258 Phrenology. 



and composes what is called the brain: hence the name craniol- 

 ogy, from kranion, the skull, and logos, science. To give anoth- 

 er definition, " phrenology treats of the faculties of the huma,n 

 mind, and of the organs by means of which they manifest them- 

 selves; but it does not enable us to predict actions." The origin 

 of this branch of physiology, has been touched upon in the account 

 of its author. He published his observations in a work entitled 

 Anatomie et Physiologie du Systeme nerveux en general et du Cer- 

 veau en particulier (Paris, 1801 et seq., 4to.), and illustrated them 

 by numerous engravings in folio. The chief points of his doc- 

 trine are the following. The brain is that organ of the body by 

 which the mind of man exerts its activity. It is, however, not 

 active in all its parts in every act of thinking; but, as every gense, 

 ^very organ of motion, and, in general, every function of the body, 

 has a particular nerve, or set of nerves, as its instrument, so eve- 

 ry operation of the mind essentially different from the others has 

 a separate part of the brain for its organ, which is indispensable 

 to it. The strength and size of the nerve, are in proportion to 

 the power of action belonging to this organ. The nerve of the 

 trunk of the elephant has the strength of a child's arm. Man's 

 brain is more complex than that of any other member of the whole 

 animal creation. It not only unites all those organs which are 

 found singly in the brains of other animals,' but has also ethers 

 which are not found in them. The skulls of men exhibit great 

 varieties, as well in the quantity of the brain, as in the elevation 

 of certain points; and observation teaches that the better sort of 

 heads are distinguished, if not by a greater circumference of the 

 whole skull, yet by the prominence of peculiar elevations, that is, 

 by a greater mass of brain at those points. In youth, the period 

 of developement, and the time of the formation of the dispositions, 

 the whole brain has a tendency towards expansion. If the upper 

 part of a young skull is taken off, the brain forces itself out, and 

 cannot be pressed back into the same space by replacing the part 

 of the skull: with an old skull, precisely the contrary is observa- 

 ble. The functions of certain parts of the brain are different from 

 each other, and independent of each other, and those parts of the 

 skull which cover them, are distinguished by peculiar forms. 

 The brain is a convolution of organs. The point of union of all 

 the nerves must be considered to be where the spinal marrow and 

 the brain join in the neck at a spot, by pressure on which any an- 

 imal possessing a brain is easily killed. Part of the nervous sub- 

 stance descends as spinal marrow, gives out nerves to all the or- 

 « gans of the body, and is distributed at last entirely into nervous 

 • ramifications. The second part ascends into the cavity of the 



