One of the things I wish I had known more about when writing the book was the connection between phrenology and mesmerism/animal magnetism. Particularly in the 1840’s, as Sir Thomas Browne’s head was being stolen, the long-standing interest in mesmerism was put to new uses with phrenology. Magazines like The Zoist and The Phreno-Magnet, along with James Braid’s book Neurypnology, reported instances in which phrenological “truths” could be proven through the use of mesmerism. Here’s one such example from Neurypnology, which I found in Frank Podmore’s Mediums of the 19th Century:

A gentleman who had been present at a previous demonstration “ was so much astonished and gratified with what he had seen that he begged I would try one of his daughters. I hypnotized the eldest, and all the manifestations came out quite decidedly as in her cousin. Under “adhesiveness” and “friendship” she clasped me, and on stimulating the organ of “combativeness” on the opposite side of the head, with the arm of that side she struck two gentlemen (whom she imagined were about to attack me) in such a manner as nearly laid one on the floor, whilst with the other arm she held me in the most friendly manner. Under “benevolence” she seemed quite overwhelmed with compassion; “acquisitiveness,” stole greedily all she could lay her hands on, which was retained whlist I excited many other manifestations; but the moment my fingers touched “conscientiousness,” she threw all she had stolen on the floor, as if horror-stricken, and burst into a flood of tears. On being asked, “Why do you cry?” she said, with the utmost agony, “I have done what was wrong, I have done what was wrong.” I now excited “imitation” and “ideality,” and had her laughing and dancing in an instant. On exciting “form” and “ideality,” she seemed alarmed, and when asked what she saw, she answered “The D—l.” “What colour is he?” “Black.” On pressing the eyebrow and repeating the question, the answer was “red,” and the whole body instantly became rigid, and the face the most complete picture of horror which could be imagined. “Destructiveness,” which is largely developed, being touched, she struck her father such a blow on the chest as nearly laid him on the floor. Had I not endeavoured to restrain her, he must have sustained serious injury. Having now excited “veneration,” “hope,” “ideality,” and “language,” we had the most striking example of extreme ecstasy, and on being aroused she was quite conscious of all that had happened, excepting that she had heard music, and had been dancing. Her “philo-progenitiveness” was admirable.