George Combe

Phrenology taught us that the mind thinks by means of the brain, is liable to become fatigued by too long attention, as the locomotive muscles are by too much walking; and I therefore proposed to them to take a brief rest.

American Educator

Kevin Young

The mid-eighteen-thirties marked the rise of eugenics and racialism, with phrenology emerging as just one of the many pseudosciences that sought to enact, reinforce, and restrict racial difference.

Phrenology is considered pseudoscientific; modern science has discredited its methods and conclusions.

Dismissed Science

Phrenology was popular in the 1800s and reflects archaic understandings of brain function.

Historical Context

Phrenology is occasionally referenced in old literature or discussions about the history of science.

Cultural Reference

 had observed that the best memorizers in his class had the most prominent eyes and decided that this was due to higher development in the adjacent part of the brain. As a physician, Gall went on to establish the study of phrenology, which held that strong mental faculties corresponded to