VIEWS OF PHRENOLOGISTS. 357 



boy died on the 29th. On examination after death, the anterior and 

 superior regions of both hemispheres were found to have been traversed 

 by the ball. The ventricles were untouched. Throughout the whole 

 track of the ball suppuration existed. The meninges were inflamed. 

 M. Blaquiere considers the case to be fatal to phrenological doctrines, 

 as the seats of several important phrenological faculties were destroyed, 

 and yet no functional affection of the brain was discovered. Cases of 

 hydrocephalic patients are likewise cited, who have preserved their 

 faculties entire. These Gall 1 explains, by affirming, that the brain is 

 not dissolved in the fluid of the dropsy ; that it is only deployed, and 

 distended by the presence of the fluid ; and as the distension takes 

 place slowly, and the pressure is moderate, the organ may be so habitu- 

 ated to it as to be able to continue its functions. Lastly, some expe- 

 riments of Duverney 2 have been adduced as objections to the view of 

 Gall. These consisted in removing the whole of the brains of pigeons ; 

 yet no change seemed to be produced in their faculties; but, in reply 

 to this, it is asserted, that Duverney could only have removed some of 

 the superficial parts of the organ ; for, whenever the experiment has 

 been repeated so as to implicate the deeper-seated portions, opposite 

 results have been obtained. 



The truth is, that under any view of the subject these facts are equally 

 mysterious. We cannot understand why, in particular cases, such 

 serious effects should result from severe injury of the encephalon ; 

 and, in others, the comparative immunity attendant upon injury to all 

 appearance equally grave. Pressure, of whatever nature, seems to be 

 more detrimental than any other variety of mechanical mischief ; and 

 it is not uncommon for us to observe a total privation of all mental and 

 moral acts, by the sudden effusion of blood, of no greater magnitude 

 than that of a pea, into the substance of the brain ; whilst a gun-shot 

 wound, that may occasion the loss of several tea-spoonfuls of brain, or 

 a puncture of the organ by a pointed instrument, may be entirely con- 

 sistent with the presence of perfect consciousness. 



The doctrine, that by observation of the skull we may be able to 

 detect the protuberances produced by the encephalic organs of the dif- 

 ferent faculties, has, as we have seen, laid the foundation for the whole 

 system of craniology, with all the extensions given to it by absurdity 

 and vain enthusiasm. It has been before remarked, that the size of an 

 organ is but one of the elements of its activity; that by cranioscopy 

 we can of course judge of this element only ; and it need scarcely be 

 said, that myriads of observations would be necessary before we could 

 arrive at any accurate specification of the seats of the encephalic facul- 

 ties, even were we to grant, that separate organs can be detected by the 

 mode of examination proposed by the cranioscopists. Gall asserts, that 

 the whole "physiology of the encephalon is founded on observations, 

 experiments, and researches a thousand and a thousand times repeated 

 on man and animals;" yet the topographical division of the skull pro- 

 posed by him can hardly be regarded otherwise than premature, to 



1 Op. citat., ii. 263. 



* Adelon, Physiologie de I'Homme, 2de 6dit., i. 502, Paris, 1829. 



