The Shelves of Yore: Health and science in the mid-1800's

Janet and Jim return to the 1841 catalogue and peruse the “health & science” section. You’ll learn about the field of Phenology and why you probably have never heard of the field of Phrenology. 

Jim puts a few volumes and the authors in their historical context and draws parallels to the present day.

The Shelves of Yore is a production of the Nantucket Atheneum.  It was written, narrated, and edited by Janet Forest and researched by Jim Borzilleri.

More on Phrenology courtesy of Jim Borzilleri

·  One concept Phrenology basically got right was the localization of function in the brain. However, they went overboard in their assignment of specific traits and behaviors to a specific region, let alone its mapping on the outer skull.

·  Johann Gaspar Spurzheim was a student of Franz Josef Gall.  Gall tended to focus on the negative traits, while Spurzheim’s work tended to focus on the “good” behaviors, possibly to make it more appealing to a reform-minded 19th century audience.

Here is more information on Phrenology and images of the Phrenology Bust.

https://artsci.case.edu/dittrick/2015/06/18/one-lump-or-two-phrenology-diagnosed-by-the-bump/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/facing-a-bumpy-history-144497373/

https://nha.org/research/nantucket-history/history-topics/what-was-phrenology-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-nantucket-history/
 

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