Now these successive formations follow not an increasing dispartition of the bony plates themselves, but the removal only of their intermediate cellular structure: consequently, the bone's horizontal diameter or thickness receives no addition from this process of natural excavation. Since, therefore, the size of these cavities dues not move the skull's external surface to a greater than its original distance from the brain, before the prime of life, it is manifest that, until this period at soonest, phrenological observation on the frontal regions may be conducted with all the accuracy admissible by a subject whereon vital action never ceases to operate. Hence, in fine, although difficulties occur in examining the forehead, they never supervene before the positive recession of the bone's two constituent plates from each other-not the extinction of its diploë-has given the bone itself a growing degenerate thickness. The Frontal Sinuses very seldom ascend an inch within the bone; and through the upper half of this space, their transverse diameter never exceeds the thickness of the bone's original cellular substance.

VIII. Such being the organization of the frontal bone generally, and such the general development of its central cavities, it is obvious that, in the young and healthy head, the distance of the bone's external surface from the corresponding peripheral surface of the brain, may be generally ascertained; and, consequently, that the existence and functions of the organs of Individuality, Size, Form, Weight, and Locality, can be discriminated till after the prime of life, by the phrenological process of deriving the elements of positive and negative evidence, from observation of the high and low development of parts. Be it, therefore, remembered that phrenologists have always and explicitly declared, that persons advanced in years, or suffering from cerebral disease, do not constitute subjects of precise observation,—that the observations adduced by phrenologists in support of their organic discriminations, have, in no one instance, been made on such subjects,-and that, moreover, they have as explicitly declared their readiness, not only to rest the demonstration of the frontal organs upon negative evidence, but even to admit a fundamental defect in their system, on being shown one single example of a young, healthy individual in whom a low development of the organs of Individuality, Size, Form, Weight, and Locality, is

accompanied with the manifestation of a high endowment of these intellectual faculties. Should it even, in fine, be conceded that the difficulties which after mature age, occur in examining the forehead were insurmountable, the fact would no more go to overturn the system of phrenological organology, than the insurmountable difficulties which still retain trisection of an angle, and quadrature of the circle, among the desiderates of science, go to demolish the certain principles of geometry.

J. K.

ON THE STUDY OF LATIN, MORE ESPECIALLY AS REGARDS THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.

A KNOWLEDGE of the ancient languages, especially of Latin, is generally supposed to be necessary for those who are to enter the medical profession.* For this notion we shall presently find that there is little or no foundation. The advocates of a 66 sound classical education," as it is erroneously termed, are daily decreasing; another generation is springing up, unshackled by the antiquated prejudices of their forefathers, and free to judge for themselves, and decide on the side of reason. Indeed, such is the altered state of public opinion, that it is now scarcely possible to open any book on education without finding a chapter dedicated to exposing the folly of the system which makes the dead languages the chief object of education, and the absurdity of calling a man learned for his knowledge of words, no matter how ignorant he may be of matters of far greater importance. In the minds of such persons the ancients excelled us in every particular. Orators! who have we now to be compared to Demosthenes?+ Physicians! where is the Galen of

*A"sound classical education"-I should call it a very unsound education -is thought necessary for every gentleman; I shall, however, chiefly confine my remarks to a classical education as regards medical men.

The task of Demosthenes was very easy, as he worked only upon the animal passions of a nation of brutes, as Johnson calls them.

modern times? Poets! who of the present puny race is to be compared to Homer or Virgil? Or who amongst our musicians would dare to compete with Orpheus? whose bewitching strains caused the very stones to move! As to the latter, there can be no doubt but that, were he now to rise from the dead, he would be surpassed by every common flute-player who earns a miserable pittance by practising his craft in the streets. But let us now proceed to investigate the merits of a "sound classical education" for the medical student.

The inaugural thesis, formerly required to be in Latin, is now written in English, and the matter, not the language, is attended to. As their could be no other object in making the students write their essays in a dead language than to obtain a test of their knowledge of that language, it may fairly be inferred that it is not now considered so necessary. It is, however, still supposed to be of great use to those who are intended for the medical profession. One reason alleged for ascribing to it this usefulness is, that these languages enable the student to read the works of the learned among the ancients. But the moderns began where the ancients left off; the first man who studied Galen knew as much of medicine as Galen himself; and, in fact, saying that a man must study Galen in order to acquire a knowledge of medicine, is tantamount to admitting that we know not so much of the subject as he did—a proposition absurd in the extreme, but one which the advocates of the dead languages force upon themselves by their senseless arguments. The use of reading these ancient authors, even when translated, is to me far from apparent; for we have their experience added to our own.— Why then go back for instruction to authors who, were they now to rise from their graves, would be glad to receive instructions from one possessed of what is now termed an ordinary knowledge of the science. But to waste the best part of our life in obtaining this now useless lumber, appears to me too absurd to be defended, except by those whose minds are warped by prejudice or blinded by in

terest.

Another supposed use of Latin is, that the prescriptions are to be written in that language. How often, however, it happens that Physicians have not had the "advantage of a sound classical educa

tion," and they find no difficulty in writing their prescriptions. As well might it be supposed that the ancient languages are indispensable to the Naturalist, because the scientific names of animals and plants are in Latin. A man may be an excellent Naturalist-nay, he is more likely to be so-and well qualified to give new names to natural objects, without knowing a single word of Latin. So, in the same manner, Physicians must, of course, know all the medical terms which are in use; and what more does he want? The Latin of prescriptions-which, after all consist of little else but terms-is such as any one might write and any one understand: and, indeed, were not this the case, how would it be possible for apothecaries' boys to understand them? In some cases, however, where we may suppose the Physician has wished to show the effects of his “sound classical education," the wrong medicine has been administered, and the luckless patient poisoned, by this absurd practice of writing the prescriptions in a dead language. It appears to me that instead of cloaking the prescriptions in such a dark veil of mystery, they should be rendered as plain and intelligible as possible, especially when we consider the awful effects which may be-and not unfrequently are-produced by a misinterpretation of the Physician's prescription, and when, moreover, we consider the description of persons employed to decipher them.

Another argument frequently brought forward in favor of the classics is, that they are eminently useful as media for the correspondence of scientific men of different nations. But would it not be much easier, and far more useful, to learn the modern languages, as French, German, and Italian, and especially the two first?—— French is better suited for science than almost any other language; and from its universality, and the facility with which it is acquired, it is preferable to every other for the useful and pleasant intercourse above alluded to. It may, however, be urged that Latin must be learned in order to facilitate the acquisition of the modern languages. The fallacy of this argument is so evident that I consider it quite unnecessary for me to offer any remarks on this subject. I may, however, just state that Franklin advised a method of proceeding diametrically opposed to this. He says that the pupil should begin with Italian, then go to French, Spanish, German, &c., and

lastly, when thus prepared, that he may, provided he has a turn for it, proceed to Latin and Greek. This would, in my opinion, be a sensible mode of going to work. One reason assigned why Latin is necessary for the Physician-that the consultations of Physicians are held in that language, is scarcely worth noticing. Molière has suf ficiently ridiculed this practice, which is now, I believe, luckily for the poor patient, seldom or never adhered to. I will only remark that the consultations are held in another room from that in which the patient lies, and may, therefore, be in any language.

Having thus refuted each argument in particular which has been brought in favor of the study of the classics, I will proceed to offer a few general remarks on this "most important branch of knowledge."

It has lately been proposed, by an able Physician, that there should be two classes or grades of Physicians-those of the one class, who are the medical attendants of the higher ranks, are to have a "sound classical education," besides the knowledge of medicine and the collateral sciences; those of the other class, who are intended only for the poor, are to be excluded from the benefits of a knowledge of the ancient languages, and are to be conversant only with Medicine, Surgery, Anatomy, and Chemistry; and the modern languages and Botany, where an opportunity occurs. Only Medicine, Surgery, Anatomy, and Chemistry! If I were called upon to decide which class of practitioners I thought would be likely to succeed best in their profession-supposing them to be acquainted with French and German, or, at least, the former, which almost any one may acquire-I should, without hesitation, decide in favor of the latter; as they would be able to give undivided attention to their own science, and to those collateral sciences which it is perfectly indispensable for them to be acquainted with. To suppose that there is something in the nature of Latin which renders it essentially necessary to the student of medicine, is perfectly ridiculous-as well might you place briers and thorns in the path of the weary traveller making his way through a forest, and tell him that you were smoothing his road, as force the student of medicine to learn the dead languages in order to facilitate the acquirement of medicine. As long as this prejudice October, 1835.-VOL. III. NO. XIII.

E.