Gall's Theory Of Pharrenology

Imagine if the only qualification one would need to be hired in a position they applied for was a positive phrenology report. Forget any consideration regarding education, training, or background as important. The only thing a potential employer needed to know was found in the texture and measurement of your skull. Phrenology was said to be the “doctrine of the skull” whereby a trained phrenologist would feel the various bumps and indentations on a person’s skull and gain insight to their psyche. That insight could then be used to direct a person’s decision making and future, or at least that was the idea. Franz Gall hoped to develop a science based solely on taking precise measurements of a person’s skull. Those measurements would then help
Gall determine a person’s intelligence and personality. The idea of mapping the skull to test for intelligence seems ludicrous, but during the late 1700’s some actually considered this a possibility. Gall’s theory went on to suggest someone of higher intelligence would have more bumps in their skull as the brain needed more room. While someone of lesser intelligence would have possible indentations making them lacking. Gall also developed twenty-seven different powers or functions which were able to be discerned based upon measurements and shape of the skull. Some joined Gall in his beliefs and soon a marketing empire was born.
However, many in Gall’s time felt the idea of phrenology was nothing more than a “parlor trick” aimed at “lightening the wallets” of those who believed Gall’s theory. Non-believers of the time argued there was no way to disagree with a phrenologist as his arguments were circular in nature and any discrepancies brought forward were explained away. There was no pure science involved in mapping the skull of an individual. The idea of basing intelligence on measuring a skull seems laughable as the skull has nothing to do with intelligence. It is known that the skull is merely a protective layer for the brain. The various indentations and bumps found in the skull are simply the way the skull formed in utero and after birth. Skull indentations and bumps could also occur due to lifestyle or childhood accident. Imagine the embarrassment if Gall performed an exam on someone and deduced that person was highly intelligent based upon the measurements and shape of their skull. Later, it is revealed to Gall the bump was actually due to a malformation or earlier accident. As an accomplished phrenologist Gall would deflect any potential controversy by saying the malformation or accident actually allowed that particular area of the person’s brain to expand thereby achieving its full
potential. Nonetheless, some positive ideas resulted from phrenology.
The idea the brain contained the mental functions of the mind and the idea that psychological characteristics were measurable. These two concepts led to future research with animal brains using the process of ablation. Flourens performed many studies with animals by extraction small sections of an animal’s brain, allowing them to recuperate, and then studying changes in their abilities. Through his work he began mapping the brain to discover what areas controlled motor function, reflexes, and life itself. Flourens discovered the cerebral lobes controlled all voluntary reflexes and the cerebellum controlled motor functions. Years later, these scientifically proven discoveries would be taken a step further with the use of electrodes while further mapping the animal
brain. Many others continued with Flourens’ work but one of the most successful Fritz and Hitzig who combined their abilities to map muscle groups in the brain using stimulation. They were one of the first to realize stimulation on one side of the brain led to movement on the opposite side of the body. Ferrier continued their work with animals eventually transferring his findings humans. Ferrier was the first human to perform neurosurgery on another human and remove a tumor in the brain. The concept of science is one idea builds upon the next improving theories and ideas as time and experimentation occur. Looking back in the history of psychology one would not think the first successful neurosurgical removal of a tumor could be traced back to phrenology, but in essence it was. For if Flourens had not challenged Gill’s assumptions of skull thickness and contour being the hallmarks of intelligence and personality, Flourens may not have gone to use ablation when studying the functions of the animal brain.