 judiced observation, as to the comparative size of the cerebellum in 

 different animals, are by no means favourable to the phrenological doc- 

 trine. There are many highly salacious animals as the kangaroo, and 

 the monkey which are not distinguished for unusual size of cerebellum. 

 A strong argument, as before observed, in favour of this function of 

 the cerebellum, is founded on the assertion, over and over again re- 

 peated, that in animals that have been castrated young, it is much 

 smaller than in the entire male ; but the results of the experiments of 

 M. Lassaigne, suggested by M. Leuret, 1 are directly opposed to this. 

 These were made on ten stallions, of the ages of from nine to seventeen 

 years; on twelve mares, aged from seven to sixteen years; and on 

 twenty-one geldings, aged from seven to seventeen years. The weight 

 of the cerebrum, estimating the cerebellum as 1, was thus expressed. 



Average. Highest. Lowest. 



Stallions 7-07 7-46 6-25 



Mares 6-59 7-00 5'09 



Geldings . . . . . . . 5-97 7-44 5-16 



The average proportional size of the cerebellum in geldings was there- 

 fore positively greater than in entire horses and mares. It was also 

 found to be absolutely heavier in the following proportions. 



Average. Highest. Lowest. 



Stallions ..!.... 61 65 . 56 



Mares 61 66 58 



Geldings 70 76 64 



It would seem, that the dimensions of the cerebrum are usually re- 

 duced by castration ; as in the following table. 



Average. Greatest. Least. 



Stallions 433 485 350 



Mares 402 432 336 



Geldings 419 566 346 



These observations are certainly entirely opposed to the statements 

 of the phrenologists ; and are more favourable to the idea of the cere- 

 bellum being connected with muscular power. Geldings, as is well 

 known, are employed in active labour; whilst stallions are rarely called 

 upon to exert much effort, being kept especially to propagate their kind. 

 The views, however, regarding the influence of the cerebellum, some 

 of which have an essential bearing on this question, will be given under 

 the head of MUSCULAR MOTION. It will be obvious, moreover, that if 

 a single case of absence of the cerebellum should be observed in which 

 erotic desires exist; it would be fatal to the views of the phrenologist. 

 Such cases are rare, but one has been witnessed and recorded by M. 

 Combette, 2 and no doubt can exist as to its authenticity. On examin- 

 ing the encephalon of a young girl, who had been addicted to mastur- 

 bation, a gelatiniform membrane of a semicircular shape, united to the 



* Anat. Com par. du Systeme Nerveux, torn. i. p. 427. 



2 Revue Medicale, ii. 57, Paris, 1831 ; Cruveilhier, Anat. Pathol, livr. xv. pi. v. ; and Longet 

 Anat. et Physiol. du Systeme Nerveux,i. 755, Paris, 1842 ; and Traite de Physiologic, ii. 270, 

 Paris, 1850. 



