Strictures on phrenological doctrines upon the human intellect : in a letter addressed to Dr. Spurzheim / by John Manesca.

  • Manesca, John, approximately 1780-1838.
Date:
1832
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Strictures on phrenological doctrines upon the human intellect : in a letter addressed to Dr. Spurzheim / by John Manesca. 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.)

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    lend to be the sign of such sentiment. The love of approbation was probably not the least enticement that allured him into the continuance of his predatory life ; for tyrannical want, which exclusively ruled the feelings of his family, scarcely allowed his broken-hearted consort and starving children, whenever he brought them relief, obtained un- lawfully, to feel and express any other sentiment than that of gratitude and approbation ; and this was the stimulus which excited him to ex- pose himself to the thousand dangers he had to encounter in the fatal career into which a series of unforeseen and uncontrollable accidents and events had insensibly precipitated him. The sign of cautiousness is not observed upon that skull, and you conclude that the man did not possess the quality. But, sir, do you suppose that an individual could remain so long a time as this one did, in a state of warfare against society, and put out of scent, for years, the hounds of a vigi- lant police, if he possessed not an uncommon share of cautiousness and prudence ? As to acquisitiveness, I have nothing to say, since you pretend to see a proof that he was not wanting in that propensity. I will only observe, that it availed him very little, while he was carrying on his lawful trade. And now, sir, why is it, that the skull of this dead outlaw, who actually possessed those very moral attributes of which you imagine him to have been deprived, does not show us any of those redeeming protuberances which you made us remark upon the head of that gentleman ? Your intellectual system, Dr. Spurzheim, pardon me for saying it, does not throw the smallest light upon the nature, origin, introduction, succession, associations and reproduction of mental perceptions ; and yet, if we are not made acquainted with the character of those per- ceptions, of which our thoughts are made up, how can we acquire the art of imparting knowledge ? How can we regulate and train the in- tellect ? How shall we be able to acquire proper means to anticipate erroneous modes of the mind, and substitute wholesome for pernicious opinions ? I do not say that phrenology has a tendency to render us more merciless than we already are towards the guilty ; but it has no ten- dency, that I can perceive, to make us their reformers. It does not present to my view the smallest clue to those imperceptible series of early feelings and perceptions, under which intellectual man is un- warily led to become the benefactor or the scourge of his fellow mortals. What sort of information, sir, can be derived from the observations of protuberances upon the heads of youth ? Suppose that, at any early period in life, a perverse protuberance is discovered ; the mis- chief is already done ; how will phrenology afford us the means o/ remedying that which it does not enable us to anticipate ? Perhaps you will say, that we must then immediately set iibout cultivating the counteracting, the redeeming faculties and propensities. But I would beg you to observe, that phrenology does not tell us how we should proceed in this important and difficult task ; nay, it discourages Ufl from the undertaking, Witness the following extract : ': Dr. Gall never observed that the individual, who, in one year, had displayed