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George Combe

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431: 529: 237: 229:, denouncing it as "a piece of thorough quackery from beginning to end". When Spurzheim came to Edinburgh in 1816, Combe was invited to a friend's house, where he watched Spurzheim dissect a human brain. Impressed by the demonstration, he attended a second series of Spurzheim's lectures. On investigating the subject for himself, he became satisfied that the fundamental principles of phrenology were true: "that the brain is the organ of mind; that the brain is an aggregate of several parts, each subserving a distinct mental faculty; and that the size of the cerebral organ is, 517: 249: 1271: 1227: 1198: 1169: 204: 33: 351:, and did some teaching there in phrenology and physiology. It was prompted by the London Birkbeck School, which had opened on 17 July 1848. Combe was strongly behind the view that the state should be involved in the education system. In this he was backed by William Jolly, an inspector of schools, and noted by 330: 294:, in June 1824. He took private tuition in elocution; contemporaries described him as clever and opinionated. Combe's discussions had an air of confidentiality and theatrical urgency. Converts came in, societies sprang up and controversies began. 344:. Hamilton won by 18 votes against 14 for Taylor. In 1838 Combe visited the United States to study the treatment of criminals there. He initiated a programme of public education in chemistry, physiology, history and moral philosophy. 494:
ensued in 1855. The culmination of Combe's autobiographical philosophy appeared in "On the Relation between Science and Religion", first publicly issued in 1857. Combe moved into the economic arena with a pamphlet on
317:. The sharp controversy included challenges to public disputes and mutual charges of misrepresentation, in which Spurzheim took part. The correspondence appeared in the fourth and fifth volumes of the 553:(1807). She brought him a fortune and a happy, though childless marriage, preceded by a phrenological check for compatibility. A few years later, he retired from the law in comfortable circumstances. 168:
George Combe was born at Livingston's Yards, Edinburgh, the son of Marion (née Newton, died 1819) and George Combe, a prosperous brewer in the city. His younger brother was the physician
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Kaufman, M. H. (October 1995). "Circumstances surrounding the examination of the skull and brain of George Combe (1788–1858) advocate of phrenology".
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Combe sought to improve public education through a national, non-sectarian system. He helped to set up a school in Edinburgh run on the principles of
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On retiring, Combe took a substantial terraced townhouse, 45 Melville Street, in Edinburgh's West End. He was revising the 9th edition of the
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In 1836, Combe stood for the chair of Logic at the University of Edinburgh against two other candidates: Sir William Hamilton and
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was probably the single most important vehicle for disseminating naturalistic progressivism in the English-speaking world.
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of September 1825. Combe replied in a pamphlet and the journal. The phrenologists were attacked again in 1826 and 1827 by
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and its possible malleability, as Lamarck proposed. Combe himself was no Lamarckian, but in the decades before Darwin's
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De Giustino, D (1972). "Reforming the commonwealth of thieves: British phrenologists and Australia".
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opened a debate on introducing humane treatment of psychiatric patients in publicly funded asylums.
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Wright, Peter (August 2005). "George Combe—phrenologist, philosopher, psychologist (1788–1858)".
448: 352: 226: 180:, entered a lawyer's office in 1804, and in 1812 began a solicitor's practice at 11 Bank Street. 177: 156: 102: 1281:
Articles on Phrenological practice by George Combe, Andrew Combe, and other early Phrenologists.
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and travelled about Europe enquiring into management of schools, prisons and asylums.
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Combe was one of an active Edinburgh scene of people thinking about the nature of
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Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002
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Sait, J. E. (1976). "The Combe collection in the National Library of Scotland".
248: 146:(21 October 1788 – 14 August 1858) was a Scottish lawyer and a spokesman of the 1183: 374: 258: 1142: 1123: 820: 1289: 1238: 1233: 1202: 1173: 805: 546: 542: 400: 40: 1251:. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 750–751. 815:(online ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. ref:odnb/6019. 1151: 747: 740:
10.1002/1520-6696(197107)7:3<269::AID-JHBS2300070305>3.0.CO;2-6
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Combe began to lecture at Edinburgh in 1822. He published a Manual,
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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The Constitution of Man Considered in Relation to External Objects
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In 1842, Combe gave a course of 22 lectures on phrenology at the
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In 1833, Combe married Cecilia Siddons, daughter of the actress
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contained an article on the system of "craniology" devised by
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Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B., eds. (23 September 2004).
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Proceedings of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
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was followed by a series of papers on the subject in the
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Practical Illustrations of Rhetorical Gesture and Action
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in August 1858. He lies under a simple headstone in the
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In 1820 Combe moved his office to Mylnes Court on the
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A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature
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Combe was much concerned about prison reform. He and
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Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1857–1858.
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Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1832–1833.
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Alumni of the University of Edinburgh School of Law
1049:. University of California Libraries. R. G. Badger. 1006:"Surgeons' Square from The Gazetteer for Scotland" 906: 804: 480:Answers to the Objections Urged Against Phrenology 727:Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences 262:in 1817, and were followed by a series of papers 1287: 1046:Applied character analysis in human conservation 207:Sculpted portrait of Combe on the Museum of the 802: 452:, appeared in 1828 but was widely denounced as 256:His first essay on phrenology was published in 1129:The British Journal for the History of Science 411:In 1817, Combe's first essay on phrenology in 325:Social interests: schools, prisons and asylums 1068:. The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. 1029:Secondary education in the nineteenth century 806:"The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" 1216:. London: J. M. Dent & Sons – via 594:On the Relation Between Science and Religion 492:Phrenology Applied to Painting and Sculpture 233:, an index of power or energy of function." 16:Scottish lawyer and phrenologist (1788–1858) 994:. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 943:. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 696: 488:Notes on the United States of North America 150:movement for over 20 years. He founded the 1141: 1026:Archer, R. L. (Richard Lawrence) (1921). 419:. These appeared in book form in 1819 as 1237: 953: 900: 429: 328: 247: 235: 202: 198: 187:and moved house to 8 Hermitage Place in 1177: 1121: 919: 812:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 650: 285: 1288: 1206: 1042: 1025: 611: 596:. Maclachlan and Stewart (reissued by 386:Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg 969:A Dictionary of Educational Biography 884:Edinburgh Post Office directory 1829. 866:Edinburgh Post Office directory 1820. 857:Edinburgh Post Office directory 1814. 719: 274:. In 1820, Combe helped to found the 773: 771: 769: 767: 765: 673: 972:. Harvard University. C.W. Bardeen. 534:Tomb of George Combe, Dean Cemetery 13: 588:Full Text Available at archive.org 276:Phrenological Society of Edinburgh 14: 1357: 1256: 985:"Williams, William Mattieu"  934:"Taylor, Isaac (1787-1865)"  762: 417:Literary and Statistical Magazine 264:Literary and Statistical Magazine 1225: 1196: 1189:Dictionary of National Biography 1167: 991:Dictionary of National Biography 966:Charles William Bardeen (1901). 940:Dictionary of National Biography 567:. J. Anderson jun. (reissued by 527: 522:Death mask of George Combe, 1858 515: 31: 1115: 1106: 1097: 1053: 1036: 1019: 998: 976: 959: 925: 556: 209:Edinburgh Phrenological Society 152:Edinburgh Phrenological Society 1272:Works by or about George Combe 878: 869: 860: 851: 842: 796: 278:, which in 1823 established a 1: 779:"George Combe – Encyclopedia" 628:10.1016/s0010-9452(08)70185-0 365: 252:45 Melville Street, Edinburgh 163: 1331:Burials at the Dean Cemetery 1321:Scottish non-fiction writers 848:Williamson's Directory 1788. 836:UK public library membership 7: 1326:Mental health professionals 446:Combe's most popular work, 270:and, in later editions, as 10: 1362: 875:Post Office directory 1825 720:Walsh, A. A. (July 1971). 598:Cambridge University Press 569:Cambridge University Press 501:William Ballantyne Hodgson 315:Royal Society of Edinburgh 1306:Scientists from Edinburgh 1178:Stephen, Leslie (1887). " 1143:10.1017/S0007087415000278 506: 137: 125: 118: 108: 98: 88: 69: 47: 30: 23: 1043:Miller, John T. (1922). 756: 482:was followed in 1840 by 406: 301:, 1825, was attacked by 176:, he studied law at the 174:High School of Edinburgh 1336:Mental health activists 1248:Encyclopædia Britannica 586:Edinburgh: J Anderson. 449:The Constitution of Man 442:(1835), by George Combe 353:Frank Pierrepont Graves 227:Johann Gaspar Spurzheim 178:University of Edinburgh 157:The Constitution of Man 103:University of Edinburgh 1122:Jenkins, Bill (2015). 584:A System of Phrenology 443: 440:Elements of phrenology 425:A System of Phrenology 337: 292:Elements of Phrenology 272:A System of Phrenology 253: 245: 212: 172:. After attending the 1263:Works by George Combe 821:10.1093/ref:odnb/6019 592:George Combe (1857), 582:George Combe (1830), 563:George Combe (1828), 497:The Currency Question 433: 332: 319:Phrenological Journal 280:Phrenological Journal 251: 240:Combe as sculpted by 239: 211:building in Edinburgh 206: 199:Phrenological Society 1208:Cousin, John William 421:Essays on Phrenology 379:Edinburgh's New Town 360:William A. F. Browne 313:in addresses to the 311:Sir William Hamilton 297:A second edition of 286:Debate with Hamilton 268:Essays on Phrenology 956:, pp. 750–751. 471:was published, the 427:in later editions. 393:Constitution of Man 1075:978-0-902-198-84-5 444: 413:The Scots Magazine 397:Moor Park, Farnham 338: 254: 246: 242:Lawrence Macdonald 213: 154:in 1820 and wrote 81:Moor Park, Farnham 37:George Combe, 1836 1267:Project Gutenberg 834:(Subscription or 700:Victorian Studies 606:978-1-108-00451-0 577:978-1-108-00413-8 469:Origin of Species 371:John Ramsay L'Amy 223:Franz Joseph Gall 141: 140: 120:Scientific career 1353: 1276:Internet Archive 1252: 1231: 1229: 1228: 1221: 1200: 1193: 1171: 1170: 1156: 1155: 1145: 1119: 1113: 1110: 1104: 1101: 1095: 1094: 1092: 1090: 1084: 1078:. 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Retrieved 782: 731: 725: 704: 698: 681: 675: 658: 652: 619: 613: 593: 583: 564: 557:Bibliography 550: 549:, author of 540: 496: 491: 487: 483: 479: 477: 473:Constitution 472: 468: 462: 447: 445: 439: 424: 420: 416: 412: 410: 392: 390: 383: 369: 357: 346: 342:Isaac Taylor 339: 335:daguerrotype 318: 306: 298: 296: 291: 289: 279: 271: 267: 263: 257: 255: 230: 216: 214: 182: 170:Andrew Combe 167: 155: 144:George Combe 143: 142: 119: 75:(1858-08-14) 25:George Combe 18: 1301:1858 deaths 1296:1788 births 1089:27 February 1011:18 February 454:materialist 436:craniometer 423:, entitled 375:James L'Amy 244:around 1825 195:from 1829. 189:Stockbridge 89:Nationality 1311:Phrenology 1290:Categories 1218:Wikisource 838:required.) 707:: 439–61. 366:Later life 185:Royal Mile 164:Early life 130:phrenology 113:phrenology 64:, Scotland 54:1788-10-21 373:, son of 62:Edinburgh 1210:(1910). 1152:25998794 748:11609418 713:11678098 690:11634646 667:11608956 636:16042021 600:, 2009; 571:, 2009; 465:heredity 299:Elements 193:New Town 93:Scottish 83:, Surrey 1274:at the 1236::  1205::  1186:(ed.). 1176::  826:14 July 644:4486798 458:atheist 305:in the 1230:  1182:". 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Index


Daniel Macnee
Edinburgh
Moor Park, Farnham
Scottish
University of Edinburgh
phrenology
phrenology
phrenological
Edinburgh Phrenological Society
The Constitution of Man
Andrew Combe
High School of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
Royal Mile
Stockbridge
New Town

Edinburgh Phrenological Society
Edinburgh Review
Franz Joseph Gall
Johann Gaspar Spurzheim

Lawrence Macdonald

Scots Magazine
Phrenological Society of Edinburgh
Francis Jeffrey
Sir William Hamilton
Royal Society of Edinburgh

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