Phrenology proved, illustrated and applied : accompanied by a chart : embracing an analysis of the primary, mental powers in their various degrees of development, the phenomena produced by their combined activity, and the location of the phrenological organs in the head : together with a view of the moral and theological bearing of the science / by O. S. & L. N. Fowler ; assisted by Samuel Kirkham.

  • Fowler, O. S. (Orson Squire), 1809-1887.
Date:
1836
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Phrenology proved, illustrated and applied : accompanied by a chart : embracing an analysis of the primary, mental powers in their various degrees of development, the phenomena produced by their combined activity, and the location of the phrenological organs in the head : together with a view of the moral and theological bearing of the science / by O. S. & L. N. Fowler ; assisted by Samuel Kirkham. 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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    PHRENOLOGY PROVED. ties are comparatively feeble. Labouring men generally possess much larger bodies, and much smaller heads, than literary and scientific!* men. Give a child no exercise, and you thereby make him a dwarf. Cease to exercise any por- tion of the body, and it diminishes in size and strength. Now, since the brain is one of the corporeal organs, it follows, (until the brain is shown to form an exception to the action of this law,) that the same common law of increase by exercise, and of decrease by inaction, which has been shown to govern the other corporeal organs, equally governs the organs of the brain, causing their increase in proportion to their exercise. And, since it has been shown, that the va- rious faculties of the mind manifest their functions by means of as many organs of the brain—that these faculties differ in their strength—that the exercise of these organs must be proportionate to that of their corresponding faculties—and that the increase of these organs must be proportionate to their exercise, it necessarily follows, that the increase of each organ, must be proportionate to the exercise of its faculty ; that, for example, if, in the exercise of the function of con- scientiousness, an individual calls into action a given portion of the brain, (see cuts,) and in the exercise of benevolence, another portion, he must exercise, and, of course, increase, the organ of benevolence more than he does that of consci- entiousness, in proportion as he is more benevolent than he is conscientious; and that the same holds trvie with respect to all the other faculties of the mind, and their corresponding organs of the brain. Hence, a proportion between the two, must necessarily exist. VI. The shape of the brain may generally be ascertain- ed by the form of the scull; or, in other words, an increase of the various portions of the brain, causes a corresponding increase of the portions of the scull above them; for, inas- much as the scull is moulded and adapted to the brain, the conformation of the brain determines the shape of the scull, and, with a few unimportant exceptions, corresponds with it. The scull is merely the protector of the brain, and sub- servient to it; that is, the scull is formed for the brain, and not the brain for the scull. How unreasonable, then, to suppose, that the scull should throw any obstruction in the way of the development of the brain ! This would be like assuming, that men are made for the houses they occupy, and not the houses for the men. What! one operation of