SECT. I. MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 2. Dr Thurnam on the Relative Liability of the Sexes to Insanity, 3. Mr Cull on the Organ of Language and its Function (continued), 130 1. Case of Derangement of the Faculty of Language, without ap- parent disease in the Anterior Lobes. By Alex. Kilgour, Remarks, by the Editor, on the Pathology of the Brain, 2. On the Heads and Intellectual Qualities of Sir Isaac Newton and 3. Experimental Inquiry to Determine whether Hypnotic and Mes- Aberdeen-The late H. T. M. Witham, Esq.-Lectures on Phreno- logy-Manchester-Bethlem Hospital-M'Naughten, the murderer of Mr Drummond-Thomas Adams, the Flat-head Indian-Dr Spurzheim on the relation between the Lan- guages of certain Nations and their notions of Time- The Scope of Education-Dr Dalton's Colour-blindness and its Cause-Small Heads of Scottish Fishermen-Relapse of Convicts into Crime-Heads of Inhabitants of the Pyre- nees-Brain of the Giraffe-Are the Nerves conductors of Electricity to the Muscles?-Books and Newspapers re- SECT. II. NOTICES OF Books. 5. Dr Wigan on the Duality of the Mind (Second Notice), 6. The American Journal of Insanity, Nos. I., II., and III., SECT. III. INTELLIGENCE, &c. Obituary: Dr Hirschfeld and Dr Welsh-London Phrenological Society Sheffield-Manchester-Lectures on Phrenology- The Augsburg Gazette on Phrenology-Edinburgh Univer- sity Students' Prize for 1844-5-Mr Solly on the Protective Apparatus of the Brain, &c.—Museum of Skulls at St Peters- burgh-French Academy of Medicine: Dr Belhomme on the Localization of Speech in the Anterior Lobes of the Brain; Dr F. Dubois d'Amiens on Mental Alienation in a psycholo- gical point of view-Reformation of Criminals-Head of Hocker-Mr Cull on an alleged Misrepresentation of Dr Spurzheim-Dr Charles Radclyffe Hall on Mesmerism-The 1. The German Phrenological Journal, No. VII., 2. Mr Pettigrew on Superstitions connected with the History and 3. Elements of Phrenology. By George Combe. Sixth edition, 360 4. Dr Moore on the Power of the Soul over the Body, considered Lectures on Phrenology-Lectureship of Phrenology in the An- dersonian University, Glasgow-Prizes for Essays on Insanity -Inhabitants of the Marquesas Islands-Alleged Misrepre- sentation of Dr Spurzheim-Reading of Character-Western Penitentiary of Pennsylvania; Effects of Solitary Confinement -Irresistible propensity to steal-Heads of Hocker and Con- markable case of Insanity assuming a Tertian Type-Destruc- tiveness of the North American Indians-The Dwellings of the Poor-Acquittals, on the ground of Insanity, of Persons tried for Murder-Contraction of the Foramen Lacerum Pos- terius in Maniacs and Suicides-Dr Forbes's farther Searches for Clairvoyance-Influence of the Study of Physical Science 362-380 THE PHRENOLOGICAL JOURNAL. No. LXXXII. JANUARY, 1845. NEW SERIES.-No. XXIX. I. MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. I. Illustrations of the Functions of the Organ of Size. By Mr E. J. HYTCHE. AMONG the cerebral organs, one of the most important, and yet the most difficult to trace, is that which appreciates the dimensions of physical objects, and measures the space which intervenes between one body and another. Little, however, of positive evidence has been adduced in favour of the site assigned, and probably less has been submitted to shew its radical function. Nor is this strange. There are great impediments even to mere observation, arising chiefly from the unequal thickness of the superciliary ridge, and from the encroachments of the frontal sinus. Again, a metaphysical difficulty attends the study of this organ; for as shape and magnitude are blended in every object, it is difficult to separate and define the essential features of each. Nevertheless, lengthened observation has indicated the correctness of Spurzheim's opinion; and the more nature has been appealed to, the more clearly has it been seen that shape and magnitude are distinct qualities, and, therefore, that the perception of the one does not imply the appreciation of the other. The objections which have been made to the existence of this organ are many; but all are resolvable into those of a VOL. XVIII.-N. S. NO. XXIX.-JAN. 1845. A metaphysical character, Not one fact has yet been adduced to shew that the site marked on the bust is incorrect. But while we have appealed to the cerebral indications in support of our position, the critic has been content to adduce another species of evidence,—namely, that derived from selfinspection, the competence of which we deny. The metaphysical objections to the existence of the organ of Size are well exemplified in an article on Combe's Outlines, contained in the Quarterly Review (vol. lvii. p. 172), and the citation of which will convey to the reader all that our adversaries can say against the existence of the organ. "We have," says the writer, "both Form and Size: in the language of metaphysics, a knowledge of extension includes the two. For what is form but the comparative extension of the several parts of the same object? or size, but the comparative extension of two several objects?" In this attempt at analysis, the critic seems to have confounded the two distinct qualities, shape and magnitude, by arguing that, because they are necessarily connected, they are but one. Now, granting that form can never be disconnected from size, this does not prove that magnitude and shape are one and the same quality. For a concise refutation of the theory, we have only to appeal to nature. Extension can convey no idea of shape; because matter of a given magnitude can be of any possible form: and, in like manner, two objects of the same shape may widely differ in size. * Mr Hay has so well discriminated and defined the qualities which constitute physical magnitude, that to indicate the existence of size, as a natural and appreciable quality, there is only occasion to cite his analysis. He says, that "proportion may be in the relative size of two or more objects; the relative dimension that the length bears to the breadth of an object; the relative obtusity or acuteness of various angles; the relative classes of curvature in various objects, or in the parts of an object." Distinct, then, as is the quality of physical magnitude, we might infer that for its perception a distinct organ would be assigned, seeing that for every other distinctive natural feature a special cognizer has been discovered. For the correctness of this inference I need merely refer to the cerebral conformation, and to the characteristics, of For although there are but few persons who cannot appreciate great differences in dimensions, as, for instance, between an apple and a fly; yet, when the appreciation of men. * On Proportion, pp. 1 and 2. |