Illustrations of phrenology : being a selection of articles from the Edinburg phrenological journal, and the transactions of the Edinburg Phrenological Society. With twenty-six wood cuts / Ed. by George H. Calvert. With an introduction by the editor.

  • Calvert, George Henry, 1803-1889.
Date:
1832
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Illustrations of phrenology : being a selection of articles from the Edinburg phrenological journal, and the transactions of the Edinburg Phrenological Society. With twenty-six wood cuts / Ed. by George H. Calvert. With an introduction by the editor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    same law of size holds as to them: a large eye will collect more rays of light: a large ear more vibrations of sound; and large nostrils more odorous particles than small ones. In support of this position Mr. Combe cites Monro, Blttmenbach, Soemmering, Cuvier, Magendie, Georget, and states that many other physiologists might be mentioned. I will quote from him only one more illustration of it. The organ of sight affords a most interesting ex- ample of the influence of size. The office of the eye- ball is to collect the rays of light. A large eye, therefore, will take in more rays of light, or, in other words, command a greater sphere of vision, than a small one. But to give intensity or power to vision, the optic nerve is also necessary. Now, the ox placed upon the surface of the earth is of a heavy structure and ill fitted for motion; but he has a large eye-ball, which enables him to take in a large field of vision without turning; but as he does not require very keen vision to see his provender on which he almost treads, the optic nerve is not large in proportion to the eye- ball. The eagle, on the other hand, by ascending to a great height in the air, enjoys a wide field of vision from its mere physical position. It looks down from a point over an extensive surface. It has no need, therefore, of a large eye-ball to increase artificially its field of vision; and, accordingly, the ball of its eye is comparatively small. But it requires, from that height, to discern its prey upon the surface of the earth, and not only is its distance great, but its prey often resembles in color the ground on which it rests; great intensity of vision, therefore, is necessary to its existence. Accordingly, in it the optic nerve is in- creased to an enormous extent. Instead of forming a