Andrew Combe
Encyclopedia
Andrew Combe Scottish
physician
and phrenologist; was born in Edinburgh
on the October 27, 1797, and was a younger brother of George Combe
.
After attending the Royal High School
, Combe served an apprenticeship
in a surgery
, and in 1817 passed at Surgeon's Hall. He went to Paris
to complete his medical
studies, and whilst there he investigated phrenology
on anatomical
principles. Combe developed remarkable skills in the public dissection
of the brain
and subsequently added interest to his brother's lectures by his practical demonstrations of the cerebral convolution
s. He returned to Edinburgh in 1819 but, showing the first symptoms of tuberculosis
, he travelled to the south of France
and to Italy
during the two following winters. He began to practise in 1823 and continued for about nine years. During this period he assisted in editing the Phrenological Journal and contributed a number of articles to it, defended phrenology before the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh in 1823, published his Observations on Mental Derangement (1831), and prepared the greater portion of his Principles of Physiology Applied to Health and Education, which was published in 1834 and widely circulated.
In 1834, Combe applied for the post of superintendent of the Montrose asylum - the first publicly funded post in mental hospital practice in Scotland - but, on receiving a request for a reference from William A. F. Browne
- Combe withdrew his application and warmly endorsed his former student. Browne was successful in his application, and was celebrated at Montrose as an outstanding superintendent. However, in his hugely influential lectures on asylum management, delivered in the Autumn of 1836, Browne did not mention phrenological thinking, and Combe had to await a delayed expression of gratitude in the dedication of Browne's lectures - What Asylums Were, Are, and Ought to Be - which were published to international acclaim in 1837.
In 1836 Combe was appointed physician to King Léopold I of Belgium
, and moved to Brussels
, but he found the climate unsuitable and returned to Edinburgh, where he resumed his practice. In 1836 he published his Physiology of Digestion, and in 1838 he was appointed as a physician to Queen Victoria. Two years later he completed his last work Physiological and Moral Management of Infancy, which he believed to be his best. His later years were mostly spent at various health resorts; he spent two winters in Madeira
, and tried a voyage to the United States
, but had to return within a few weeks. He died at Gorgie
, near Edinburgh, on 9th August 1847.
His biography, written by his brother, was published in 1850.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and phrenologist; was born in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
on the October 27, 1797, and was a younger brother of George Combe
George Combe
George Combe , was a Scottish lawyer and writer on phrenology and education. In later years, he devoted himself to the promotion of phrenology. His major work was The Constitution of Man .-Early life:...
.
After attending the Royal High School
Royal High School (Edinburgh)
The Royal High School of Edinburgh is a co-educational state school administered by the City of Edinburgh Council. The school was founded in 1128 and is one of the oldest schools in Scotland, and has, throughout its history, been high achieving, consistently attaining well above average exam results...
, Combe served an apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
in a surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
, and in 1817 passed at Surgeon's Hall. He went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to complete his medical
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
studies, and whilst there he investigated phrenology
Phrenology
Phrenology 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...
on anatomical
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
principles. Combe developed remarkable skills in the public dissection
Dissection
Dissection is usually the process of disassembling and observing something to determine its internal structure and as an aid to discerning the functions and relationships of its components....
of the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
and subsequently added interest to his brother's lectures by his practical demonstrations of the cerebral convolution
Convolution
In mathematics and, in particular, functional analysis, convolution is a mathematical operation on two functions f and g, producing a third function that is typically viewed as a modified version of one of the original functions. Convolution is similar to cross-correlation...
s. He returned to Edinburgh in 1819 but, showing the first symptoms of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, he travelled to the south of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
during the two following winters. He began to practise in 1823 and continued for about nine years. During this period he assisted in editing the Phrenological Journal and contributed a number of articles to it, defended phrenology before the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh in 1823, published his Observations on Mental Derangement (1831), and prepared the greater portion of his Principles of Physiology Applied to Health and Education, which was published in 1834 and widely circulated.
In 1834, Combe applied for the post of superintendent of the Montrose asylum - the first publicly funded post in mental hospital practice in Scotland - but, on receiving a request for a reference from William A. F. Browne
William A. F. Browne
Dr William A. F. Browne was one of the most significant psychiatrists of the nineteenth century. At Montrose Asylum and, later, at Crichton Royal in Dumfries , Browne introduced activities for patients including writing, art, group activity and drama, pioneered early forms of occupational...
- Combe withdrew his application and warmly endorsed his former student. Browne was successful in his application, and was celebrated at Montrose as an outstanding superintendent. However, in his hugely influential lectures on asylum management, delivered in the Autumn of 1836, Browne did not mention phrenological thinking, and Combe had to await a delayed expression of gratitude in the dedication of Browne's lectures - What Asylums Were, Are, and Ought to Be - which were published to international acclaim in 1837.
In 1836 Combe was appointed physician to King Léopold I of Belgium
Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
, and moved to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, but he found the climate unsuitable and returned to Edinburgh, where he resumed his practice. In 1836 he published his Physiology of Digestion, and in 1838 he was appointed as a physician to Queen Victoria. Two years later he completed his last work Physiological and Moral Management of Infancy, which he believed to be his best. His later years were mostly spent at various health resorts; he spent two winters in Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, and tried a voyage to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but had to return within a few weeks. He died at Gorgie
Gorgie
Gorgie is an area of west Edinburgh, Scotland, located near Murrayfield, Ardmillan and Dalry. It is home to Tynecastle Stadium, home of Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian Football Club, and the North British Distillery, which creates a distinctive odour in parts of the area.The area...
, near Edinburgh, on 9th August 1847.
His biography, written by his brother, was published in 1850.