wear a phrenological aspect, may be wrong; some of his conclusions may admit of exception and modification; but the practices against which he contends, we deem to be great evils, and the notions from which they spring to be palpable errors; and he has done battle against them like a worthy knight.

The summary of the results established in the first two Sections of this book, is thus stated. "The brain is the material organ by which all the mental faculties are manifested; it is exceedingly delicate, and but partially developed in childhood; over-excitement of it, when in this state, is extremely hazardous." Dr. Brigham goes on in his third Section, to show some of the evil consequences which have resulted from inattention to the connexion between the mind and the body, and is not sparing of his ridicule of the floods of books which have been prepared for very young children. Nor does he treat infant schools with the utmost respect. The following account of the character of early education, as it is practised by many of our sciolists, is not at all too

severe.

"The method of teaching little children, varies in different schools, but that is every where considered the best, which forces the infant mind the fastest. In some schools, the memory is chiefly cultivated, and children are taught innumerable facts. Here we see those who are scarcely able to talk, exhibited as wonderful children. They are declared to be deserving of the highest praise, and prophesied about as giving promise of great distinction in future, because they are able to tell us who was the oldest man, and many other equally useful and important facts. They are also able to tell us many truths in Astronomy, Geometry, Chemistry, &c. &c., of which the innocent beings know about as much, as do parrots of the jargon they deliver. In other schools, teachers are opposed to such practice; and say that a child should learn nothing but what he understands; that the memory should not alone be cultivated; therefore they teach children that Methusaleh was not only the oldest man, and nine hundred and sixty-nine years of age, but that he was the son of Enoch, and the grandfather of Noah, and that a year means three hundred and sixty-five days, and a day twenty-four hours, and all this they teach in order, as they say, that a child may fully understand what he learns. Other teachers say, that it is very wrong to compel a child to learn ; very wrong indeed; and that he should learn no more than he will cheerfully; but though they do not gain their purpose by exciting fear, they awaken other passions of the strongest kind in the child, by a system of rewards and of praise. Now of all these methods, if there is any preference, it should be given to the first; for that is the least objectionable which has the least tendency to develope the mind, and awaken the passions prematurely. They must all, however, be wrong, if they call into action an organ which is but partially formed; for they do not conform to the requirements of the laws of nature, and wait for organs to be developed, before they are tasked.

"I beseech parents, therefore, to pause before they attempt to make prodigies of their own children. Though they may not destroy them, by the measures they adopt to effect this purpose, yet they will surely enfeeble their bodies, and greatly dispose them to nervous affections. Early mental excitement will serve only to bring forth beautiful but premature flowers, which are destined soon to wither away, without producing fruit." - pp. 49, 50.

In the fourth Section, we are presented with the "opinions of celebrated physicians respecting early mental cultivation." After reading these authorities, no one, we think, can fail of being impressed with the danger of forcing or even encouraging great mental application in the tender years of childhood. And yet we are disposed to believe that Dr. Brigham is urging his side of the question too far, as is apt to be the case with all zealous advocates. In spite of all the great names of physicians and phrenologists which can be brought against us, we must pronounce it to be a decided error to permit children to run wild without any regular instruction, and without any habits of application, till they are seven years old. We insist upon it, that a child may be taught much which is worth his knowing, and habits of docility and attention beside, before he is seven years old, without impairing his health in the least, if his education is conducted with any regard to the principles of common sense, and to the constitution and capacities of the subject; and that the difference between a child so brought up, and one who is taught nothing till his years have amounted to the magic number seven, will be the difference between a fine healthy child, and a fine healthy colt, - or calf. Accordingly we subscribe not to the truth of the following table of M. Friedlander, introduced into this section of Dr. Brigham's work :

For our own part, we should begin with the one hour of occupation at the age of four instead of seven, perhaps dividing this hour into two portions; and if any man, however learned, should tell us that half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon spent in application of mind, would be likely to injure the health of a child of four years, who was allowed to give the other twenty-three hours to sleep, exercise, and doing nothing, which we suppose is meant by the word "repose,” we should be apt to tell him in reply that he was too pertinacious a theorist for us to deal with. Neither do we see any reason why the term of occupation should be regularly increased an hour a year. This increase, with many other things, should be left to the discretion of parents and instructers, if they have discretion, to be determined by circumstances. If parents and instructers have not discretion, Heaven help the poor children! for we much doubt whether M. Friedlander's tables will.

It will be seen that our system, so far as we have one, is neither the forcing and brain-inflaming system, nor the let-alone-and-run-wild-till-seven system. We shudder when we see a pale-faced boy or girl who bends over the studytable hour after hour, and whose head is crammed with all the ologies and ographies which are in fashion; and we shudder, though with different feelings, at the sight of a seven years old human being, who cannot read a simple story, nor spell its own name.

The fifth Section of Dr. Brigham's work is on the "influence of mental cultivation and mental excitement, in producing insanity and nervous affections." This is a subject of deep interest, and the following results of the author's observation, deserve serious attention.

"In view of these few brief facts respecting insanity, we are forced to believe, that among the causes of the great prevalence of this disease in this country, are the following:

"First, Too constant and too powerful excitement of the mind, which the strife for wealth, office, political distinction, and party success, produces in this free country.

"Second, The predominance given to the nervous system, by too early cultivating the mind and exciting the feelings of children.

"Third, Neglect of physical education, or the equal and proper developement of all the organs of the body.

"Fourth, The general and powerful excitement of the female mind. Little attention is given in the education of feinales, to the physiological differences of the sexes. Teachers seldom reflect that in them the nervous system naturally predominates; that they are endowed with quicker sensibilities than men, and have imaginations far more active, that their emotions are more intense, and their senses alive to more delicate impressions; and therefore require great attention; lest this exquisite sensibility, which, when properly and naturally developed, constitutes the greatest excellence of woman, should either become excessive by too strong excitement, or suppressed by misdirected education. If here was the proper place, it would be easy to show that efforts to make females excel in certain qualities of mind which in men are considered most desirable, - to make them as capable as men, of long continued attention to abstract truths, would be to act contrary to the dictates of nature as manifested by their organization, and would tend to suppress all those finer sensibilities, which render them in every thing that relates to sentiment and affection far superior to man." pp. 73, 74.

In Section seventh the writer ably maintains the truth, that "the cultivation of the mind at a proper time of life, is not injurious but beneficial to health." The following passages from this portion of the work contain some very curious facts, particularly with regard to the antiquity of temperance societies, which we presume will be new to most of our readers, and the tendency of which is to encourage us concerning the condition and prospects of our own age of the world.

"Notwithstanding the still great prevalence of sensuality in civilized countries, history shows that formerly it was far greater, and more general; and has decreased as civilization has advanced. For proof of this, examine historically the prevalence of almost any sensual and vicious propensity, the indulgence of which tends to shorten life, and it will be found to have been formerly far greater than now. Take the vice of drunkenness, which, as every one knows, has destroyed innumerable human beings; and history will show, that in proportion as men and nations have become enlightened, they have regarded this vice as more odious. Savages are generally prone to intoxication. They regard drunkenness as bliss, and will part with any thing they have for rum.

"The ancient Greeks worshipped Bacchus, the God of Wine, and in Silenus we see the image of drunkenness, and in many of their statues we observe representations of most beastly intoxication. So great for a while, were the evils from intemperance in Greece, that some rulers condemned those found intoxicated to death. Lycurgus destroyed all the vines of the country, and made slaves drunk, and then exhibited them in this state, in order to deter youth from intemperance. The Romans had more than two hundred different kinds of intoxicating liquors, and drank them to excess. The ancient Germans, and the former inhabitants of all the northern countries were greatly addicted to drunkenness. For centuries no one thought of the impropriety of drinking to excess; the only concern respecting intoxicating liquors, was how to procure them; and for this purpose they roamed about like the beasts of the forests, and even invaded Italy to procure them by force.

"On the revival of literature, after the dark ages, intemperance in drinking was universally prevalent, but as men became more enlightened, they had recourse to measures calculated to prevent it. And it is a curious fact, that in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Temperance Societies were formed by the most intelligent and influential men, for the purpose of stopping intemperance in drinking. One was called the Society of St. Christopher, others were called Temperance Societies, and the members of one took the appropriate name of the Golden band. These societies were productive of great good; they augmented industry, and contributed to the improvement of manners, and the establishment of good order.

"As respects intemperance in England, if we go back but one hundred years, we shall find it far more general than at present. One hundred years ago there was not a store in London where intoxicating liquors were not kept for sale. The physicians of London, at that time stated to parliament, that the victims of intemperance were exceedingly numerous, and this caused the number of dram-shops to be limited by law. The French were once exceedingly addicted to intoxication; their rulers enacted many and severe laws to repress the habit ;