\ 
1805.] Explanation of Dr. Gall’s Syftem of Craniohogy. 
that the different modifications of the 
heart and underfanding are diftinct fa- 
culties, and that the braim is not one or- 
gan, but an apparatus compofed of feve- 
ral organs, the diverfity of whole func- 
tions and energy conftituies the original 
and organic caufe of all the varieties of 
the underftanding and paffions. 
Dr. Gall does~not confine hinfelf to 
this new manner of confidering the brain 5 
but he pretends to difcover, by external 
figns, all the fhades and varieties of moral 
affections and iatelleétual faculties. \ 
This fecond part of Gallifm, which is 
called the Ofteologic fyfem of Dr. Gall, 
is founded an the connections which exilt 
between the brain and its offzous enve- 
lope: which muft be very intimate, to 
enable the obferver to form a judgment of 
the internal difpofitions of the cerebral 
apparatus by the form of the {kull, and to 
align, on the different points of the fur-. 
face of the head, asona geographical map, 
the regions which correfpond to the different 
territories of the appetites or faculties. 
Part. 2. I have endeavoured in the 
former part to explain the bafes of Dr. 
Gall’s fyftem; and analyfing that fyitem, I 
have attempted to dernonfirate that it refis 
on two principles, the truth of which 
it was neceflary to appreciate, namely ; 
a. The exiftence of the feparate and par- 
ticular organs compofing the brain: 2. 
‘The diftinétnefs and independence of the 
intellectual and moral faculties. 
The objeét of the fecond part, as we have 
already mention:d, is the obfervation of 
the external difpofitions of the head which 
announce the principal traits of the cha- 
racter, underitanding, and paffions. Dr. 
Gall, who appears to pofiefs extraordi- 
nary aptitude ior refearches of this kind, 
recommends that they fhould not be under- 
taken without great prudenceand attention. 
He has himlelf beftowed uncommon at- 
tention on this phyfiognomonic part, and 
the zeal with which he is animated is fuch, 
that, in a moment of enthufiafm, he 
writes; ‘* Ifthe exterminating angel were 
at my command, woe to Kant, to Wie- 
land and other great men! And why has 
not fome one preferved the fkulls of Ho- 
mer, Virgil, Cicero, Hippccrates, Boer- 
haave, Alexander, Frederic, Jofeph, Ca- 
therine, Voltaire, Locke, Rouffeau, Ba- 
con, Newton, &c. &c.”’ 
That he might not deferve a fimilar re- 
proach, Dr. Gall has left no means unem- 
ployed, to colleé&t, in his museum, the 
fkulls of fome celebrated men. His atti- 
Vity in procuring thefe precious articles 
is unbounded; and as felf-love eafily occa- 
495 
fions miftakes in fuch cafes, there was 
once a time, when every perfon at Vienna 
trembled for his head, and feared lef# it 
fhould one day become the property of the 
greedy do€tor. ! 
On this fubjeét many ludicrous anec- 
dotes are related. Among the reft M, 
Denis, librarian to the Emperor, inierted 
aclaufe in his will, for the exprefs pur- 
pofe of fecuring his head from the re- 
fearches of Dr. Gall. In {pite, however, 
of ail thefe apprehenfions and precautions, 
the latter has affembled in his colleGion: 
feveral fkulls and many bufts of celebrated 
men, but particularly of extraordinary 
perions,” artifis, poets, fools, robbers, and 
likewife of animals, which exhibit, in a. 
very ftriking manner the external ign of 
certain propeolities, or faculties, that are 
never fo ftrongly exprefled in man. 
In thefe monuments; which the unini- 
tiated obferver beholds without intereft or 
pleafure, Dr. Gall diftingtly reads and 
difcovers the hiftory of the perfons to 
whom they belonged; or, at leaf, the 
principal traits of their charaéter and un- 
derfianding. His numerous refearches in 
this way, have led him to confider as in- 
fallible the following indications, which 
he himfelf marks with numbers on fmall 
ivory fkalls. One of thefe he tranfinitted 
to profeflor Cuvier, by whom I was f4- 
voured with it, for my explanation of 
Gallifm, at the Athenzum of Paris. 
[ We are obliged to omit the account ef 
thefe indications, for want of the figures 3 but, 
they are fo extremely fanciful, that our rea- 
ders will lofe nothing by the omiffion. } 
Dr. Gall firtt made his doétrise public 
by his leffons, which he continued with- 
out inter:uption~ till 1792, when they 
were prohibited by the court of Vienna, 
which declared that the new theory of the 
head was, calculated only to turn the 
heads of its fubjects, and propagate ma- 
teriaii{m. 
Tne only article publifhed by Dr. Gall, 
with a view to make known his fyftem, is 
a letter addrefled to Baron von Ritzer, 
and inferted in Wieland’s Magazine. M. 
Froriefs, a very profound and enlightened 
Gallit, has given a more detailed account 
of the fame fyitem 10 a paper of conlider- 
able Jength. M. Bojanus, another dilci- 
ple ot Dr. Gali, developed his matier’s 
doétrine, at one of the meetings of the So- 
ciety of Medicine of Paris; and profeflor 
Chauffier, who drew up a report on the 
fubject, did not tcrapie to declare that Dr. 
Gall’s fyftem does not reft on any of the 
fure and acknowledged bales of anatomy. 
—(To be concluded in our next.) 
THE 
