LECTUEE I. 



Introduction. — Difficulties of the subject. — Materials. — Collections of Crania. 

 — Skeletons. — Anatomy of the Eaces. — Man to be studied like any other 

 Mammal. — Objections of Theologians. — Morton and Bachman. — Compa- 

 rative Study of Domestic Animals. — Antiquity of the Human Species. — 

 Objections of Naturalists. — Eesearches of Boucher de Perthes. 



Gentlemen^ — Surely there is not a more inciting subject 

 than the study of man himself. Involuntarily we apply to all 

 our actions the knowledge of manj long ago insisted upon by 

 the oracle of Delphi. It is the starting-point from which 

 we proceed, and the standard by which we measure the phe- 

 nomena occm'ring in nature. But as it frequently happens 

 to the inhabitant of any particular region, that he neglects 

 the cui'iosities of the spot where he was born and nurtured, 

 to which the stranger pays especial attention ; so most per- 

 sons neglect to fathom their own nature, and thus fail to 

 establish a basis for further progress. There are but few who 

 search out man ; not, indeed, hke the ancient philosopher, 

 lantern in hand, and only in the market-place, but everywhere ; 

 and there are still fewer who dare to give a candid and unvar- 

 nished account of the results of their investigations. Most 

 men look upon themselves as incarnations of the generic 

 idea man, and remain under the delusion that they know 

 themselves. The same phenomenon occurs in the history of 

 science. In ancient times, the science of man was hmited to 

 the inquiry into some particular functions of his organism and 

 the action of the brain. The material basis was only occa- 

 sionally and superficially considered, like the reg'ion in which 

 man lived. It is only with great trouble that we can collect 

 from ancient authors a few scattered notices, which may throw 

 some light on questions now deemed of the greatest import- 

 ance. The opening of a single grave containing a well-pre- 

 served skeleton, arms, and ornaments, affoi'ds more information 



