PHRENOLOGY RESUSCITATED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1307, 24 January 1868, Page 4

PHRENOLOGY RESUSCITATED.

To the Editor of the -Hbbald. Fir, —Tho Rev. James Hi!i has evidently floored phrenology in Auckland, and many of your subscribers have expressed their di-uppoivil nient at not finding a full report of his lecture in your columns. Though it must have beea ti source of gre*t- gratification to those who had tho pleasure of hearing it, I trusr. the Association for whom it was specially Intended will allow the public to reap a almra of tlie benefit, and persuade the reverend gentleman to publish it in an extended form. Aud bus nobody a word to siiy in favour of phrenology, now fallen, like Dagon before the Ark? Where, O whero is Mr. O'Dell, her chosei high-priest? Hns lie heard of Dr. Ri:hardson's experiment? Let hiin rend this paragraph from the Illustrated London News, and take heart once more : — "Dr. Kichar-ison has contributed to the Pop ular Science Jieriew an interesting pupor on tho Physics of the Brain, in which ho recounts tho effects of experiments made by him of depriving certain parts of the brain of their force by freezing them fey a jet of ether. Important phrenological investigations may thus be condii' te 1, as any part of the brain may be deprived temporarily of its motive force by freezing ; and all the powers thus suspended, including memory, will bo restored whon the paits are again thawed. The effect of freezing the fore part of the brain of an animal is to make it rush or fall forward, whilo by freezing its back part the animal performs backward summersatflts or falls backward." If we must accept the results of Dr. BichardBOn's experiments, their bearing on phrenology cannot be questioned. If, for instance, we direct a couple of jots of ether on the organs of "language," it would depend very much o.*: whether the individual were a point or a sinner what his first ejaculation would be. Few can doubt that his words would bo limited in number and not particularly •well ordered—a single pious or .profane utterance and his lips would b J sealed. The bo.-t boxer could not stand up to n jet of ether playing on his " combativeness," and the same applied to his organ of " mu?ic" would soon put his pipe entirely out. Who that has read Addison's admirable essay on the " Frozen Words" will not regret that we have no living humourist to handle ths frozen organs ? What ft thrilling story Edgar Allan Poe could have made of them from a phrenological point ot view? And behind the " frozen bumps" our town-man Mr. O'Dell would occupy an almost impregnable position.—Yours, &c., Audi Alteram: Partem:. • 21st January, IS3B. [Mr. Hill's consent has been obtained to the publication of his lecture ; it will appear in full in the Weekly He bald of Saturday next, and in our daily impression ai spac will permit.—Ed. N.Z.tl.]