The natural history of the human temperaments : their laws in relation to marriage, and the fatal consequences of their violation to progeny, with the indications of vigorous life and longevity : followed by a fugitive essay on the protection of society against crime / by W. Byrd Powell.

  • Powell, W. Byrd (William Byrd), 1799-1866.
Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The natural history of the human temperaments : their laws in relation to marriage, and the fatal consequences of their violation to progeny, with the indications of vigorous life and longevity : followed by a fugitive essay on the protection of society against crime / by W. Byrd Powell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    INTRODUCTION. We do not believe that we can so agreeably or usefully introduce tbis subject to our readers, as by giving a brief history of our labors in relation to it. We became exceedingly interested in it, when a student of medicine; and, while a student, heard one course of lectures on it by Professor Jesse Smith of the Cincinnati Medical College, and three courses by Professor Caldwell of the University of Lex- ington, Kentucky. Upon graduating in said University, we em- barked into the practice of medicine; but had not been engaged long in it, before we discovered that we knew nothing about the subject, and that we could make no application of what we had learned; and by mixing with our brethren, we furthermore learned that we were as well informed as any of them in relation to it. The second winter after leaving the University, we went to the University of Pennsyl- vania, and there heard a course of lectures on it, by Professor Jackson. And now, upon a review of all we had heard, we found that we had obtained nothing more than we had read in Richerand, and other physiological authors, except a few rhetorical flourishes. About this time Dr. Sperzheim's visit to this country caused Phrenology to agitate the public mind. Hitherto we had only thought of the importance of our subject as it related to medical practice; but when its advantage to Phrenology became suggested to us, we saw that we should be able to apply it to busts, and skulls, and to all races of men. In reflecting upon this more commanding importance of the subject, we concluded that as all the races of men