Genre:

News-Commentary, Drollery

Subjects:

Ethnology, Controversy, Physiognomy, Phrenology, Human Development

    Lamenting the inability of 'philosophers' to discuss 'skulls' 'without the intercourse of abuse', discusses a paper 'On Empirical and Scientific Physiognomy' given by Cornelius Donovan at the Ethnological Society. Donovan is reported to have ridiculed some remarks by Sir David Brewster respecting the 'system of Lavater in contrast to that of Gall and Spurzheim', and Punch goes on to note how Donovan's paper was ridiculed by George Busk and James Hunt, and 'another gentleman' who condemned the work of George Combe admired by Donovan as 'one of the most trashy publications on a scientific subject which had ever appeared'. Concludes by identifying Mr Punch as 'a decided phrenologist', owing to his 'fine forehead' and someone who believes a 'violent antiphrenologist' has a 'bad' head.