Man, of course, is the only creature given divine rationality. These, and other traits, are housed in the brain, the central organ that differentiates us from the beasts. Scientists and philosophers have long pondered over its capacities, functions and interactions — both between it and the body, and between its own internal organs. Thankfully, the current enlightened age has brought with it scientific theories and practices that allow us to glimpse into our own humanity.

The study of the organs of the brain is known as phrenology. The brain, just as the body, is composed of internal organs. Though the organs of the brain may not be as visible or distinct as those of the body, there certainly exists a compartmentalization.

As the brain is growing, the skull must change shape in order to accommodate the brain-organs. It is thus that scientists, through the measurement of the irregularities of the skull, can map and measure a person’s particular brain-organs.

By measuring the organs and referring to a brain-map, a scientist may be able to discern a patient’s temperament, reasoning ability, likes, dislikes and even possible criminal tendencies. The main capacities housed in the brain are causality, comparison, human nature, constructiveness, locality, individuality and eventuality. Through various arrangements of the organs that control these functions, a person’s individuality is defined.

An organ’s size will dictate its frequency of use and its influence on a person’s personality. Organs function just as the muscles of the body — those used most frequently will be the largest and most well developed. Thus, an engineer will have a larger centre for constructiveness as well as locality, while a midwife may feature enlarged human nature and eventuality organs.

A doctor must simply measure a patient’s skull, and by gauging the bumps and divots of the skull against a scientific template, he may gain a thorough understanding of the patient’s personality. Through this process, the practitioner may unearth qualities that a patient was not aware they possessed! Diagnosis is now possible of those with mental illness, with treatments being tailored directly to their needs.

Perhaps, sometime in the future, the powers of magnetism and electricity may be used to cure various ailments of the brain, but these fields leave much room for exploration. Phrenology, however, will redefine modern medicine and provide cures to many illnesses and conditions that are as of now incurable.