The Phrenological Society of Edinburgh was formed on 22 February 1820. The first meeting of the Society was held at Hermitage Place, in Edinburgh, and was attended by: George Combe (1788-1858), Writer to the Signet; James Brownlee, Advocate; Andrew Combe, Surgeon; William Waddell, WS; Lindsay Mackersy (sic), Accountant; and, Rev. David Walsh. The Chairman of the first meeting was noted as George Combe and a moving spirit of the Society was Sir George Steuart Mackenzie of Coul, Baronet (1780-1848). The object of the Phrenological Society was 'to hear papers' and 'to discuss questions' connected with Phrenology. It would 'hold correspondence' with societies and individuals taking an interest in Phrenology, and collect and pursue facts and views that 'may improve and enlarge the boundaries of the Science'. Although Phrenology was a popular field of study well into the 20th century, it became discredited by scientific research. Phrenologists looked at the skull for indications of mental faculties and traits of character, and its principles were established by Franz-Joseph Gall (1758-1828), an Austrian, and by Johann Gaspar Spurzheim (1776-1832) and George Combe. Gall had studied the heads of prisoners and inmates of lunatic asylums, and from his observations he deduced certain traits in the individuals, mapping out where 'murder' or 'theft' and so on were seated in the brain. Spurzheim and Combe went on to divide the scalp into regions where, for example, acquisitiveness, benevolence, combativeness, constructiveness, destructiveness, individuality, linguistic perception, self-esteem, wit and wonder etc were seated.