Overview

Organs

Texts

Images

Individuals

Bibliography

---

George Combe's A System of Phrenology, 5th edn, 2 vols. 1853.

Vol. 1: [front matter], Intro, Nervous system, Principles of Phrenology, Anatomy of the brain, Division of the faculties 1.Amativeness 2.Philoprogenitiveness 3.Concentrativeness 4.Adhesiveness 5.Combativeness 6.Destructiveness, Alimentiveness, Love of Life 7.Secretiveness 8.Acquisitiveness 9.Constructiveness 10.Self-Esteem 11.Love of Approbation 12.Cautiousness 13.Benevolence 14.Veneration 15.Firmness 16.Conscientiousness 17.Hope 18.Wonder 19.Ideality 20.Wit or Mirthfulness 21.Imitation.
Vol. 2: [front matter], external senses, 22.Individuality 23.Form 24.Size 25.Weight 26.Colouring 27.Locality 28.Number 29.Order 30.Eventuality 31.Time 32.Tune 33.Language 34.Comparison, General observations on the Perceptive Faculties, 35.Causality, Modes of actions of the faculties, National character & development of brain, On the importance of including development of brain as an element in statistical inquiries, Into the manifestations of the animal, moral, and intellectual faculties of man, Statistics of Insanity, Statistics of Crime, Comparative phrenology, Mesmeric phrenology, Objections to phrenology considered, Materialism, Effects of injuries of the brain, Conclusion, Appendices: No. I, II, III, IV, V, [Index], [Works of Combe].

---

434 APPENDIX.

No. III.

Text, p. 182.

Names and Order of the Mental Faculties adopted by Dr Gall.

APPENDIX. 435

436 APPENDIX.

NAMES AND ORDER OF THE ORGANS.

 

ACCORDING TO THE CLASSIFICATION IN THE FIRST AND SECOND EDITIONS OF THIS WORK.

ORDER I.-FEELINGS.

Genus I.-PROPENSITIES.

1. Amativeness. 6. Destructiveness.

2. Philoprogenitiveness. Appetite for Food.

3. Concentrativeness. 7. Constructiveness.

4. Adhesiveness. 8, Acquisitiveness.

5. Combativeness. 9. Secretiveness.

Genus II.-sentiments. 1.-Sentiments common to Man and Lower Animals.

10. Self-Esteem. 12. Cautiousness.

11. Love of Approbation. 13. Benevolence.

2.-Sentiments proper to Man.

14. Veneration. Wonder.

15. Hope. 17. Conscientiousness.

16. Ideality. 18. Firmness.

APPENDIX. 437

ORDER II.-INTELLECTUAL FACULTIES.

Genus I.-EXTERNAL SENSES.

Feeling or Touch. Hearing.
Taste. Sight.
Smell.

Genus II.

INTELLECTUAL FACULTIES WHICH PERCEIVE EXISTENCE.

19. Individuality. 21. Size.
Upper Individuality. 22. Weight.
Lower Individuality. 23. Colouring.

20. Form.

Genus III.-INTELLECTUAL FACULTIES WHICH PERCEIVE THE RELATIONS OF EXTERNAL OBJECTS.

THE RELATIONS OF EXTERNAL OBJECTS.

24. Locality. 27- Number.

25. Order. 28. Tune.

26. Time. 29. Language.

Genus IV.-REFLECTING FACULTIES.

30. Comparison. 32. Wit

31. Causality. 33, Imitation.

In my Lectures delivered in the University of Heidelberg in May, June, and July 1842, I adopted the following arrangement:

I. PROPENSITIES, including Amativeness, Philoprogenitiveness, Concentrativeness, Adhesiveness, Combativeness, Destructiveness, Secretiveness, Acquisitiveness, Alimentiveness.

II. FEELILNGS, including Self-Esteem, Love of Approbation, Cautiousness, Benevolence, Veneration, Firmness, Conscientiousness, Hope, Ideality.

III. FACULTIES OF REPRESENTATION or TALENTS, including Constructiveness, Wit, Imitation, Tune, Language.

438 APPENDIX.

IV. PERCEPTIVE FACULTIES arranged according to their objects. I. In relation to space ; Individuality, Form, Size, Locality, Weight, Colouring, Order;-II. In relation to Time; Time, Eventuality ;-III. In relation to Number ; Number.

V. REFLECTING FACULTIES -Comparison, Causality.

_______

No. IV.

Text, p. 191.

Dr Julius Budge, in his Researches on the Nervous System (published at Frankfort-on-Maine,l841) describes the results of a great number of experiments performed by him on the brains and spinal marrow of several of the lower animals. While the cruel sufferings inflicted on the creatures are, in my opinion, not to be justified, some of the conclusions which he draws are interesting. He found that, by irritating with the lancet or lunar caustic one side of the cerebellum of a male cat immediately after death, he caused the testicle on the opposite side to move. " Als ich nun die eine Seite des kleinen Gehirnes reizte, schwoll der entgegengesetzte Hoden auf, verliess seine Stelle, und richtete sich so in die Höhe, dass er mit dem Saamenstrange einen richten Winkel bildete, dessen eine Linie nach vorn stand. Hörte ich auf zu reizen, so legte sich der Hoden wieder hin ; reizte ich von Neuem, so sah ich dieselbe Bewegung." He irritated, alternately with the cerebellum, the lobes of the brain, the corpora quadrigemina, the optic thalami, and the corpora striata, on both sides, but he never perceived the slightest movement of the testicles to follow from these operations. He found the same results to follow, not in all cases however, but in at least fifty other instances, and he states his firm conviction that the nerves of motion for the Ductus defer'ens and the testicles, have their termination (centralende) in the cerebellum.

APPENDIX. 439

Dr Budge regards the cerebellum as performing more important functions connected with voluntary motion. The following is an abstract of his views. He finds fibres of feeling and fibres of motion in all parts of the spinal marrow ; but they are collected,-those of feeling at the back, and those of motion at the front There are distinct fibres for flexion and for extension of the muscles, in the spinal marrow. The whole nervous fibres for voluntary motion unite in the medulla oblongata, and they end in the pons, and have all crossed by the time they reach the pons. Irritation of the pons and all below produces convulsive movements ; but irritation of the cerebellum produces no convulsions ; it is attended only with incapacity to execute regulated movements. For regulated motion, executed by means of extensor and flexor muscles, there must be, first, an exciting power, and secondly, a restraining power. It is the balance of the two that produces regulated action. The same cerebral parts cannot both excite and restrain at one and the same time. The hemispheres supply the exciting power, the cerebellum supplies the restraining power. When Flourens removed the hemispheres, the animal lost all voluntary exciting power ; it sat like an unconscious automaton ; when he removed the cerebellum, it could run, but not with regulated steadiness. When one side of the cerebellum is cut through, the restraining power on one side is withdrawn, while the restraining power of the other is left entire. The animal can execute regulated movements with one side, and not with the other ; it therefore necessarily turns round, moving only towards the suspended side, when it means to go forward. These results the author produces at pleasure by experiments on dogs, cats, rabbits, &c. Farther, the cerebellum is the central end also of the nerves which go to the organs of reproduction. By irritating it, in a male cat, he caused the testes to move strongly. The nerves of motion of the uterus also end in the cerebellum. The central termination of the nerves of motion of the bladder is in the cerebellum. The nerves of the rectum end there also. The nerves which occasion the movements of the intestines arise in the corpora striata, go through the corpora quadrigemina, thalami nervorum opticorum, and cerebellum, into the medulla oblongata and spinal marrow ; lie chiefly in the front layers of the spinal marrow; go through the ganglia of the N. sympatheticus, and end in the muscular covering of the intestines. Irritation of the right thalamus and left corpus striatum produced motion in the stomach ;

440 APPENDIX.

no motions in it follow from irritating the brain itself. The nerves of the stomach go through the cerebellum, but do not end there. The cerebellum has no effect on the heart's action. The heart is moved by the brain's influence, but, in consequence of having no connection with the cerebellum, the brain cannot stop its motions. Thus, the brain uses the cerebellum as its instrument for stopping action : all functions may be moved by the brain, but none can be stopped unless their nerves end in the cerebellum; Stopping is essential to voluntary motion : Hence all nerves of voluntary functions have ends in the brain for motion, and ends in the cerebellum for restraint. If irritation is applied to the foot of a decapitated frog, it withdraws the foot. The explanation is, that the irritation is discharged by the nerve of feeling into the nerve of motion in contact with it in the spinal marrow, and the nerve of motion produces flexion of the muscles, all without consciousness. The hemispheres send an irritation (called Will) to the nerves of motion, and they act. Will can stimulate to motion, but it needs the cerebellum to stop it. Such are the views of Dr Budge* His book is logically written, and extremely condensed; but it is subject to two objections ; 1st, The running and ending of the fibres is described, not from seeing them, but from inferences that, from the effects produced, they must run as described ; and, 2dly, his views are not complete-he needs much metaphysical reasoning to produce agreement among the phenomena observed. Dr Budge intends to continue his researches.

Dr W. B. Carpenter, in " his Lectures on the Functions of the Nervous System," reported in the London Medical Gazette,¹ observes that " The classes (of animals) which have the greatest variety of movements, and which require for them the most perfect combination of a large number of separate muscular actions, have, taken collectively, the largest cerebellum. Of all classes of Vertebrata, Reptiles are the most inert ;and their motions require the least co-ordination. The active predacious Fishes far surpass them in this respect ; and may be compared with birds in the energy of their passage through the water, and in their facility of changing their direction during the most rapid progression. Their cerebellum, accordingly, bears to their spinal cord very much the same proportion with that of birds. On the other hand, the Flat Fish, which lie near the bottom of the ocean, and which have a much

¹ (718-xxviii-page 894.)

APPENDIX. 441

less variety of movement, have a very much smaller cerebellum ; and the Vermiform Fishes, which are almost or completely destitute of fins, and whose progression is accomplished by flexion of the body, have a cerebellum so small as to be scarcely discoverable, their motion being, like that of the lower Articulata, almost entirely of a reflex character, each segment being influenced by its own ganglionic centre, and the spinal cord constituting by far the largest proportion of the nervous centres. On looking at the class of Birds, we observe that the active predacious Falcons, and the swift-winged Swallow (the perfect control possessed by which over their complicated movements every one must have observed), have a cerebellum much larger in proportion than that of the Gallinaceous birds, whose powers of flight are small, or than that of the Struthious tribe, in which they are altogether absent. Lastly, on comparing its proportional size, in the different orders of Mammalia, with the number and variety of muscular actions requiring combined movements, of which they are respectively capable, we observe an even more remarkable correspondence. In the hoofed quadrupeds, in which the muscular apparatus of the extremities is reduced to its greatest simplicity, and in which the movements of progression are simple, the cerebellum is proportionally smaller than it is found to be in some birds ; but in proportion as the extremities acquire the power of prehension, and together with this the power of application to a great variety of purposes-still more, in proportion as the animal becomes capable of maintaining the erect posture, in which a constant muscular exertion, consisting of a number of most elaborately combined parts, is required,- do we find the size of the cerebellum, and the complexity of its structure, undergoing a rapid increase. Thus, even between the dog and the bear there is a marked difference, the latter being capable of remaining for some time in the erect posture, and often spontaneously assuming it, whilst to the former it is any thing but natural. In the semi-erect apes, again, there is a very great advance in the proportional size of the cerebellum ; and those which most approach man in the tendency to preserve habitually the erect posture, also come nearest to him in regard to the size of the cerebellum. Now it is evident that man, although far inferior to many of the lower animals in the power of performing various particular kinds of movement, far surpasses them all in the number and variety of the

442 APPENDIX.

combinations which he is capable of executing, and in the complexity of the combinations themselves. Thus, if we attentively consider the act of walking in man, we shall find that there is scarcely a muscle of the trunk or extremities which is not actually concerned in it ; some being engaged in performing the necessary movements, and others in maintaining the equilibrium of the body, which is disturbed by them. On the other hand, in the horse or camel, the muscular movements are individually numerous, but they do not require nearly the same perfect co-ordination. And in the bird, the number of muscles employed in the movements of flight, and in directing the course of these, is really comparatively small ; as may at once be perceived by comparing the rigidity of the skeleton of the trunk of the bird with that of man, and by remembering the complete inactivity of the lower extremities during the active condition of the upper. In fact, the motions of the wings are so simple and regular, as to suggest the idea that, as in Insects, their character is more reflex than directly voluntary :- an idea which is supported by the length of time during which they can be kept up without apparent fatigue, and also by an important fact hereafter to be mentioned, which experimental research has disclosed. It is seen, then, that comparative anatomy fully confirms the idea which experimental physiology suggests, respecting the chief functions of the cerebellum." Dr Carpenter afterwards remarks, that the Phrenological doctrine, " that the cerebellum is the organ of the sexual instinct, is by no means incompatible with the other ; and by some (Phrenologists) has been held in combination with it." The facts reported by Dr Budge, if found to be correct, would go far to explain the phenomena adverted to by Dr Carpenter, while they would also tend to confirm the phrenological doctrine, that a portion of the cerebellum serves to manifest the Amative propensity.

---

Vol. 1: [front matter], Intro, Nervous system, Principles of Phrenology, Anatomy of the brain, Division of the faculties 1.Amativeness 2.Philoprogenitiveness 3.Concentrativeness 4.Adhesiveness 5.Combativeness 6.Destructiveness, Alimentiveness, Love of Life 7.Secretiveness 8.Acquisitiveness 9.Constructiveness 10.Self-Esteem 11.Love of Approbation 12.Cautiousness 13.Benevolence 14.Veneration 15.Firmness 16.Conscientiousness 17.Hope 18.Wonder 19.Ideality 20.Wit or Mirthfulness 21.Imitation.
Vol. 2: [front matter], external senses, 22.Individuality 23.Form 24.Size 25.Weight 26.Colouring 27.Locality 28.Number 29.Order 30.Eventuality 31.Time 32.Tune 33.Language 34.Comparison, General observations on the Perceptive Faculties, 35.Causality, Modes of actions of the faculties, National character & development of brain, On the importance of including development of brain as an element in statistical inquiries, Into the manifestations of the animal, moral, and intellectual faculties of man, Statistics of Insanity, Statistics of Crime, Comparative phrenology, Mesmeric phrenology, Objections to phrenology considered, Materialism, Effects of injuries of the brain, Conclusion, Appendices: No. I, II, III, IV, V, [Index], [Works of Combe].