be the brown matter, and the brown matter alone. The white medullary substance, with all its curious cavities and arrangements, has nothing to do in such mental manifestations, and the whole nervous system is alike excluded. Dr Spurzheim, however, maintains, that the whole medullary substance is secreted by the brown, and that a communication can be shewn to exist between them by a system of diverging and converging fibres. Surely he must have discovered these fibres by an actual dissection—his writings assert this;—their existence is a sine-qua-non to his whole system.—Now Dr Gordon distinctly states, that Spurzheim never did demonstrate such communication between the brown and nervous matter—he did not demonstrate these diverging and converging fibres when called upon to do so; and moreover, Dr Gordon positively denies that any such arrangement can be shewn to exist in the cerebral mass. How does Dr Spurzheim attempt to parry this home-thrust, which goes to terminate his craniological existence? Very simply, by an exclamation of "Hey ho! is it so?"
In another part of his pamphlet, indeed, p. 27, he offers to shew converging fibres to any one who shall procure "a fresh brain;" and at p. 38, mentioning the "reinforcing fibres," which Dr Gordon denies are susceptible of demonstration, he offers "to demonstrate all these statements to any one who shall procure a fresh brain." Every one who knows the very great difficulty there is in procuring a recent brain, will easily perceive that Dr Spurzheim is making merry with his readers. He was provided at his demonstration with a brain in the most recent state,—why did he not then "demonstrate all these facts?"—he did not do so—he was unable to do so,—and his whole system falls to the ground.
"Upon every occasion," says Dr Gordon, "where he was called upon to make good those affirmations which constitute the leading features of his system, he endeavoured to excuse himself from the task, by denying that he had ever maintained any such structure to be demonstrable."—P. 114.
As a reply to such serious accusations, Dr Spurzheim produced a pamphlet, professing to be "An Examination of the Objections made in Britain against the Doctrines of himself and Colleague." We sat down to a perusal of it with a considerable degree of curiosity, and we closed it, quite satisfied as to the merits of these far-famed craniologists.
Never was there a more evident attempt to evade the overwhelming force of unwelcome facts, than has been made by Dr Spurzheim on this "examination." Instead of meeting fairly and decisively the objections so strongly urged against him;—instead of a clear refutation, or a manly confession of mistake and error;—there is little else in this pamphlet but a most general and unconnected repetition of his former theories and assertions.—We see in it only the signs of an imbecile irritability,—evidently sensible to reproach;—conscious that it is but too well founded,—but unwilling to confess its justice, and unable to avoid its sting.
At p. 37, Dr Spurzheim wishes to "amuse," his readers by an anecdote, which we must not forget to notice. It is an account of a dissection which took place in the Royal Infirmary last December, and it will be seen how slyly a very formidable accusation is brought forward against Dr Gordon. We know that this gentleman was present at this dissection; but it happened not to be the week in which his official duty as one of the surgeons to the Infirmary would have given him the superintendence. This duty belonged to one of his colleagues, the next in seniority. Dr Gordon had therefore no necessary concern with this dissection—it was a point of etiquette not to interfere with it. We can assert, that the presence of Dr Spurzheim in the theatre was known neither to Dr Gordon nor to the surgeon who presided; no intentional obstruction could therefore be offered to his views by either of these gentlemen. We regret with Dr Spurzheim, that a dissection so interesting as this really was, afforded, as we are compelled to acknowledge, so little gratification or improvement to the students who crowded the anatomical theatre. Why were the whole posse-comitatus of the hospital,—clinical and surgical clerks,—assistant-surgeons, apothecaries, and dressers,—permitted to stand round the dissecting table, and totally to prevent the students from seeing the body?
