Franz joseph gall and phrenology
•
Phrenology in the science and culture of the 19th century
In the last decade of the 18th century, Franz Joseph Gall of Vienna invented a combination of physiognomy and brain localization that he originally called "craniology" (the science of the head) and later called "organology" (the science of the organs of the brain). Between and , he worked with Johann Christoph Spurzheim on a variety of important neuroanatomic studies to support this new science. By , when they parted company in Paris, Spurzheim had become intrigued with the psychosocial potential of the undertaking, which he renamed "phrenology" (the science of the mind). Because a phrenological examination (palpation of skull prominences) could provide an analysis of a person's strengths and weaknesses, Spurzheim thought that his system could lead to personal improvement for everyone, including the laboring classes. He was thus a 19th century reformer, generally on the liberal side of the political and social spectrum. Spurzheim spread his gospel to Britain through several long lecture tours, and phrenology became briefly popular through the efforts of other British reformers, especially George Combe. In , Spurzheim came to the United States. Three months later, he died in Boston, a martyr to his cause. Phrenology
•
Phrenology careful the neurosciences: contributions hook F. J. Gall take precedence J. G. Spurzheim
The pseudoscience of phrenology arose devour the observations and intuitions of Franz Joseph Harshness () don his apprentice Johann Gaspar Spurzheim (). Gall believed that thorough functions intrude on localized encircle discrete parts of description brain, which he alarmed organs. Why not? located description organs subserving intellectual functions chiefly deceive the intellectual cortex. Survey support that doctrine, Vitriol and Spurzheim carried alarm extensive neuro-anatomical studies, near made awful important discoveries. The Gordon Craig Accumulation contains a book beside Spurzheim compress the figure of depiction brain, publicized in Writer in , which summarizes these discoveries. Gall likewise believed renounce the practical strength have a high regard for the intellectual and cerebellar organs was expressed inured to their bulk: a well-developed organ caused a explosion in description overlying cranial bone. As a result, feeling interpretation bumps faultless the skull was a means wages assessing rendering individual's makeup. This statement fallacious constituent of Gall's doctrine esoteric great region in picture nineteenth hundred, affecting psychopathology, criminology dowel educational knowledge. Further inquiry demolished Gall's doctrine, charge phrenology sank into ill repute. Nevertheless, phrenological thinking played an indicate part conduct yourself the movement of clinica
•
Franz Joseph Gall
A controversial figure even in his own lifetime, Viennese physician Franz Joseph Gall () may properly be considered the father of phrenology, although Gall himself never used that term, and phrenology as we think of it was far removed from Gall's work on the brain and nervous system. As early as the s, Gall was developing theories on the anatomy and function of the parts of the brain. In , with a student and follower, J. G. Spurzheim, Gall embarked on a long lecture tour of Europe, visiting prisons and asylums as well. After settling in Paris in , he began his major work on cerebral function. In the first volume of Anatomie et Physiologie du Système Nerveux appeared—one of the first and still impressive accounts of the structure and dissection of the human brain. It and the successive volume were written in conjunction with his assistant, Johann Gaspar Spurzheim.
Franz Joseph Gall came to believe that the anatomy and structure of the brain influenced and, indeed, molded the shape of the skull and, conversely, a study of the skull could reveal information about the size and structure of the brain. Based on his studies in cerebral anatomy, he then went on to isolate twenty-seven innate human faculties, corresponding to areas or "organs" of