THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 377 



Gall followed this natural order of the faculties. "I conform 

 to the order which exists in considering the inclinations or inferior 



losophy of the human mind presented itself almost spontaneously to view." 

 Gall saw nothing satisfactory in Dr. S.'s classification. " The most natural 

 and philosophical order," says Gall, " must be that which nature has observed 

 in the successive arrangement of the cerebral parts. But M. Spurzheim 

 begins by establishing new divisions of the faculties of the mind." " The 

 philosophical spirit of M. Spurzheim shines in divisions, subdivisions, sub- 

 subdivisions, &c. ; and this is what he calls infusing more philosophy into the 

 physiology of the brain, than I had the ambition of introducing. By these 

 divisions he has imposed on himself a constraint which totally inverts the 

 gradual succession of the organs. He is forced to jump from one region 

 of the brain to another ; from the disposition to theft, to destruction j from this 

 to construction ; from circumspection, to benevolence ; from benevolence, by 

 a great effort, to veneration ; from supernaturality (he is using Spurzheim's 

 terms), he comes to the external surface part of the forehead, thence to imitation ; 

 from imitation, to the external senses ! Then he retires to the brain towards the 

 frontal region there again he treats every thing pele-mle, all in a manner op- 

 posite to nature ; a perfect monstrosity, which one would believe to be invented 

 with the design of rendering the study impossible. The propensities and 

 sentiments, and often the intellectual faculties, are so confounded together, 

 that it is hardly possible to discover the characteristic signs which distinguish 

 one from another. What more reason is there to place constructiveness among 

 the propensities, than melody, benevolence, and imitation ? Are not amative- 

 ness, philoprogenitiveness, inhabitiveness, attachment, courage, as much sen- 

 timents as self-love, love of approbation, veneration, &c. ? In what sense are 

 perseverance, circumspection, imitation, sentiments ? With what propriety does 

 he exclude imitation, wit, ideality or poetry, circumspection, secretiveness, 

 constructiveness, from the intellectual faculties ? " * Wit and imitation were 

 originally placed by Dr. S. among the intellectual faculties, and then removed 

 to the sentiments in later editions. The Feelings were divided into superior 

 and inferior, and those common to brutes and man and those peculiar to man ; 

 and imitation was ranged with the superior and peculiar to man ! but, no sooner 

 has he done this, than he admits imitation to exist among many tribes of brutes ! 

 (P/ir. Am. ed. vol. i. p. 257.) Wit, the organ of which is amidstthe intellectual, he 

 dislodges for mirthfulness, which he calls a superior sentiment peculiar to man, and 

 given to "render him merry and gay " ! to be " as gay as a lark," however, I sup- 

 pose, and " merry as a kitten. " He forgets that mirthfulness always implies noise : " 



" Far from all resort of mirth, . 

 Save the cricket on the hearth." 



His opinions on this faculty appear to me most extraordinary. In one of his 

 works (Essai Philosophique), he classed benevolence with those peculiar to man ; 



* 1. c. 4to. vol. iii. p. xxvi. sqq. Dr. Vimont also exposes the faults of 

 Dr. S.'s classification. (1. c. t. ii. p. 106. sqq.) 



