lower point of the sternum produces stooping, sighing, compassion, and benevolence; the recti muscles of the back excite the erect position with the feeling of firmness and selfesteem; the flexors of the fore-arm, the desire to grasp and appropriate to self all which comes in his way; the extensors the reverse, or conscientiousness and restoration; the larynx, the desire to sing or talk; and so on in respect to the functions of other organs, or combinations of muscular actions.

I shall now give such instructions as may enable any expert experimentalist, well acquainted with anatomy, and who wishes to test this fairly, to prove the correctness of my views. In order to insure this success, however, it is of the utmost importance to pay particular attention to the different stages of sensation during hypnotism, which I am now about to explain.

There are three stages of sensation in the hypnotic condition (the term I prefer, to designate the peculiar sleep referred to), the first characterized by increased sensibility, docility, and pliancy, so that any part readily yields or moves in the direction of the force applied, and will remain in the position in which it is placed. This is the condition called pliant catalepsy. The second stage is that where there is increased sensibility and slight rigidity, with a tendency to contraction in the muscles immediately subjacent to the points touched or titillated. The third stage is that where there is rigidity of all the muscles, or rigid catalepsy, with diminished tactual sensibility. In this case, the patient may be pricked or pinched with little or no feeling; but continued gentle pressure or friction will reduce the rigidity in the subjacent muscles, and the member will be gradually drawn in the opposite direction, in consequence of the continued undiminished action of their antagonists. The second condition is the proper stage for exciting the manifestations above referred to; and the operations, if skilfully conducted, are almost certain to be followed by the anticipated results, and will thus verify the correctness of what I have already advanced, and what was also referred to at pages 95, 96, 97, and elsewhere, of my treatise on Hypnotism. The operation by which motion is excited during the second stage, may be called the direct mode; that during the third, the indirect, because, in the latter case, the motion is excited by reducing the power of the antagonist muscles, whereas, in the former, it results from the stimulus being applied directly to the particular muscles to be roused.

As the phenomena can be excited equally readily from the head and face, trunk and extremities, through automatic muscular action renovating past feelings, according to the ordinary laws of association, or from arbitrary associations, by contact

with any part of the body, it appears to me, that they neither prove nor disprove the doctrine of Phrenology, or the allocation of different functions to separate organs in the brain. However, the situation of the sympathetic groups in the head, which I shall immediately explain, if taken at the second stage of sensation, corresponds with the three principal locations and divisions into animal propensities, moral sentiments, and intellectual faculties.

The fact of the opposite manifestations resulting from manipulating the head in the third stage, to what we realize during the second, clearly proves, that the results do not arise from a stimulus conveyed directly, from the point of contact, to the subjacent portions of the brain; but, as the effects on the muscles are inverted, so ought the points manipulated to be changed to produce the intended results. Now, this is precisely what happens the same muscular action being excited from opposite points, both in the head, trunk, and extremities, in the one stage and in the other. Still, however, the same mental feeling is excited along with this muscular action, however the latter has been excited; and this, I think, is strongly corroborative of my theory.

A familiar example of the influence of muscular expression or action reacting on the mind, may be realized by any sensitive person, even during the waking condition. Let him assume, and endeavour to maintain, any particular expression or attitude, and he will very soon experience that a corresponding condition of mind is thereby engendered. Now, such being the case during the waking condition, when the faculties of the mind are so much dissipated and diffused by impressions on the various senses, we can readily understand why the influence should be so much more energetic during Hypnotism, the peculiar features of which are high sensibility, with the whole energies of the mind concentrated on the particular emotion excited. It is no doubt, in a great measure, owing to the same cause, that our greatest actors and actresses have become so profoundly penetrated by touching scenes as to shed floods of tears during their impersonations of character-the just conception of the character first producing appropriate physical action, and this again reacting on the mind in the extraordinary manner which was manifested in a Siddons and O'Neil. Whilst others, from experiments in this department, have been multiplying phrenological organs to an amazing extent, the result of my researches tends rather to classify and curtail them. Thus, in the second stage, I find that the lateral portions of the head correspond with the flexors of the upper extremities-the anterior portion exciting flexion and movement of the

fingers and hand, and the movement of hand and arm being increased in extent and energy by calling additional muscles of the shoulder and trunk into activity, as we proceed backwards. This portion, therefore, represents the animal propensities,the prehensile or selfish principle. The whole of the central and coronal region (excepting the vertex) corresponds to the opposite class of muscles, and the opposite condition of the mind, the relaxing, extensile, and distributive or benevolent tendency, respect and regard for others. In other words, the extensors represent the moral faculties, the flexors, the animal propensities and selfish principle; and, in the head, during the second stage of sensation, the central and coronal region represents the former, and the lateral regions correspond to the latter. The intermediate space seems to rouse partially both classes of muscles, and gives a mixed or varying character to the emotions, according as the one or the other predominates. This is Gall's region for Wit, Ideality, Caution, and Love of Approbation. The forehead excites an appearance of attention, observation, and reflection; but beyond this, and the different degrees of sensibility of different parts giving more or less promptness and energy to the various emotions and propensities, all appears to me to be inconclusive as far as illustrated by manipulating patients during the nervous sleep.

I shall now advert to one of the most remarkable circumstances connected with these investigations; namely, the influence of contact in exciting memory. Thus, a patient may be unable to answer the most simple question, on a subject with which he is quite familiar; but touch any part of his person, either with a finger or any inanimate substance, or cause him to place one of his own hands or fingers in contact with some other part of his own body, and immediately he will be able to reply correctly. There are many patients with whom this may be repeated any number of times with the like results. It appears to me to be merely mechanically arousing and fixing or concentrating the attention in one direction, instead of the mind wandering uncontrolled and incapable of fixing itself definitively on any subject whilst addressed only through the organ of hearing.

Analogous to this is another curious fact, that most patients, from having contact established with almost any part of the body, whilst the mind is actively engaged by any idea or emotion, may have it prolonged, almost indefinitely, by maintaining the contact with which it has been thus associated. We have familiar examples of the influence of contact or muscular action in fixing attention and aiding memory in the waking condition, furnished by the many deep thinkers who are in the

habit of pressing a finger or hand against different parts of the body, generally the forehead, or pinching or rubbing some part when engaged in deep study. Others, again, will seize hold of a button or thread, and, deprived of this, feel unqualified for the task most easy with such aid-as exemplified in Sir Walter Scott's victory over his rival schoolfellow, and the case of the lawyer, the thread of whose discourse was thus broken. It was also well exemplified by the blind man at Stirling, who could repeat any verse, or any chapter, of the Bible, whilst twirling a key on his thumb, but was quite at fault if deprived of his key.

Mr H. G. Atkinson has lately promulgated some novel views, under what he calls "the functions of the cerebellum," and thus explained in No. 202 of the MEDICAL TIMES :"That portion of the cerebellum nearest the ear, gives the disposition to muscular action; next to which, and about half way between the ear and the occiput, on the top of the cerebellum, muscular sense—a power conveying the sense of resistance, and the state of the muscles; beneath which is muscular power-giving force and strength; and in the centre are what are termed the physico-functional powers-a group of organs giving the sense of physical pain and pleasure, temperature, and having relation to the general condition of the body, and its secretions, Amativeness, &c. The part nearest the centre giving the sense of pain; the sense of temperature being nearer to the ear, and Amativeness beneath." I have tried Mr Atkinson's experiments with my patients, but I account for the results differently. Thus, the first I consider is merely an extension of the prehensile and appropriate group of muscular actions referable to the lateral parts of the head, as already explained; the second, an extension of the intermediate region, where both extensors and flexors are partially excited, corresponding with Ideality, Cautiousness, Love of Approbation, &c. in the anterior region; the third, by stimulating the posterior recti muscles, which excite Firmness and Self-Esteem, of course gives the appearance of energy; and the fourth, corresponding with the softer and kindlier feelings, under the influence of the relaxing and distributive class of muscles, which represent the moral sentiments, will account for the last group. Such have been the conclusions to which I have come from personal observations on this point. Mr A. is evidently a gentleman of great intelligence, and one who has devoted much pains to the investigation of mesmeric phenomena; and his observations on this point, therefore, deserve the careful attention of others engaged in similar enquiries.

The investigations of the phenomena of Hypnotism and Mesmerism are not only curious, but most important, as daily ex

perience amply proves to me, in the rapid relief and cure, by this mode of treatment, of diseases which had resisted all the ordinary and most approved methods. I shall defer some farther observations on other important points to a future opportunity, having already, 1 fear, encroached too much on your valuable columns.

V. Phrenological Observations in Germany and Italy. By GEORGE COMBE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PHRENOLOGICAL JOURNAL.

ROME, 10th November 1843.

SIR,-Since I wrote to you from Rosawitz on 14th August, I have posted, in an open carriage, by easy journeys, through Bohemia, visiting Toeplitz, Prague, and Budweis; through part of Austria, viz. by Linz to Ischl and Salzburg; through the Tyrol from Reichenhall to the pass of the Stelvio, leading over the Rhetian Alps into Italy; through the great Alpine valley of the Valteline to Como; thence to Milan, Pavia, Genoa, Spezzia, Lucca, Pisa, Florence, and Perugia, to this city. I proceed to give you such phrenological gleanings as I have gathered by the way; premising that they cannot pretend to the full accuracy of scientific observations, but should be viewed as only the nearest approximations to them which circumstances allowed me to make.

The Bohemians are a Sclavonian race, quite distinct from the Germans. The most common temperament among them is a combination of the bilious, nervous, and sanguine; dark eyes and dark hair are prevalent. The brain, lungs, and abdomen are all smaller in the Bohemians than in the Germans. The brain is not so broad; and it is longer in proportion to its breadth. Alimentiveness, Acquisitiveness, Destructiveness, and Secretiveness, as well as Cautiousness, are less; while Philoprogenitiveness, Concentrativeness, Adhesiveness, SelfEsteem, and Firmness, are larger. This makes a great difference in the dispositions; and even a passing stranger observes that in Bohemia there are not half so many establishments, in proportion to the numbers of the people, for the enjoyments of eating, drinking, and smoking, as in the rest of Germany. In the Bohemians, the coronal region is not so broad, nor so much arched, as in the pure German head; but still it is not deficient in proportion to the region of the propensities. The anterior lobe, also, is not so broad, but the knowing and reflecting organs are both well developed. In short, the Bohemians resemble pretty closely the cross-breed between the