66 by Phrenologists : What think you from the head of the “ medula oblongata ?” He replied, “that he was aware of “ it, and that the radiation on the diagram was made so “ through mistake." It must also be stated, that he observed to his audience, that though the Phrenologists admit of double organs, yet there are some single, exemplifying them on a marked cranium, as Individuality, Comparison, Benevolence, Veneration, &c. On the next day I attended also, and one or two examples that were then detailed will be sufficient to exhibit his profound research. In the first place, he paid no attention to the acknowledgment he made to me the day previous; and it is not to be wondered at, as it would appear to have been counter to his main argument. For instance, he contended, while exhibiting a most excellent preparation of the falx and tentorium of the dura mater, that if the organs originated at the base of the cranium, and to continue and diverge as was stated, How is it possible they can pass through this membrane, and not leave a vestige of their passage, as the audience may here see? (exbibiting the tentorium.) The same objection was made to his single organs, as the falx would inevitably be in the centre of them, and yet not the slightest vestige appears. Those examples I fear are already too much noticed. Our recording secretary, Dr R. Randall, who is now a professor in the same college, in a few days afterwards replied before the Society and many visitors. It may only be necessary to add, that a vote unanimously passed to publish the replication, but which has been 'deferred by Dr Randall until the professor shall publish his; as it was generally understood that he had promised his class to do so. And thus it remains : The professor, however, has since re-delivered them to a succeeding class during the last winter; and in the third edition whether they are amended, corrected, and revised, I have no information to give you. You will observe, from the enclosed prospectus, that we are a about republishing the Journal in this city. Dr Bell warmly approves it, and I hope it may meet the approbation of yourself, as well as your brother. I have no doubt but we shall be able to effect our object. I have the honour to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. BRERETON, Phrenological Society. ARTICLE IV. CASE OF PARTIAL DISEASE OF THE BRAIN, ACCOM · PANIED WITH PARTIAL LOSS OF MENTAL POWER. (Read to the Phrenological Society by Henry Wight, Esq. on 6th March, 1828.) A CASE of a very interesting nature has lately been presented to the consideration of those who make the physiology of the brain their study. There has been preserved by Mr Syme, part of the skull of a female who died about two months ago, of the external appearance of which the accompanying cut will afford a tolerably correct idea. Vol. V.-No XIX. 2D Externally there were two large bony excrescences at A A, and internally bony spiculæ had grown up in great numbers from the superorbitar plate on the right side behind these elevations, and also, but fewer in number, on the left side. The spiculæ are most dense over the right eye, and the centre of the forehead ; they extend a considerable way over the left side of the superorbitar plate, but become less dense as they recede from the middle. The parts of the brain affected correspond to the organs of Individuality, Form, Size, Weight, Colouring, Order, Locality, Time, and partly to Tune and Language. This specimen was at first caught at by the opponents of Phrenology, and represented as fatal to the truth of that science. When it was first shown to me, I was told that there was the case of a person whose brain must in a great measure have been destroyed, but who still continued a sensible and reasonable being, with faculties unimpaired. I was certainly much startled at the information, and felt satisfied that, if the fact were so, Phrenology must be false, because it is evident that, if an instance can be produced of a power or powers of the mind remaining unimpaired, when it is proved that the phrenological organs of those powers in the brain have been destroyed, then the evidence upon which Phrenology rests, viz. the coexistence of physical organs and their corresponding faculties, is annihilated. It was supposed by the antiphrenologists that this was a case which we should be willing to pass over in silence, and the knowledge of which we should be willing if possible to suppress; but I hope they will now be convinced that that is not the spirit with which we wish to encounter difficulties real or supposed. The first wish of all the Phrenologists who saw this singular specimen of diseased head, was to know every particular of the mental manifestation of the unfortunate individual to whom it belonged. With that view I applied to my friend Dr Sibbald, who had attended her in his medical capacity for a considerable period antecedent to her death, and from him I received all the information he had it in his power to give. He also kindly introduced me to the woman's brother-in-law, a most respectable and very sensible tradesman in Edinburgh, from whom I received a full and frank communication of every particular he could call to his recollection regarding the state of mind of his deceased sister-in-law. In applying to that individual for information, I went in the fairest manner possible, abstaining particularly from giving him any idea of the object which I had in view in making my inquiries; at the same time guarding as much as I could against asking leading questions, the effect of which upon the answers given every lawyer knows well. I passed myself off as a medical man, anxious as such to get every information on what I considered a curious medical case. I shall now proceed to give the result of my inquiries ; after which we shall see whether the case makes for or against Phrenology. The individual, when she died, was nearly 50 years of age. The disease which caused the extraordinary appearance on the skull was, I believe, of about 18 years' standing. What was the cause of the disease I do not know, nor do I suppose it is possible or material to find that out, it is with the effects alone that we have to do. In the early period of her life, before she became a martyr to disease, she was a clever sensible woman, very amiable and kind-hearted, remarkably good-tempered, and with an amazing flow of animal spirits. She was very fond of fun and jokes, and laughed very heartily at them. She was very orderly and cleanly, exceedingly fond of music, remarkably honest and of good religious principles. I may also mention that before she became unwell, she was cook in the family of Mrs Cay in Heriot Row. We have now seen what she was prior to the disease, and we shall see what she afterwards became. The person who gave me the information says, that for the “ last 12 years “ she was always silly,—sometimes worse than at others.” She became gradually worse and worse, (I speak of her mind) as long as she lived. In place of being, as formerly, good-hearted and amiable, she became furious and vindictive She was employed till within a few months of her death in a shop, along with her sister, in selling tea. When in this situation she used to conceive that customers intended to cheat her, and became very outrageous and abusive to them. My informer says, that although they considered her tolerably correct in her money-dealings, they would not have thought her competent to take charge of the shop unless she had had her sister along with her ; but Dr Sibbald tells me the sister said, that if she sold two pounds of tea, one at 6s. and the other at 5s., she made mistakes in adding the two together. I am inclined to give the preference to the statement of the sister, who must have had better opportunities of observing that part of her character, than the brother-in-law could have. I have mentioned that she was exceedingly furious, and her fury was directed indiscriminately against friend and foe. She was honest in her youth, and in her diseased state she constantly supposed every one was going to cheat her, and she expressed great displeasure at the idea of any one doing a dishonest action. She conceived that she was cheated by her relations as much as by strangers. When her most intimate friends and relations came into the room where she was, she did not appear to know them at first, and seemed afterwards to recognize them by the voice. If she saw a person one day she did not recognize him the next. In looking over the window, she was in the habit of making remarks upon persons passing, and laughing very heartily at her own jokes; but she was almost invariably wrong in the remarks she' made. She had no inclination to gossip, but quite the reverse. She took no interest in anecdotes unless there was some |