and no
communication would receive fair treatment which contravened
the opinions of editors or the mass of prevalent opinion in
colleges and scientific societies. It would be peremptorily
rejected from our leading scientific magazine, the _Popular
Science Monthly_.

To return to the theory of cerebral development: The reader will
understand by referring to the last chapter that the summit of the
spinal system or great inferior ganglion of the brain, bearing the
names of optic thalami and corpora striata, is the true beginning of
the cerebrum, instead of the medulla oblongata, which _does not_
contain the fibres of the cerebral organs. And as this beginning is a
little in front of the ear and its first radiating fibres are nearly
on the horizontal line just mentioned, it follows that we may locate
accordingly a centre from which cerebral development may be estimated;
and when we take this true centre we may describe around it a circle,
and find that the circle singularly coincides with the outline of the
cranium, so that if we add to that circle the outlines of the nose,
mouth, and chin, we have sketched a well-developed head of strong
character, and ascertained the method of studying the development of
the brain, which has so remarkably been overlooked.

[Illustration]

No one can begin the study of brain development in men and animals
guided by a correct system without being delighted with the uniform
accuracy of the science; for even the incomplete and inaccurate
science of Gall and Spurzheim, marred in its application by
misconceptions of anatomy, has proved sufficiently correct and
instructive to maintain its hold upon the minds of all students of
nature, by giving them more truth than error, and _sometimes_ giving
the truth with marvellous accuracy. The errors they did not attempt to
investigate.[4]

[4] I would merely mention, as a familiar example of such
errors, that an enlightened student of phrenology called upon
me yesterday, to whom phrenologists had given the character of
avaricious selfishness and an incapacity for friendship, which
indeed was the correct application of the old system, but was
the reverse of his true character. The old system did not
explain friendship correctly, and entirely mislocated the
organ of avarice by placing it in the temples. The gentlemen
had never before received a correct description from
phrenologists he had