How to Become Rich | Page 9

circulates through the
lymphatic vessels as a reserve force of vital food. The predominance of
either of these fluids in the constitution greatly modifies the character
and gives rise to the classification of the chemical temperaments. As

every cell in the body comes in contact with an acid and an alkali fluid,
we may, by estimating the relative quantities of each fluid, arrive at a
very accurate judgment of the chemical condition of the body, and
these elements are also valuable in estimating the amount of magnetism
that will be produced by the organization through chemical action, as
every cell by its contact with these fluids is constituted a magnetic
battery.
THE ACID TEMPERAMENT exists where arterial blood
predominates. It is distinguished by convexity of features and sharpness
of angles. The face is usually round in general outline and convex in
profile, the forehead prominent at the eyebrows and retreating as it rises,
the nose Roman, the mouth prominent, the teeth convex in form and
arrangement and sharp, the chin round and sometimes retreating. The
body is angular and generally convex in outline, with sharpness at all
angles. This temperament is usually accompanied with great activity of
mind and vivaciousness of disposition, and sometimes develops great
energy and asperity. It is very likely to exhaust itself prematurely.
THE ALKALI TEMPERAMENT exists where lymph is in excess over
arterial blood. It is distinguished by concavity of features and obliquity
of angles, or rather the absence of angles. The face is usually broad in
general outline, and concave in profile, the forehead prominent and
wide at the upper part, and medium in development at the eyebrows,
the nose concave, the mouth retreating, the teeth flat in form and
arrangement, the chin concave and prominent at the point. The body is
round and inclined to corpulency, without angles. This temperament is
usually well stocked with vitality, but unless actively employed is
likely to become dull and overloaded with adipose tissue and lymph.
From the foregoing observations it is evident that the temperaments
combine in each individual according to whichever temperament is
found to predominate in these three divisions. Thus one man will have
an electric-motive-acid temperament, another a magnetic-mental-acid
temperament, another a magnetic-vital-alkali, and so on through all the
combinations which can be made from the seven elementary
temperaments. This blending when finally estimated constitutes the

temperament of the individual. The ideal condition would, of course, be
a perfect equilibrium of the elements of each division, in which case the
individual would be said to have a perfectly balanced temperament.
ELECTRICITY is the genitive passion of Space. It is manifested by the
states of gravity, receptivity, coldness, and darkness.
MAGNETISM is the genitive passion of Matter. It is manifested by the
states of vibration, radiation, heat, and light.
The eternal affinities which exist between these conditions produce all
the phenomena of Growth.
GROWTH is the change which takes place in a structure in obedience
to the law of conformity to the changes which take place in its
environment.
Man is the most complex organism known to this planet. He stands at
the end of a long line of development, extending from the simplest
form of mineral, through the vegetable and animal kingdoms, to his
own position in the cosmos, and embracing and including in his own
structure a representation of every form below him. But when this
exceedingly complex structure is analyzed it is found to consist wholly
of combinations of the simpler forms which existed before him.
In the light of a rational philosophy, therefore, we are forced to
consider man as a creature of growth and subject to exactly the same
natural laws as the objects which surround him. Any attempt to regard
him as an exception results in the calamities which must always attend
presumption and ignorance.
The well balanced temperament, the temperamentum temperatum, of
the ancients is an ideal condition in which there is in fact no
temperament, all the organs of the body being perfectly in harmony,
and exhibiting no preponderance of one over the other. Many persons
approximate this condition, but it is difficult to find one in which it is
so nearly attained as to make the proper classification of his
temperament under the above heads a difficult matter. However

desirable such a condition may be from a purely physiological
standpoint, the fact remains that all great and powerful natures, the men
who have been the leaders in the battles of literature, art, science and
war itself, have had well defined and pronounced temperamental
conditions of organization.
We have now fully demonstrated that in his scientific delineation of
character the professional phrenologist depends upon something more
than mere configuration of skull. The great modifying conditions of
health, quality and temperament in every case give us the foundation of
the