Phrenology, or, The doctrine of the mental phenomena / by J.G. Spurzheim.

  • Spurzheim, J. G. (Johann Gaspar), 1776-1832.
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Phrenology, or, The doctrine of the mental phenomena / by J.G. Spurzheim. 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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    The first written notice of Dr. Gall's inquiries concerning the head, appeared in a familiar letter to Baron Retzer, which was in- serted in the German periodical journal ' Deutscher Mercur,' in December, 1798. In 1796 he commenced giving private lectures at Vienna. Several of his hearers, for instance Froriep* and Dr. Waltherf published notices of his doctrines. On the 9th of January, 1802, the Austrian Government issued an order, that his lectures should cease, his doctrines being considered dangerous to religion. A general regulation was made upon that occasion, prohibiting all private lectures, unless a special permission was obtained from the public authorities. Dr. Gall never solicited permission, and ceased his lectures at Vienna. In 1800, I assisted for the first time at one of his courses of lectures, and after having completed my medical studies in 1804, I became associated with him in his labors, concerning the Anato my, Physiology, and Pathology of the brain, and nervous system. The merit of Dr. Gall as an anatomist may be looked for in the preface of my work on the Anatomy of the Brain, and in the second note added to the article on Phrenology from the Foreign Quarter- ly Review. The physiological doctrines, as they are published by Dr. Bischoff in Berlin, and Mr. Bloede in Dresden, in 1805, are Dr. Gall's exclusive property. Every new addition, from that period up to 1813, must be considered as common to us both, be- cause we pursued our inquiries together, as stated in the preface of the large work on the Anatomy and Physiology of the Brain.J In 1813, our united labors ceased, and since that period each one has inquired for himself. Dr. Gall's last publication, < sur les fonctions du Cerveau, Paris, six volumes,' fixes the extent of his physiological and philosophical notions. It contains the history of his proceedings, and that of every special organ he discovered. It also shows the arrangement of the organs which he acknowledges, * Exposition of the doctrine of Dr. Gall, 3d edition. t Exposition critique de la doctrine du Dr. Gall, avec quelques particularites concernant son auten r. Zurich. 1802. t Preface, vol. 1. p. 17.