私醫聯招 英文歷屆試題｜第 83 題

Since ancient times, people have practiced the art of physiognomy, or reading character from physical features. The ancient Greeks compared the human face to the faces of various animals, such as the eagle and the horse. They believed people shared certain character traits with the animals they resembled. A person with an equine, or horselike, face was thought to be loyal, brave, and stern. A person with an aquiline, or eaglelike, nose was believed to be bold and courageous, as well as arrogant and self-centered.

A related - though not as ancient - art is phrenology, the study of the bumps on the head. Phrenologists have identified 40 bumps of various shapes and sizes on the human head. They “read” these bumps to identify a person’s talents and character. For example, a bump between the nose and forehead is said to be present in people who have natural elegance and a love of beauty. A bump behind the curve of the ear is the sign of a courageous and adventurous person.

Phrenology was developed in the early eighteenth century by Franz Joseph Gall, a doctor in Vienna. His interest began at school when he noticed that boys with prominent eyes seemed to have the best memories. This led him to believe that a connection existed between appearance and ability. Dr. Gall’s research interested many people, but he was ridiculed by other doctors. When he died in 1828, he was a poor and bitter man. It was only many years later that Dr. Gall’s theories found support among some doctors and scientists, and today the art of phrenology has become more accepted.