Genre:

Essay, Drollery

Subjects:

Phrenology, Gender, Psychology, Anthropology, War

    Relishes an extract from a Morning Post report that, owing to the hostilities between Germany and France, German ladies have stopped wearing chignons. Since 'The proper study of mankind is man, especially woman', and since its 'most important branch' is phrenology, the removal of chignons from women's heads will facilitate better 'phrenological observation' of 'the better half of mankind'. Explains that it was impossible to examine a young lady's head owing to the chignon, and the 'natural hair piled in turrets and fortifications over all the organs of the moral sentiments'. Removal of this 'superstructure' often revealed that the woman had only a 'large Love of Approbation which uncombined with Ideality, and undirected by intelligence, rendered her the slave of fashion, and grotesque'. Believes the fall of the chignon and 'adjoining fortifications' will follow that of the Metz, and thus compensate for French 'Combativeness and Destructiveness'. The writer concludes by identifying himself as a 'disciple' of Franz J Gall and Johann C Spurzheim.