Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

know that the phrenologists have attended to these as well as himself, and have said, that size, ceteris paribus, is a measure of energy of manifestations. Dr R. seems, indeed, not to be aware of the meaning of this proposition, as he adds, that "increase of size in the viscera of the body is more generally the indication of a diseased than of a healthy state;" thus evidently confounding healthy existence with morbid growth; and because Professor Hufeland has said that small eyes see better than large ones, he, (who never trusts to analogy,) asks if it may not be the same "with the organs of "the brain ?" Unfortunately for Dr R.'s views, however, physiologists and pathologists are agreed, that while too small a brain is constantly attended by idiocy, a healthy brain of a larger size is uniformly accompanied with a greater degree of mental power, as the result of its greater size; and Dr R. cannot indicate a point where size ceases to exert an influence upon the vigour of the manifestations. He therefore adds, "But really in our present state of ignorance as ❝ to the mode of operation by which these organs are sub"servient to the processes of intellect and sensation, all rea"soning, a priori, on their functions as connected with their "size, must be completely illusory." Here we have a specimen of reasoning far surpassing even the celebrated "ar"gument with a vengeance." Dr Roget first avows his ignorance of the conditions which render the cerebral organs more or less subservient to the operations of the mental faculties, and justly objects to any a priori reasoning on the influence of size, as completely illusory, and trusts to observation alone for knowledge. But when Drs G. and S. say that they have made innumerable observations, which afford positive proof" of size of cerebral organ exerting a great influence upon the power of manifesting the faculty, Dr R. does not attempt to disprove this by an opposite statement of observations affording different results, but, in avowed ignorance, and on the faith of a priori reasoning alone, to the validity of which he had just objected, he declares G. and S.'s statement to be "preposterous and unfounded.

[ocr errors]

We add not a single remark; for nothing that we could say would make any impression upon those who admire this specimen of Dr R.'s reasoning, and to those who do not admire it, nothing farther is necessary. "Even were we to "admit so preposterous a doctrine, as that the energies of "the parts of the brain are proportional to their magnitude," and that it were possible to distinguish the size of each part, "is it an easy task to determine the real charac"ter of the individual, and to discriminate between real and "affected sentiment ?" &c. We have dwelt too long on Dr R.'s article to do more than refer to the Phrenological Transactions for a most satisfactory answer to this question; and shall only add, that we have not often had much difficulty in determining whether an individual had a talent for music, a great command of language, or much poetical or reasoning powers. Nor have we ever seen any one to whom nature had denied these reasoning powers, who was able to write a very logical treatise merely by affecting to be logi cal, or who could, by merely affecting to be poetical, manifest poetical power in such a degree as to deceive the world and pass for a genius.

Those who have not seen the article Cranioscopy, but whose fate it has been to hear it confidently talked of as a most satisfactory refutation of our science, will be surprised to learn that we have now stated all the objections which a professional gentleman of Dr Roget's talents and knowledge has been able to bring against phrenology. Since, with all the supposed advantages of a medical education, he has effected so little, we conceive that we are only doing justice to ourselves and readers, when we again beg of them not to be deterred from examining the subject by the mere dicta of any man, however high he may rank, in or out of the profession. The one is as little qualified to judge as the other, until he has put phrenology to the test of experience. Nor ought any one to refrain from putting it to this test, from a supposed disqualification arising from his ignorance of anatomy. For, in the first place, he has Dr Roget's assurance

that the structure of the brain, in as far as is known to the medical profession in general, will suit any physiological system equally well; and, 2dly, He may feel doubly sure, when he knows that Dr Gall actually discovered the physiology before he began his researches into the anatomy of that organ; and we can safely assure him, that in so far as anatomy is concerned, or, indeed, any other species of general medical knowledge, any man of ordinary understanding may, in a single day, qualify himself as thoroughly for entering upon the study of phrenology as the profoundest physician that ever lived.

We have purposely avoided entering into Dr Roget's repeated misrepresentations of the doctrines, and of the evidence upon which they are founded, contained in what he calls the history of the science, and have confined ourselves entirely to his objections, for upon these alone his adverse opinion rests. The misrepresentations we believe to have been involuntary, and to have arisen from unacquaintance with the subject. The objections, however, are his own, and in their fate his other opinions must necessarily be involved.

[ocr errors][merged small]

LOUIS XI. AND CHARLES THE BOLD, AS DELINEATED IN QUENTIN DURWARD,

AFTER describing the distracted state of the kingdom of France, at the period of the accession of Louis XI. the author of this novel mentions,

"That his character, evil as it was in itself, met, combated, and " in a great degree neutralized the mischiefs of the time, as poisons of opposing qualities are said, in ancient books of medi"cine, to have the powers of counteracting each other.

"Brave enough for every useful purpose, Louis had not a spark of that romantic valour, or of the pride connected with, " and arising out of it, which fought on for the point of honour "when the point of utility had been long gained."

This part of the monarch's character indicates a full, but not a very strong propensity of combativeness, with a defective love of approbation, which last inspires the desire of fame.

"Calm, crafty, and profoundly attentive to his own interest, he "made every sacrifice, both of pride and passion, which could "interfere with it."

A great endowment of self-esteem and acquisitiveness would produce the manifestations here mentioned. Combativeness not being strong enough to induce a love of fighting for its own sake, and love of approbation not being energetic enough to give a desire of fighting for fame, the individual would not fight except to gain a favourite object, and when all other means of gaining it had failed.

66

"He was careful in disguising his real sentiments and purposes, from all who approached him, and frequently used the expression, that the King knew not how to reign who knew "not how to dissemble; and that for himself, if he thought his very cap knew his secrets, he would throw it into the fire. "No man of his own, or of any other time, better understood "how to avail himself of the frailties of others, and when to "avoid giving any advantage by the untimely indulgence of "his own."

It is impossible to describe more graphically or accurately the feelings and manifestations accompanying that power which is named by the phrenologists Secretiveness, and which must have been possessed by this monarch in a more than ordinary degree.

The following passage seems to admit, what indeed is sufficiently obvious from the history, as given by Philip des Comines, that he was also largely endowed with that quality or propensity, called Destructiveness,-indeed, without admitting such a propensity to have been active in him, it is impossible to make sense of the passage, or to receive it as an accurate portrait of his character: "He was by nature vindictive and cruel, even to the ex"tent of finding pleasure in the frequent executions which he "commanded." This, it is proper to state, was long before noticed by Dr Gall himself; and he has in his larger work refer

red to this bloodthirstiness of Louis XI. as one of the instances which go to prove the existence of the propensity of destructiveness. In this novel the propensity is distinctly admitted and described;-and this description is read and applauded, as shewing a profound knowledge of human nature;-while Dr Gall and his followers have been ridiculed and abused in the most unceremonious manner, for having admitted so monstrous a principle into their system. The effects of this propensity, when combined with secretiveness, are again most accurately described thus:

66

"But as no touch of mercy ever induced him to spare when he "could safely condemn, so no sentiment of vengeance ever stimu"lated him to a premature violence. He seldom sprung upon his prey till it was fairly within his grasp, and till all chance of rescue was in vain; and his movements were so studiously disguised that "his success was generally what first announced to the world what "object he had been manoeuvring to attain."+

[ocr errors]

Had the author been here writing for the purpose of illustrating the manifestations of secretiveness, cautiousness, and intellect, operating along with destructiveness, and in

• We like to draw illustrations of phrenology from writers not professedly phirenological. We have met with a passage in the last number of a periodical work, which has hitherto given no countenance to our system, (Quarterly Review, No 58, p. 450,) so completely descriptive of the propensity of destructiveness, when sublimed into a state of fury, that we shall give it entire for the edification of our readers. We shall be glad to know, on which of the metaphysical theories of mind the author of this passage founds his opinions of human nature. In speaking of the cruelties practised in former times, against persons suspected to be guilty of witchcraft, he says, "Dreadful as the cruelties may have been, which were thus "perpetrated under the name of the law, we are still compelled to acknowledge "that superstition only assisted in producing them. It was only one of the in"fluential causes; and other causes and pretences equally potent may exist even "in an age of reason. When the contagion of fear and hatred is at its height, the "mysterious love of destruction, which is always lurking in human nature, acquires "fresh strength as it proceeds. Its effects have been exemplified within our re"collection. The wide-wasting and insane persecutions, which, two hundred years ago, would have taken the shape of the proscription of witchcraft, have been re"newed in our enlightened times with greater violence. The executions, the mas"sacres,the noyades, the fusillades of the French Revolution were urged by the same "moral madness, which, in the preceding age, had occasioned the persecution of so "many alleged votaries of Satan. They differ in name, but they are precisely the "same in kind. Bloodshed always causes bloodshed. There is a state of morbid "excitement, during which the contagion of murder spreads with as much certainty "as the plague; and the individuals composing a nation may be exalted into a pa"roxysm of moral phrenzy, possessing as little control over their actions as the "raving maniac. The instruments of evil may occasionally share our pity with the "victims," &c. &c.

+ It will be recollected, that combinations permitted to our novelist are called loopholes, when asserted by the phrenologist.

« AnteriorContinuar »