An approach to a better system has, however, been lately made by a French physician, Dr F. Thomas, and whether he be correct or not in all his facts and conclusions, it is impossible, we think, to read the exposition contained in the work now before us without admitting, that in principle, in simplicity, and in practical usefulness, his doctrine excels all that have preceded it; and that, whatever may be its ultimate fate, Dr T. has succeeded in making at least one step in advance in a difficult and intricate path; and that on that account he deserves the thanks and the candid attention of the public.

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On looking at the animal system, says Dr T., we find it to consist of three great groups of organs, each group performing distinct functions, but all the parts of each so far analogous as to contribute to one general end. The first group is that contained in the cavity of the cranium, and the general function which it performs is to carry on, or rather to manifest, all the operations of the mind, to constitute the seat of sensation, and to supply nervous energy to, and to direct the movements of, all parts of the body. It is composed of many distinct parts, performing as many distinct functions; but all these, from a general similarity, may be regarded as belonging to the same genus, and may therefore be classed together. The second group is that contained in the cavity of the thorax, and it includes chiefly the lungs and the heart, having for their functions the processes of sanguification and circulation, which have also a general resemblance in their object. The third group is that contained in the cavity of the abdomen, including the stomach, liver, spleen, bowels, &c. each also differing from the other, but all concurring to effect the conversion of food into chyle, and the separation and excretion of the superfluous or injurious particles from the system.

All other parts of the body, the limbs, the parietes of the head, thorax, and abdomen, are evidently the mere passive instruments or defences of these more important animal functions.

The head, thorax, and abdomen, form, in fact, what is properly called the animal, while the extremities may be wanting without diminishing the Individuality of a living being. From this we come to the natural conclusion, that whatever a temperament or constitution may be in itself, the causes which give rise to it must exist in one or other or all of these three great groups of organs. And, accordingly, this inference of reason is amply borne out by observation in a way that we shall now try to explain.

When an important natural truth is brought fully to light, it is astonishing how many, how easy, and how fruitful are the applications of which it is susceptible. In our last Number, we were at some pains to show that the phrenological principle of organic size being, ceteris paribus, a measure of functional power, so far from being either a fancy of a heated imagination, or peculiar to the brain alone, was, on the contrary, a universal law, extending over every created object, animate or inanimate. And now Dr Thomas comes before the public with a new and distinct application of this very principle, and not only demonstrates its universal prevalence, but, by its means, elicits many other important truths, and shows that differences of constitution or temperament depend on the predominance in development of one or more of the three great cavities relatively to the others, and on the consequent predominance of the class of func tions which its organs perform.

By phrenological readers, Dr Thomas's fundamental principle of size being an element of power, will be readily received; but as this extended application of it is new, and as, on account of its favouring "the fantastical nonsense of "Gall and Spurzheim," it is not in general repute among professors and established teachers, Dr T. wisely sets about proving it, as if it had never been heard of before. Nevertheless he is actually praised by our most inveterate (we are sorry that we cannot say most able) medical opponent, for not lending any countenance to the phrenological doctrines.

Of the simplicity of this opponent, our readers will judge when they are informed, that Dr Thomas begins by express ing his astonishment that any one should still be required to prove so self-evident and so palpable a proposition, as that size in an organ is a measure of power in its functions, and particularly that, now when it is plainly stated, any one should be found ignorant enough seriously to contest its truth. In endeavouring to find out why so plain a truth should have remained so long unknown, Dr T. states, that, perhaps, the most powerful reason was the false idea entertained of the force or energy of an organ. "Promptitude "and facility of action," says he, "were generally confounded "with force and energy, without attending to the fact that, most "generally, these two dispositions are not even indications of force; "for it is not, for example, those in whom the pulsations of the "heart are most frequent, and the motions of the limbs most prompt "and easy, who have the heart and muscles most robust and pow"erful; the contrary is even observed on comparing the child and "the female with adult man; and the observation is, besides, applic"able to all the organs, to the brain, to the stomach, &c. But it "is the degree of complement of the function which constitutes the "degree of energy of the organ which executes it; and to under"stand this degree of complement of action, we must bear in mind, "that every organ has its own particular and distinct mode of energy, according to its structure and relations with other organs; "that the brain is energetic when it perceives, remembers, com "pares, and wills strongly, or when the intelligence is powerfully developed, and the passions strong; the lungs, when they are the "seat of a complete and abundant sanguification; the heart, when "it precipitates with force a large quantity of blood into all the ves "sels which issue from it; and the digestive organs, when they "form and separate much chyle." P. 86. This, we think, is a pretty clear exposition of the distinction between power and activity, to come from one who is praised and esteemed by those who continue to confound them together.

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Having established the general truth, that the relative size of an organ indicates the relative energy of its functions, Dr Thomas begins with its particular applications, and, first, to the brain, in which he shows (as we did in our last Number) that all the methods hitherto tried for discovering the func tions of the brain, take for granted, that size is, ceteris pari

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bus, an accurate measure of energy of function. But here we need not follow him, except to subjoin a very important observation which is not always kept in view as it ought to be. In answering some objections, he says, " Although the "structure and complication of the brain be variable in individuals "of very different species, the mode of application of our principle "is not at all affected, because it is applied only to the same indi"vidual, to individuals of the same species, and to those of species "so little different, that the structure and complication of the or"gans are almost the same.

"Thus, for example, if certain animals, monkeys, little birds, "and mice, have a cerebral predominance equally marked with The "that of man, the great differences in the organization of their "brains give to that predominance very different effects. "ganglions of intellect and of the passions, so developed and so pre"dominant in man, have either no, or very small, convolutions in "these animals; they are only slightly developed, and their ante"terior, superior, and lateral regions seem to be entirely wanting; "while, on the other hand, the ganglions which correspond to the " nerves of the senses, and of all the body, are very voluminous; the "eminences, nates and testes, which are the principal ganglions of "the optic nerves, form the greatest part of the brain in birds, and "the olfactory and auditory ganglions form the greatest part of "that of the smaller mammalia. It results from these organic dispo"sitions, that animals experience certain sensations more energeti cally than man, but that their sensations are fugitive, and can neither be combined nor enlarged as in man; so that we may con"ceive how much the effects of cerebral predominance ought to vary in the different species of animals; since, in some, it indicates only extreme general sensibility; in others, the great delicacy "of one or several senses; and in others, again, the great energy of "several faculties or passions. Let us add, that, in individuals "of the same species, where the structure and complication of the "brain are always the same, those in whom that organ is predomi "nant have more intellect and passions than others. So that our "principles are rigorously applicable to the brain, and we can es"tablish, without fear of being refuted by observation, that, in the

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same individual, the more the brain predominates by its volume "over the other organs, the more will the faculties and passions be "energetic relatively to the other functions." P. 93. The differences here noticed in the constituent parts of the brains of

• "The cerebral organs, which in animals are an assemblage of a great "number of separate and very distinct ganglions, appear in man to be form"ed only of two, (the brain and cerebellum), which envelope the ganglia of the "senses so much as scarcely to allow them to be seen."

animals of different species explain many things to which we cannot now allude, but which often present themselves to our observation. Let it still be remembered, that the aus thor from whom we quote is praised by our most inveterate medical adversary for his talent and accuracy.

Dr Thomas proceeds to examine the thoracic organs, &c. and states, that when the lungs are relatively large and spacious, the numerous cells of which they are composed place a large quantity of air in contact with a great quantity of blood, from which results a complete and abundant sanguification; and that, in like manner, when the heart is voluminous and robust, the circulation is active in all its parts. And from these united, great animal heat, spread equally over the body, is the consequence; and vice versa.

In infancy and in females, the thoracic organs are little developed relatively to those of the head and abdomen; in them, also, the blood is more serous, the pulse softer, and the animal heat less high than in the adult, and especially the athletic, in whom the blood is fibrinous and abundant, the pulse full and strong, and the animal heat considerable.

In equal accordance we find the thoracic organs in the lowest state of perfection in cold-blooded animals; while in birds we find the lungs and heart most amply developed, and the cells of the former extending to, or rather communicating with, the interior of the bones; and this formation is in many accompanied by a higher temperature than is to be found in any other animal. Hence Dr T. regards it as established, that the more voluminous and the more developed the thorax relatively to the rest of the body, the functions of the heart and lungs are more energetic relatively to other functions.

The same thing happens with the abdomen. In the lowest animals, as worms and the zoophytes, the abdomen constitutes the whole animal. In insects, a nervous centre and a respiratory and circulating apparatus are added, but the abdomen still greatly preponderates. In reptiles and fishes