ing of a very beautiful one, in the possession of an honourable person in this neighbourhood, and send it you, along with a few further remarks, if possible, before the publication of your second Number. Yours respectfully,
J. M.
Stockbridge, March 17, 1817.
THE CRANIOLOGICAL CONTROVERSY.
Some Observations on the late Pamphlets of Dr Gordon and Dr Spurzheim.
MR EDITOR,
No speculations have engaged more attention, or have more frequently afforded a topic for conversation, since the time of Joanna Southcote, than those of Drs Gall and Spurzheim. Your readers, I presume, have heard of these gentlemen and their doctrines, and perhaps may be amused by a few remarks on the craniological controversy. One of these learned persons, who lately lectured in this city, has been remarkably active in the promulgation of his new system, and has devoted many years to its explanation, in all the principal cities and towns of Europe. Of this system it is unnecessary here to give any detailed account. Its outlines have been made so generally known by the unwearied eloquence of Dr Spurzheim, in his writings and by his lectures, that I beg to refer the very few persons, who have not heard the latter to the perusal of the former. I shall here offer only some general observations on a treatise lately published on the subject by Dr Gordon, and on a pamphlet by Dr Spurzheim, intended as a reply.
The craniological system of Drs Gall and Spurzheim has been very fully detailed and discussed in all the literary journals of this country, and they have been very unanimous in deciding on its merits. The Edinburgh Review stood foremost in opposition to this new system, and pointed out more fully and clearly than the rest, the anatomical errors on which it was founded. Dr Spurzheim, encouraged by his success in England—relying, it may be also, on his personal address, and on the plausible sophistry with which he explained his system—for its ready reception with the multitude of readers, who were of course incapable of detecting its errors—resolved to visit Edinburgh; and there to repress the voice of opposition by the influence that might accompany his immediate presence.
On concluding his lectures at Bath and Clifton, he there announced his intention of visiting this northern capital; at the same time exciting the sympathy of his audience, by declaring, "that he was going amongst his enemies." At Clifton, particularly, he had gained many proselytes; and so occupied were the ladies there in settling the manifestations of mind from the bumps on each other's skulls, that carefully to braid the hair, in order to conceal wrong propensities, became a matter of very serious attention. The following fact, which actually occurred at a party in Clifton, will shew with what a nice accuracy Dr Spurzheim had taught his fair disciples to discover in their neighbours particular manifestations of mind;—and I give it as a short lesson of caution to their sister craniologists in Edinburgh, of which there are not a few. A lady in a large party remarked pretty audibly, that on a certain head very near her, she perceived a suspicious bump. The lady to whom the head belonged, hearing this observation, turned to the informant, and, declaring that she would instantly remove this organ which had excited a suspicion of a wrong propensity, immediately took from her hair a small comb, which, lying concealed, had caused the manifestation.
Dr Spurzheim arrived in Edinburgh soon after the commencement of the last summer session at this university. He gave several demonstrations of a calfs and sheep's brain in Dr Barclay's lecture-room; and as soon as he could procure a human brain, he began his demonstrations on that organ in the class-room of Professor Thomson and Dr Gordon. Here was a fair opportunity to put to shame the critics of Edinburgh, who had so severely ridiculed his system. This was the time to support his written discoveries by actual demonstration. His new and superior mode of dissecting the human brain, could now readily be made manifest by a public exhibition of his skill before some of the most eminent professors and practitioners in the kingdom. A human brain was placed before him;—that organ on which his system was founded, and his alleged discoveries respect-
