1806.] 
thieves by profeffion, at leaft with regard 
to ftrangers ; not, I prefume, becaufe they 
have the thieving organ more prominent 
than the European failors who'vifit them ; 
but hecaufe they have been accuitomed to 
confider asa lawful prize every foreign ar- 
ticle on which they can lay their hands ; 
as the faid failors will moft readily do, 
wen backed by acommiflion to plunder. 
The murderous propenfity, inlike manner, 
is nothing more than a {pirit of revenge 
or rapine brought into aét by an habitual 
difregard to human life, foftered by fero- 
cious manners; and it exifts in every mem- 
ber of a community in certain rude and 
necefitous ftates ‘of fociety. Religious 
Janatici{m is made by Gall the fubjeét of 
a peculiar organ. But what is this ex- 
cept an ardent difpofition vent by accident 
vpon thofe objeéts with waich religion is 
converfant, and which from their nature 
are calculated to exert a powerful irflu- 
ence overthe foul? Thirftof glory, and 
ftrong attachment to friend, country, or 
any other objeét of paflion or defire, are 
not lefs jiable than religion to run into fa- 
naticifm in warm tempers. The notion 
of diftiné&t organs for recoliefiing places, 
perfons, and words, is too chimerica! to 
deferve a remark. The organ of fexual 
inftingt (as it is called, ) would fearcely by 
any one elfe be fought in the brain ; and 
an organ of fitneis for particular arts 
would by an anatomiit be rather expected 
to appear at the origin af the nerves fud- 
fervient to particular fenfes, than onthe 
outfide of the brain. Finally, a fcunder 
philofonhy would certainly rather reter to 
education and early aflociation a difpofi- 
tion to philological, philofophical, or fei. 
entific purfuits, than to any diverlity of 
material organization. 
Dr. Gail, however, or his advocates, 
when beaten from all theoretical ground 
for his fyittem, would probably piace it 
upon the evidence of fact; and fimply af- 
feit that fuch and fuch protuberances of 
the fkull have by experience been found 
always accompanying (uch and fuch men- 
tal faculties or propenfities. This is put- 
ting it upon the fame footing with phy fi- 
ognomy ; and indeed craniology may be 
regarded as only a caricature of the fanci- 
fal phyfiognomy of Lavater. But whata 
long, patient, and impartial examinat:on, 
would be requifite to (ubftantiate even any 
fingle concusrence of this kind! It is not 
evough for him to thew in ten thieves or 
murderers bis pretended organs of theft 
and murder ; he matt alfo negatively de- 
monftrate that they do zot exilt in perfons 
Remarks on Dr. Gall’s Syftem of Craniology. 
Q91 
unfafpected of fuch propenfities. The 
truth is, that the furface of the fkull is 
full of inequalities, protuberances, and 
deprefions, fome the refult of the astion 
of the mufcles, or of poftureand compre 
hon, others conlequeat upon the original 
procefs of oflification, which may afford 
abundance of diftintive marks toa fylte- 
matizer, but which would prebably be 
found to appear promifcvoufly among 
mankind, and to bear no conflant relaticn 
whatever to the agtion of the brain. It is 
well known that ‘fome favage nations 
mould the head toany form they pleafe by 
early preffure, fo as to reader its appear- 
ance {carcely human; yet it has never 
been afferted that any moral or intellec- 
tual alteration is the confequence of fuch 
treatment. hat deftruction does this 
fingle fa& make of the craniological theo- 
ry 3 fince it is manifeft that a number of 
thefe fuppofed organs muft be totally ob- 
Niterated by giving the fkull a {quare cr a 
fugar-loaf form, as practifed by ‘ome In- 
dian nations ! 
I cannot conclude without a remark on 
the permiffion given to Dr. Gall of viftt- 
ing the prifoners at Torgau, and pro- 
nouncing upon their guilt from an exami- 
nation of their {kulls. The gravity of this 
philofophieal farce would provokea fmile, 
did not its impropriety excite other feels 
ings. It is true, the perfens vifited were 
for the moft pait condeimned criminals, 
confined by way of punifhment ; but as 
the rigour and duration of the confinement 
‘was prooably to be modified by circum. 
fLances of behaviour, nothing could be 
mare contrary to the principles of juftice 
than to fuffer a kind of moral report to be 
made, deduced from a fanciful theory, 
which might, upon credulous minds, have 
the effe& of fixing an opinion of the cha- 
racter of the culprits, not to be altered by 
fubfequent condu&. Of the prefumptuous 
ccnfidence with which this craniological 
inguelt was made, we have an evidence in 
the following fentence: ‘* That no inno- 
cent perfon was among them, could be 
ealily proved by their organs of thieving, 
which were feen or felt at the firit look or 
touch.” What a monftrous mode cf 
proof! If this vittonary fyitem come to 
prevail, I fuppofe fkuli-feeling in Germa- 
ny will fuperfede the examination of wit- 
neffes. 
I: would be eafy to criticife the parti 
culars related of this extraordinary vifita- 
tion, and to thew, from the paltry fubter. 
fuges and ambiguous declarations, that 
the whole isa juggle between impoiture 
Pp2z on 
ee 
— 
27 _ 2 ee ge a ee > 
