11.3.10. SUMMARY OF PHRENOLOGY
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From the detailed descriptions given and a study of the accompanying chart, it becomes all the more obvious that the expert phrenologist must depend on much more than mere bumps, protuberances, or even noticeable bulges to conclude his findings. Art uneven skull naturally gave plenty to work from, as it showed many developments—frequently of the excessive type – with corresponding deficiencies in other faculties.

But most people were of more balanced types, anxious to learn their natural traits and how to further them while avoiding any pitfalls that phrenology might reveal. In dealing with such types, phrenologists used an over-all measurement, taking the center of the ear as the axis of the brain and using comparative distances to determine the development of the various faculties. At that, there is a chance of error, as the ear itself may be wrongly placed, but allowance can be made for such a factor.

Unfortunately for phrenology, it reached its peak of fame due to its widespread acceptance as a physical rather than as a psychic science. Comparitively modern, and initiated by physicians of the day, phrenology filled a void in the study of brain structure and functions, thus advancing the cause of medical science. Later discoveries, however, refuted the more extravagant claims of phrenology. Rather than backtrack to fundamentals and branch out along new lines, the neophrenologists preferred to sink or swim.

When their ship sank, they were too far at sea to swim ashore. This was probably for the best, as the widespread acceptance of phrenology had by then attracted too many quacks and faddists to its banner. As attempts were made to measure phrenological faculties more accurately, business organizations were inclined to hire and fire employees on the basis of phrenological readings. But as scientific support dwindled, all that was rapidly dropped.

The fact that Gall and others were mistaken as to the functions of the brain does not nullify the correlation between the shape of the skull and certain human traits. It must be remembered that it was from such findings that phrenology was founded. So the subject still forms an interesting field for study and research, particularly on an experimental basis.

This could lead to the rejection of later claims, eliminating some of the faculties more difficult or doubtful of analysis, for the closer the survey follows the original observations of such pioneers as Gall and Spurzheim, the more solid its groundwork becomes.