The pilgrim's progress in phrenology / by Uncle Toby [pseud.].

  • North, Elisha, 1771-1843.
Date:
1836
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The pilgrim's progress in phrenology / by Uncle Toby [pseud.]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    18/96
    An essay seriously written and published in July, 1833,* to discredit the discoveries made by Drs. Gall and Spurzheim is as ill timed and is as completely untenable, hoping not to of- fend, as one would be that might be written to persuade man- kind that Dr. Jen-ner had made no discovery in science. Is it not the duty of those who are in possession of the truth, with respect to organology, to appear before the public, in a body, as was once done in regard to vaccination? It is too late in the day to persuade intelligent mankind of the non-existence of facts, which have been first discovered by G. and S., and since confirmed by repeated observations, made by a multitude of competent witnesses, during the last thirty or forty years. The labors of Mr. G. Combe, and those of other members in the Edinburgh Phrenological Society, in confirming the accu- racy of the observations, first made by Gall and Spurzheim, will long be remembered with gratitude, by the lovers of true science. Dr. Patterson, in the East Indies, and Dr. Caldwell in this country, and others, should not be forgotten, while writing on this subject Mr. Deville, in London, and others in Paris, will be remem- bered by phrenologists. And some anti-prenologists also, for they have helped forward indirectly the science. Some may raise the subsequent objection. If materia] mental physiology be true, say they, it may do much mischief to tell such&a secret; and thus, refer to the history of revolutionary, and atheistical France, as the bigoted cant has been, in proof of their position. Stop ! friendly readers ! if you allude to ec- clesiastical history in such a case as this, you may bring up too many dreadful associations, in the minds of every one, m relation to fire, fagots, crusades and inquisitions, not to for-' get the witchcraft delusion in Salem, Mass. and recently the uncharitable one in Albany respecting temperancism which has done both good and harm. All these great evils allu- ded to have existed among those, whose leaders taught Aristo- telean philosophy. I apprehend that Christianity has no natu. ral and justifiable connnexion with such untenable meta- physics. Look with candor at home, my friendly reader* and see whether any evil has ever originated from material physiology ? There are a great multitude of persons in these enlightened United States, who are fully sensible of the truth in regard to so useful a science, as that of material physiology and material phrenology, if such expressions may be used 7, Zll?SOnVll11 SUStai,n SUch Phil^ophy( merely because it s tenable, and because they have good organs of conscien- tiousness in their own heads. This they may do, in opposl * Allusion is had to th« North American Review,