Back in 2001, Holly Peterson asked this question: "I wonder how serious the public really took phrenology at the time. For instance, was it used in court as evidence? If someone had a bump over a dishonest or "murderous" part of the brain were they more likely to be found guilty? Is there any literature out there that deals with this?" A couple of the answers identified good sources to look for the answer but no one has followed it up since. Any futher comments from anyone?

-- Harry Whitaker (hwhitake@nmu.edu), February 06, 2005

Answers

I found one case, though it's from 1927. Go to http://www.crimlaw.org/defbrief295.html and search for "phreno"

Check out this site as well, according to which "Phrenology was actually cited in trials as late as the trial of Charles Guiteau, President Chester A. Arthur's assassin." (Of course, Guiteau didn't assassinate Arthur but, rather, James A. Garfield, upon which Arthur became president.)

http://www.okcitytrial.com/content/pretrial/2896.html

-- Christopher Green (christo@yorku.ca), February 11, 2005.