Hints as to the Making of Plaster-Casts.-With reference to an article on plaster casts in our 80th Number, Mr William Bally of Manchester, well known as a skilful artist in this department, desires us to protest strongly against the use of soap for smoothing down the hair, as recommended by Mr Butler of London, in directions which we quoted from the Zoist. When soap is employed, there is extreme difficulty in cleaning the hair after the operation. Oil is greatly preferable, and the application of a very small quantity of it is enough. Mr Bally recommends the employment of a mixture of equal amounts of baked and boiled plaster, with the view of preventing, as much as possible, the superiority of size of the cast over that of the original. This desirable object is farther promoted by taking off the mould in very few pieces for example, in three. The hair need not be cut uniformly short; if alternate locks be entirely cut off, the others may remain of moderate length. No tube is inserted by Mr Bally in the nostrils of persons subjected to the operation; a hole left in the mould allows them to breathe perfectly. He agrees with Mr Hytche in denouncing, as useless, casts which have been moulded from copies of copies. Happening to be in Manchester lately, we had the pleasure of witnessing the operation of casting a head, as performed by Mr Bally. The person is made to recline on his back, at an angle of about 35 degrees, upon a seat ingeniously adapted to the purpose. The hair and face being anointed with a little pure scented oil, the plaster is laid carefully upon the nose, mouth, eyes, and forehead, in such a way as to avoid distorting the features; and this being set, the back of the head is pressed into a flat dish containing plaster, where it continues to recline as on a pillow. The plaster is then applied to the parts of the head still uncovered, and soon afterwards the mould is hard enough to be removed in three pieces, one of which, covering the occiput, is bounded anteriorly by a vertical section immediately behind the ears; and the other two, which cover the rest of the head, are divided from each other by pulling up a strong silken thread, previously so disposed upon the face as to make the line of separation fall on one side of the nose. When the operation that we witnessed was finished, the gentleman whose head was cast declared that he had been as comfortable as possible all the time; and he had no difficulty in sufficiently cleansing his hair with a comb and towel. We greatly admired the skill and quickness with which Mr Bally performed the operation.

Instance of Incongruity in a description of Bodily and Mental Character.In our Number for April 1844, Mr G. Combe adverted to several instances of discrepancies between the head and mental character, introduced into works of art which he had examined in Rome. How often do phrenologists observe similar errors committed by authors in their descriptions of persons! One example occurs in "Reminiscences of Dublin College Life, No. III.," in Tait's Magazine for January last. The following description is excellent in most of its features, but its effect is injured by its inconsistency with itself and with nature. "The most finished talker of true no-meaning,' in that (the Historical) or any other Society, was Carrol Watson, a real Tipperary boy, who possessed all the exterior qualities of an orator in the utmost perfection. His person was well-proportioned and athletic; his face, handsome and sufficiently intelligent, could express all the fiercer passions with high dramatic effect. His eyes dark, full, and flashing, seemed to look quite through the thoughts alike of friend and foe. His hair, of a glossy black, curled naturally about his temples, and set off an extremely fine forehead. A more

showy specimen, in short, of a vigorous young Irishman of five-andtwenty, was not to be seen. Were it not for an unpleasant air of confidence and swagger, he might have been pronounced as gentleman-like as he was good-looking; but those are essential vulgarities, which no personal agrémens can neutralize. His action was moreover free and graceful, and his voice as loud and clear as a market-bell. But all this was the mask in the fable; there was no brain behind it. He had a com~ plete machinery for speaking, but nothing to speak. Yet he rattled away. Words came at will; not very choice words, to be sure; but he threw them together somehow, and they sounded well, as they rolled out, in an unbroken stream, from his lips.' An election is mentioned, "which afforded him an opportunity of developing the faculty of saying nothing ad infinitum, in which he stood for ever after unrivalled, even by the great Lord Castlereagh."-P. 26.

The remark that Carrol Watson had a complete machinery for speaking (in other words, an active temperament, large organs of Language, a vigorous chest, and a tongue), but nothing to speak (the result of an extreme deficiency of all the higher intellectual organs), is extremely felicitous and descriptive; but how could such a character have a face sufficiently intelligent, and "eyes that seemed to look quite through the thoughts alike of friend and foe," the accompaniments of intellect alone? Or how could he have " an extremely fine forehead," and "no brain?" These incongruities are as grotesque as if the author had said that Carrol Watson had a finely-expanded chest, but no lungs; and that he was as swift as the roe, but incapable of walking. A small portion of physiological knowledge would have prevented such errors of description.

Brain of Dr Abercrombie.-According to the Lancet, a post-mortem examination of the head of this eminent physician, revealed the facts that "the brain was very large, weighing 64 ounces, but healthy in structure throughout."

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Errata in last Volume.-P. 369, line 2, for Jesuits, read jurists. P. 407, 1. 6, for Medico-Chirurgical Review, read British and Foreign Medical Review. P. 417, 1. 35, the paragraph should begin thus- The Rev. Mr De Smet, a missionary who has spent some years among the Indians on the west side of the Rocky Mountains, in a letter quoted by Professor Horner," &c.

Books Received.-Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation. London: J. Churchill. Post 8vo, pp. 390.-The British and Foreign Medical Review, Oct. 1844.-The Medico-Chirurgical Review, October 1844. -The Zoist, Oct. 1844.-The Phrenological Almanac for 1845 (New York). The Phrenological Almanac for 1845 (Glasgow).-Religion, Natural and Revealed; or, The Natural Theology and Moral Bearings. of Phrenology and Physiology. By O. S. Fowler. New York, 1844. 8vo, pp. 174.-The American Phrenological Journal, from September 1843 to June 1844.-Education and Self-improvement, founded on Physiology and Phrenology. By O. S. Fowler. 8vo, pp. 252 and 102. 2d edition. New York, 1844.-Zeitschrift für Phrenologie, No. VI. Heidelberg, 1844.-Umrisse der Phrenologie, von Dr Ed. Hirschfeld. Bremen, 1844. 8vo, pp. 105.—Vital Magnetism; a Remedy. By the Rev. Thomas Pyne, Incumbent of Hook, Surrey. London: S. Highley, 1844. 18mo, pp. 80.-The Duality of the Mind proved by the Structure, Functions, and Diseases of the Brain, and by the Phenomena of Mental Derangement; and shewn to be essential to Moral Responsibility. By A. L. Wigan, M.D. London: Longman & Co., 1844. 8vo,

pp. 459.-Studi Frenologici di Pietro Molossi: Analisi Critica dell' Opera del Sig. Fr. Lèlut intitolata " Rejet de l'Organologie Phrénologique de Gall et de ses successeurs," di Pietro Molossi. Continuazione della Parte Polemica. Milano, 1844. 8vo, pp. 310.-The Phrenological Almanac for 1842-3-4-5. 8vo, boards.

Newspapers Received.-Glasgow Examiner, Oct. 5.-Leamington Spa Courier, Oct. 5; Dec. 14.-Cork Southern Reporter, October 8, 12; Novem. ber 7.-Sheffield Independent, October 12; November 2, 9, 30.-Derby Reporter, October 25, November 1.-Wolverhampton Chronicle, November 20.-The New Moon, or Crichton Royal Institution Literary Register, No. I., December 3.-Sligo_ Journal, December 6.-Sligo Champion, November 16.-Salisbury Journal, November 23.-Manchester Guardian, Dec. 21.

To Correspondents. The communications of Dr Kilgour and Mr Atkinson are unavoidably deferred.-C. misapprehends the scope of Mr Combe's Letter on Copyright, which expressly states, that the right of property, not in ideas, but only in language, is argued for.-We thank "A Lady" for her communication.-The article on Newton and Bacon shall be inserted.-Dr Michael Castle writes:-"I was sorry to perceive that the gentleman who wrote the notice of my work on Kerner for your Journal [vol. xvii. p. 296], had not only attributed to me ideas which I have never professed, but had also fallen into the same error committed by Dr Scheve, viz. in attributing to me an enthusiasm for the school of the communists,—a school with which I have absolutely nothing to do. I have never declared that the lower feelings should be permitted an unlimited sway; but only that the natural action of a feeling produces evil consequences, when not properly directed, in fact, that the aim of the phrenologist should be to direct, not to subdue, the natural action of a faculty. If you should think proper, your next Journal, to correct this misstatement, you would oblige me. We insert this explanation with pleasure; but must add, that the reviewer of Dr Castle's pamphlet still maintains the accuracy of the representation which he gave of its contents, and refers for proof to its 57th and 58th pages. Dr Castle being unacquainted with German, the translator of his pamphlet into that language may have failed to give an accurate statement of his opinions. That their nature, as expressed in German, has not been misrepresented, is likely from the fact, that Dr Scheve and the writer in our Journal, both of whom are Germans, concur in understanding Dr Castle alike. In saying that the intellectual faculties and moral sentiments should always control the propensities, the reviewer did not mean to imply that Dr Castle teaches the opposite doctrine.

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Communications for the Editor (prepaid) may be addressed to Mr ROBERT COX, 25 Rutland Street, Edinburgh. Books or parcels, too heavy for the post, may be left (free of expense) with the London publishers, Messrs Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., Stationers' Hall Court.Articles intended for the next following Number must always be with the Editor six weeks before the day of publication. Communications for the section of "INTELLIGENCE," and also Advertisements, should be in hand at least a fortnight before the same day. Charges for advertising:-Eight lines, 6s.; twelve lines, 7s. 6d. ; every additional line, 6d. ; half a page, 14s.; a whole page, 25s. Advertisements may be sent to the publishers in Edinburgh or London.

EDINBURGH, 1st January 1845.

THE

PHRENOLOGICAL JOURNAL.

No. LXXXIII.

APRIL, 1845.

NEW SERIES.-No. XXX.

I. MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS.

I. Penal Colonies-"The Management of Prisoners in the Australian Colonies. By Captain Maconochie, R.N., K.H., late Superintendant of Norfolk Island."

In vol. viii., p. 109, of this Journal (1834), we published a phrenological description of the prevalent forms of the brain in individuals liable to criminal tendencies, and discussed, at considerable length, the subject of criminal legislation. On that occasion we remarked, "If we did not know the slow adoption of all scientific discoveries, and that, the more momentous in their consequences, they are the more reluctantly K admitted to be true, and the longer of being practically acted on, we should feel surprise that these facts should have been frequently and positively announced, and nevertheless, that men of great talents, and unquestionable honesty and philanthropy, should continue to write on criminal legislation, without once adverting to their existence any more than if they were all a dream. Indeed, in consequence of these individuals having neglected to observe the facts, they are to them only imaginative speculations. There is this consolation, however, for the humble advocates of Nature and her laws, that the most splendid talents will never attain sound and permanent conclusions, while they neglect the truths which she presents to their observation. They may rear whatever speculations they please on a basis of their own formation, but time and experience will destroy them. On VOL. XVIII. N. S. NO. XXX.-APRIL 1845.

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the other hand, conclusions legitimately deduced from an accurate survey of nature, although despised for generations, are nevertheless true, and capable at all times of being rendered practical. We therefore calmly proceed in our humble vocation, of expounding, for the twentieth or thirtieth time, the real theory of crime, in the hope that sooner or later it will be deemed worthy of consideration." The facts which we shall have occasion to state in the present article, will shew to what extent these remarks have been supported by the experience of the eleven years which have elapsed since they were published.

Under the existing system of criminal legislation, every man is held responsible for his actions, who, in the phraseology of lawyers, can distinguish between right and wrong; and this responsibility consists in being subjected to a certain extent of punishment-in other words, mental and physical suffering proportioned to the magnitude of the offence which he has committed. Although even in the metaphysical schools of philosophy it is generally admitted, that the impulsive, and also the intellectual faculties, are distinct in their characteristics, and not existing in fixed and definite proportions to each other in every individual, yet this fact, and the consequences which flow from it, have been and are disregarded by our criminal legislators. An individual may be born with so strong an instinct of acquisitiveness and such weak moral and intellectual powers, that, like a fox on a common, he may be actually impelled by his nature to appropriate objects suited to gratify his propensity, regardless of the preferable rights of others; or he may be destructive or deceptive in his tendencies-prompted by strong internal impulse to take away life, or to commit fraud; but the law takes no cognizance of his mental constitution. He may be grossly ignorant; he may be undergoing the pangs of starvation; or he may be surrounded by the temptations presented by intoxicating liquors and a social atmosphere of ignorance and profligacy; still the law takes no account of such things. It inquires only whether he possesses so much intellect as to know that it has declared stealing, killing, fire-raising, fraud, deception, and hundreds of other acts, to be wrong. If he is not purely idiotic or raving mad, he may be in any of the unfortunate conditions now mentioned, and yet know this fact. And this is enough for the law. It, then, by a fiction of its own, and often in opposition to the most glaring indications, assumes him to be a free and responsible being, and deals out its punishment, in other words its vengeance, upon him for having disregarded its dictates.