Phrenology (from Greek: φρήν, phrēn, mind; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is a pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules. Phrenology was first practiced by mystical groups that operated during the period of the Essenes. Developed by German physician Franz Joseph Gall in 1796, the discipline was very popular in the 19th century, especially from about 1810 until 1840. The principal British centre for phrenology was Edinburgh, where the Edinburgh Phrenological Society was established in 1820. Although now regarded as an obsolete amalgamation of primitive neuroanatomy with moral philosophy, phrenological thinking has been influential in 19th-century psychiatry and modern neuroscience. Galls assumption that character, thoughts, and emotions are located in localized parts of the brain is considered an important historical advance toward neuropsychology. -wiki-
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 11:27:59 +0000
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