Johann Spurzheim
Encyclopedia
Johann Gaspar Spurzheim (1776-1832) was a German physician who became one of the chief proponents of phrenology
created approximately in 1800 by Franz Joseph Gall
(1758-1828). Appletons' Cyclopaedia of Biography (1856) stated that "his works are too well known to require particular description".
, Germany
on December 31, 1776, and studied medicine
at the University of Vienna
. He became acquainted with Gall in 1800 and was soon hired by him as an assistant. Gall intended to have Spurzheim as his successor and added his name as a co-author to books and publications. In 1812, however, Gall and Spurzheim had a falling out, and Spurzheim started a separate career, lecturing and writing extensively on what he termed 'Drs. Gall and Spurzheim's physiognomical
System'. He greatly popularised phrenology, and travelled extensively throughout Europe, achieving considerable success in England
and France
.
He died of typhoid in Boston
, in 1832, cutting short his first and only American tour. After the public autopsy of Spurzheim, his brain
, skull
, and heart
were removed, preserved in jars of alcohol as relic
s, and put on display to the public. Adoring Bostonians staged an elaborate public funeral
and erected a monument in Mount Auburn Cemetery
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
.
Spurzheim made many alterations to Gall's phrenological system, including an increase in the number of "organs", as well as its organization into a hierarchical system
. Spurzheim also used images and busts to illustrate the craniographic approach of phrenology.
Appletons' Cyclopaedia of Biography (1856) stated that "One of his distinct claims is that of having demonstrated the fibrous structure of the brain".
Spurzheim also coined the term 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...
created approximately in 1800 by Franz Joseph Gall
Franz Joseph Gall
Franz Joseph Gall was a neuroanatomist, physiologist, and pioneer in the study of the localization of mental functions in the brain.- Life :...
(1758-1828). Appletons' Cyclopaedia of Biography (1856) stated that "his works are too well known to require particular description".
Biography
Spurzheim was born near TrierTrier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on December 31, 1776, and studied medicine
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....
at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. He became acquainted with Gall in 1800 and was soon hired by him as an assistant. Gall intended to have Spurzheim as his successor and added his name as a co-author to books and publications. In 1812, however, Gall and Spurzheim had a falling out, and Spurzheim started a separate career, lecturing and writing extensively on what he termed 'Drs. Gall and Spurzheim's physiognomical
Physiognomy
Physiognomy is the assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance, especially the face...
System'. He greatly popularised phrenology, and travelled extensively throughout Europe, achieving considerable success in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and 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...
.
He died of typhoid in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, in 1832, cutting short his first and only American tour. After the public autopsy of Spurzheim, his brain
Human brain
The human brain has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times larger than the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size. Estimates for the number of neurons in the human brain range from 80 to 120 billion...
, skull
Human skull
The human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
, and heart
Human heart
The human heart is a muscular organ that provides a continuous blood circulation through the cardiac cycle and is one of the most vital organs in the human body...
were removed, preserved in jars of alcohol as relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s, and put on display to the public. Adoring Bostonians staged an elaborate public funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
and erected a monument in Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831 as "America's first garden cemetery", or the first "rural cemetery", with classical monuments set in a rolling landscaped terrain...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
Spurzheim made many alterations to Gall's phrenological system, including an increase in the number of "organs", as well as its organization into a hierarchical system
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
. Spurzheim also used images and busts to illustrate the craniographic approach of phrenology.
Appletons' Cyclopaedia of Biography (1856) stated that "One of his distinct claims is that of having demonstrated the fibrous structure of the brain".
Spurzheim also coined the term 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...
.
External links
- Johann Gaspar Spurzheim. WhoNamedIt.
- Talking Heads: Phrenology at the Countway Library, 2002.
- Phrenology bust. History of the Phrenology Bust as developed by Spurzheim.