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].

---

24.-SIZE.

THERE is an essential difference between the idea of size and that of form ; and the faculty of distinguishing form differs from that of distinguishing size. The form may be the same, and the size different. One of these kinds of knowledge may exist without the other ; and there is no proportion between them. Besides, as formerly mentioned, the nerves of touch, and the organs of sight, do not form ideas of any kind ; so that the power of conceiving size cannot be in proportion to the endowment of them. Dr Spurzheim, therefore, inferred by reasoning, that there must be a faculty, the function of which is to perceive size ; and observation has proved the soundness of his conclusion. The situation of the organ indicated by him has been found correct, and it is regarded as ascertained. In dissecting the brain, the convolutions which constitute Size and Form are found intimately connected. The organ is placed at the internal extremity of the arch of the eyebrow, on the two sides of the lower portion of Individuality.

Dr Vimont admits the organ of Size, and agrees with Dr

42 SIZE.

Spurzheim in regard to its situation at the internal angles of the orbits of the eyes ; but he conceives that he has discovered a separate organ for taking cognisance of distance, situated between Size and "Weight. He divides Dr Spurzheim's organ of Size into two, or nearly so, and calls the portion next the nose the organ of Size, and that next to Weight, the organ of Distance. I have not observed facts sufficient to enable me to pronounce an opinion on this division of the organs-reason seems to be opposed to it. The size of an object is estimated by the distance between the lines formed by its different surfaces ; and the distance between two objects is estimated by the extent of space intervening between the nearest surfaces of each. We name our perceptions Size when our attention is directed to the distance between the surfaces of a whole figure ; and distance, when it is directed to the space intervening between two objects. In both instances, however, we estimate the distance between points or lines ; and the mental perceptions appear to me to be fundamentally the same.

Dr Vimont does not advert to the circumstances which early led me to the belief that the same organ perceives both size and distance. They were the following :

A member of the Phrenological Society, told me that when he called on Dr Spurzheim in Paris, the latter remarked that he had the organ of Size largely developed. This proved to be a correct indication of the talent in his case ; for he possessed the power of discriminating size with great nicety. He possessed 'also great power of estimating distance : For example, he was able to draw a circle without the aid of any instrument, and to point out the centre of it with mathematical accuracy ; in doing which, he obviously estimated the distance between the point which he fixed on as the centre, and all parts of the circumference. Being in the army, he found himself able to make his company fall from column into line with great exactness ; estimating also correctly by the eye the space to be occupied by the men, which many other officers could never learn to do. Locality, which also he largely possessed, would aid him in this practice.

SIZE. 43

Many years ago, when I visited Sir George S. Mackenzie, Mr Ferguson, tutor in his family, stated, that he had a difficulty in " understanding a landscape" in a picture ; and explained, that " it appeared to him to present a group of objects on a plain surface, without any perceptible fore or back ground." He attributed this defect in his perceptions to his not having been taught the rules of perspective at school. In the course of farther interrogation, he stated, that he sees the forms of objects distinctly, as also their colours ; that he likes brilliant tints best, and that in nature he perceives distances also. He has visited Roslin (in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh), and not only perceives the beauty which characterizes that delicious spot, but enjoyed it with a keen relish. He has also seen many pieces of Highland scenery, and been delighted with them. Rivers, meadows, trees, and cultivated ground, are, however, the objects which interest him most. On turning his back upon any natural landscape, or shutting his eyes, his recollections instantly become very confused. He is not able to recall to his mind the " relative positions^" of the objects, while he distinctly recollects the pleasing impressions which they made upon him this remembrance does not soon fade. His recollection of Roslin, for example, is like that of a confused picture of rocks and trees and a river winding through them ; but his remembrance of the impressions of grandeur and beauty, produced by the objects, is vivid and distinct.

For a long time it was difficult to account for this curious deficiency of mental power. Mr Ferguson permitted a cast of his face and forehead to be taken (which is sold in the shops), and in it the organ of Size appeared to be decidedly small, and Form and Locality not very fully developed ; while, by examining his head, it was found that Ideality, Wonder, and Benevolence, with the organs of the other sentiments and also of the intellectual powers, were nowise deficient ; but to which of the three organs of Size, Form, or Locality, the imperfection ought to be ascribed, it was not easy to determine.

44 SIZE,

Subsequently, however, Mr Douglas, miniature-painter, a member of the Phrenological Society, stated in conversation, that one of the earliest indications which he had exhibited of a liking for painting, was an extraordinary interest in matters connected with perspective. When a mere child, the appearance of approach in the remote ends of ploughed ridges puzzled him exceedingly, and he crawled across the fields, before he could well walk, to measure with a stick the actual distance between the ridges, and was lost in astonishment when he found that the space between each was actually the same at both ends, notwithstanding the great difference which appeared between them to his eye. He continued from this time to take a great interest in perspective, as a quality in painting, and he subsequently gave up landscape for miniature painting, not from inclination, but from other motives. On comparing his head with Mr Ferguson's, the organ of Size in him was found to differ more than any of the others, from its appearance in Mr F.'s head ; it was very large.

On subsequently examining the head of Mr P. Gibson, who was known greatly to excel in perspective, I again found the organ of Size very large. Farther, in the head of a gentleman with whom I am intimately acquainted, this organ is developed rather below than above an average ; and he stated to me, that, with the power of easily perceiving that one object is more distant than another, he has, nevertheless, felt great difficulty in representing distance correctly on paper ; and, while he understands the general theory of perspective, he could never learn to practise it by tact of hand, and, on this account, gave up all attempts at drawing. In the head of Sir Walter Scott, this organ was deficient, and he mentions that he could never succeed in sketching successfully from nature. He seems to have been unable to execute perspective accurately. These facts induce me to conclude that the power of appreciating perspective also depends on the organ of Size.

Sir G. S. Mackenzie is " inclined to think, that magnitude, size, length, breadth, thickness, height, depth, distance,

SIZE. 40

being all, strictly speaking, referable to extension, the faculty which we are in quest of is probably that of space in general."¹

In a former edition, I mentioned the case of a lady who, having Form large and Size deficient, copied figures accurately in regard to form, but inaccurately in regard to size. To this statement Lord Jeffrey objected that size is necessary to proportion, and proportion to form ; and that there was inconsistency in the account of the lady's talents. His Lordship is in the right ; she informs me that it is only the simplest forms which have few parts that she is able to copy correctly, and in drawing even them she will err in size ; but that when a figure has detached parts, although she may give the outline of each part by itself with considerable accuracy, it will be larger or smaller than the original ; whence the whole figure will be deficient in proportion. In drawing from nature, she fails in perspective ; nevertheless she feels great pleasure in observing forms, recollects them easily, and has a complete consciousness of the powers of Form and Size being different, and of the one being strong and the other weak in her mind.

Mr Jos. Toulmin Smith has published in the Phrenological Journal, vol. x. p. 494, an account of a curious aberration of perception to which he is occasionally liable. " The phenomenon," says he, "to which I allude, consists in a sudden and involuntary alteration in the apparent size of objects presented to sight. Instead of their usual and real size, they appear exceedingly small, as if in distant but very clear perspective. No effort of volition can produce this condition of sight, neither can any remove it. My organs of Form, Size and Weight, Order and Locality, are all large. I never experienced the slightest difficulty in either estimating or drawing perspective. The affection is only occasional. It lasts from half an hour to an hour at a time,-never more, frequently less." No explanation of this affection can yet be

¹ Illustrations of Phrenology, p. 159.

46 WEIGHT.

given. In the Phrenological Journal, vol. xii. p. 154, Dr Otto describes a case in which perception of distance was disturbed in concomitance with an injury in the right super-orbital region.

The frontal sinus throws a difficulty in the way of observing this organ ; and the negative evidence is, therefore, chiefly to be relied on, in proving its existence and functions. See vol. i. p. 127-8-9. 1