time in 1800 ? Farther, how does Dr Fossati know that I “ had as yet done nothing for the science in 1808 ?” He finds his answer in the previous publications, containing no statement that I was Dr Gall's colleague. He particularly depends on the work of Dr John Mayer, of Naples, published in Italian in 1808, composed from private information communicated by the author in Germany ;-from a work printed at Dresden in 1805 ;– from the Journal Encyclopédique of Naples in 1808 ;-and, lastly, from the ideas of M. Walther, emeritus professor of Bamberg. “ Nowhere in this work " is the name of Dr Spurzheim to be met with.” Hence Dr Fossati concludes, that I had done nothing for Phrenology in 1808. He may maintain with the same right, that in 1800, when I attended Dr Gall's lectures for the first time, or even in 1804, when I became Dr Gall's colleague, Phrenology was the same as it is actually taught in Great Britain. Let us, however, consider the fountain-heads of Dr Mayer's work. Dr Mayer himself studied at Vienna at the same period as myself, and went to Naples before I became associated with Dr Gall in 1804; he therefore could say nothing of my labours from personal knowledge. Farther, the work published at Dresden in 1805 is written by M. Bloede ; but whether it does or does not mention that Dr Gall and myself travelled and pursued together the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system in general, and of the brain in particular, as stated in the preface of our large work, the fact is no less certain. If my name be not mentioned in the Journal Encyclopédique of Naples in 1808, this proves nothing more than the inaccuracy of its editor; for Dr Fossati himself tells us, p. 303 of your last Number, that at Milan in the same year, 1808, in the Number for July of the Journal of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts and Sciences, he found an extract from the report of M. Cuvier to the Institute of Paris, on a memoir by Messieurs Gall and Spurs. heim on the nervous system in general, and on the brain in particular; and yet, with this proof of my having been the colleague of Dr Gall, Dr Fossati still thinks it absolutely necessary to consider the editor of the Journal Encyclopédique of Naples as an indispensable witness of my relations with Dr Gall! Lastly, the information which Dr Mayer could derive from Walther's work goes only up to 1802, when it was published at Zurich. M. Walther, emeritus professor of Landshut, instead of Bamberg, and now professor at the University of Bonn, speaks in his publication of the interference of the Austrian government with Gall's lectures, but he could not foretell my labours, which began two years later. His silence at 1802, however, cannot prove that in 1808 I had done nothing for Phrenology. Until Dr Fossati shall become better acquainted with the beginning and progressive iinprovements of our science, he cannot be a competent judge of the respective merits of Dr Gall and myself. If he can call my anatomical labours and the discoveries which I made before 1808 nothing, I wish him success in doing more than I have done for the anatomical part of Phrenology. Though Dr Gall is the founder of the physiological part, Dr Fossati will do well to compare the publications of Dr Gall's auditors up to 1805 with the improvements as published under our joint

He also will do well to keep in mind that Dr Gall did not make one single discovery after I left him; and that there is a great difference, even in the anatomical and physiological parts, between Dr Gall's last publication and the state of Phrenology, as it is taught in Great Britain. As to our ideas on philosophy in its two important branches, ideology and morality, Dr Gall and I most widely differ from each other, as well as in reference to physiognomy and practical applications; and when Dr Fossati shall be acquainted with all those particulars, but not before then, he will be able to decide whether you are wrong in following Dr Gall's example, and in speaking of Gall and Spurzheim, when you treat of Phrenology in its actual state. He then also will understand that cephalogy, which signifies discourse about the head, does not comprehend the whole sphere of phreno. logical researches. I am with great esteem, Sir, your obedient servant,

G. SPURZHEIM. Birmingham, 5th October, 1828.

Note by the Editor.-We insert the preceding letter with great pleasure, as a simple act of justice to Dr Spurzheim, and are even glad that the unintentional omission of a correction by ourselves has induced him to step forward in his own defence. In proof of Dr Fossati's inaccuracy on two essential points, we published in our last the substance of a note written to that gentleman by Dr A. Combe, and we have now to add in further explanation, that, had time permitted, Dr C. would in all probability have also noticed the errors commented upon by Dr Spurzheim. But as Dr Fossati's pamphlet arrived only on the forenoon of the day on which an opportunity occurred of sending an answer to Dr F. by a friend who was to leave Edinburgh in the evening, Dr C. had time only to glance at its contents, and write the hurried note already published; and the matter was afterwards overlooked.

ARTICLE VII.

PRACTICAL PHRENOLOGY. We have often said that Phrenology is either the most practically useful of sciences, or it is not true; and we are happy to learn that the perception of its utility increases as it becomes known. In Edinburgh there are Phrenologists who, for years past, have examined the heads of servants before engaging them. One lady examined the heads of thirteen female servants in succession before she fixed on one that was suitable, and a trial of the individual selected has justified the opinion formed of her qualities. Another lady fixed on a servant after examining the heads of five, and was equally satisfied with the result. A friend informed us lately, that in England he had met with an extensive merchant

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who tated that he never engaged a clerk without previous examination of his head. We speak from experience, in assuring our readers that they will find the advantage of fol lowing the same rule. It is melancholy to read in the news papers frequent accounts of post-office robberies, of elopements of confidential clerks, public servants, &c. with large sums of money, and of the executions that follow, when, by using Phrenology as a test of natural qualities, such occurrences might be most frequently prevented. We are humbly of opinion that if, for confidential situations, young men were selected, in whom the organs of the animal propensities are moderate in size, and the organs of the moral and intellectual powers decidedly large, (and many such are to be found,) there would be a high degree of certainty that they would not commit these enormous crimes.

In dedicating children to particular professions the advantages of Phrenology are also recognised. A merchant in London was lately solicited to take into his employment a young man from Scotland, and he requested an Edinburgh Phrenologist to examine his head and favour him with a report for his guidance, which he did. We have been favoured with the report, and commit no offence in publishing it.

ARTICLE VIII.

AN INTERESTING CASE OF SPECTRAL ILLUSION, BY

MR LEVISON OF HULL.

J. B. a retired tradesman, to whom I was introduced, was a man of strong uncultivated intellect, but with very curious and outré opinions. After some conversation, he informed me that he saw, on going to bed, “ all kinds of figures“ sometimes they were ugly and deformed, and at other “ times they were pleasing and beautiful; when the latter, “ he invariably retained them ad libitum, and when the former,

he very soon dismissed them.” In answer to a question I put to him in reference to his power over the groups, , either to retain or dismiss them through an effort of his will, he replied that it had puzzled him very much, “for " they seem quite dependent on my caprice--yet not exact

ly so at all times, as I do not know when I go to bed “ which set will present themselves, but when they are the “ demon-like ones I start them immediately,—sometimes I “ cannot recall others in their place, but generally they (the “ handsome ones) come at my suggestion.” I further interrogated him whether he shut or opened his eyes; he said “ that makes no difference, and I can continue to speak to

my wife and describe them without their being the least “ disturbed by it."

It naturally suggested itself to me, that Individuality and many of the perceptive faculties were under a morbid excitement, and therefore I requested he would inform me whether or not he felt pain at any part of his head; he answered 66 " that every time before he experienced this peculiar power “ of seeing figures he invariably felt pain in and between his “ eyes, and, in short, all over the eyebrows." The friend that introduced me to him is a medical man, who has a lurking taste for Phrenology, (but has hitherto been prevented from ill health and an extensive country practice from at

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