phrenology

[Gr. phrēn =the bodily seat of the mental faculties; suff. -ology; Fr. phrénolo gie; Sp. & Ital. frenologia.] Science: The science or doctrine which teaches that a relation exists between the several faculties of the human mind and particular portions of the brain, the latter being the organs through which the former act. That the brain, taken as a whole, is the part of the human body through which the mind operates, had been from ancient times the general belief; but the localization of the several faculties was first attempted by Dr. Franz Joseph Gall, who was born at Tiefenbrunn in Suabia, March 9, 1757; first promulgated his views in a course of lectures in his house at Vienna in 1796; gained. in 1804, a valuable coadjutor in Dr. Spurzheim; journeyed with him in 1807 to Paris, where a commi ion appointed by the Institute reported very unfavorably of his system; and died Aug. 22, 1828. When Spurzheim visited Edinburgh, he met Mr. George Combe, who adopted his views, and in 1819 published E ays on Phrenology , ultimately developed into his System of Phrenology, which became very popular. Gall enumerated nearly thirty, Spurzheim thirty-five, mental faculties which he considered as primitive. These Spurzheim divides into moral, or affective, and intellectual. The affective faculties are subdivided into propensities producing desires or inclination, and sentiments, which along with this excite some higher emotion. The intellectual faculties are similarly divided into perceptive and reflective. They were then localized on the brain, or rather on the skull, for phrenology during life can observe only the skull of an individual, and even that with flesh, skin, and hair intervening; and there is not always a correspond ence between the form of the skull and that of the brain. The phrenological charts will show the localities of the various organs. IMG:content-1008.png:[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small] 3104 Spurzheim seems to have considered the most una ailable point in phrenology to be the connection between amativene and the cerebellum. He says: "Indeed, it is impo ible to unite a greater number of proofs to demonstrate any natural truth, than may be presented to determine the function of this organ." Ibid , pp. 277, 278. phrěn-ō-măg'-net-Ism, s . [Greek phren (gen it. phrenos)=the mind, and English magnetism .] The power of exciting the organs of the brain through mesmeric influence. †phron-tis-těr-, *phron-tis-tër-i-on, subst . [Gr. phrontistérion , from phrontizō =to think, from phrên =the mind.] A school or seminary of learning. ( Corah's Doom , p. 136.) Wiel and considers the Greek word was coined by Aris toph anes ( Nub . 94, 128), to throw ridicule on the Socratic school. T. Mitchell makes it=thinking-shop, and the trans. of Süvern's e ay on the Clouds, subtlety-shop. phry-găn-ě-ą, subst . [Gr. phruganion , dim in. from phruganon =a dry stick, referring to the case in which the larva is enveloped.] 1. Entom .: Caddis-worm; the typical genus of the Phryganeide. Phryganea grand is is four-fifths of an inch in length, and more than two inches in the expansion of its wings. 2. Palæont.: Found in Britain in the Purbeck strata and the Wealden. [INDUSIAL-LIMESTONE.] phry-găn-e-i-dæ, s. pl . [Modern Latin phry gane(a); Lat. fem. pl. adj. suff. -idœ . ] 1. Entom .: Caddis-worms; a family of Trichopterous Insects, division Inæquipalpia. Maxillary palpi of the male four-jointed, not very pubescent; those of the female five-jointed. They are the larg est of the order. The larvæ make for their habitation cylindrical cases of leaves, ., arranged in a more or le spiral form. They are found in tranquil ponds, ., and are from the Northern Hemi sphere. 2. Palæont .: Fo il species of two genera seem to exist in the Carboniferous rocks.