the expression of emotion in man and animals-第4章

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he　principle　of　evolution。　He　apparently　looks　at　each　species　as　a　separate　creation。　So　it　is　with　the　other　writers　on　Expression。　　For　instance；　Dr。　Duchenne；　after　speaking　of　the　movements　of　the　limbs；　refers　to　those　which　give　expression　to　the　face；　and　remarks：＇16＇　〃Le　createur　n'a　donc　pas　eu　a　se　preoccuper　ici　des　besoins　de　la　mecanique；　il　a　pu；　selon　sa　sagesse；　ouque　l'on　me　pardonne　cette　maniere　de　parlerpar　une　divine　fantaisie；　mettre　en　action　tel　ou　tel　muscle；　un　seul　ou　plusieurs　muscles　a　la　fois；　lorsqu'il　a　voulu　que　les　signes　caracteristiques　des　passions；　meme　les　plus　fugaces；　lussent　ecrits　passagerement　sur　la　face　de　l'homme。　Ce　langage　de　la　physionomie　une　fois　cree；　il　lui　a　suffi；　pour　le　rendre　universel　et　immuable；　de　donner　a　tout　etre　humain　la　faculte　instinctive　d'exprimer　toujours　ses　sendments　par　la　contraction　des　memes　muscles。〃

Many　writers　consider　the　whole　subject　of　Expression　as　inexplicable。　Thus　the　illustrious　physiologist　Muller；　says；＇17＇　〃The　completely　different　expression　of　the　features　in　different　passions　shows　that；　according　to　the　kind　of　feeling　excited；　entirely　different　groups　of　the　fibres　of　the　facial　nerve　are　acted　on。　　Of　the　cause　of　this　we　are　quite　ignorant。〃

＇15＇　‘De　la　Physionomie；'　pp。　　12；　73。

＇16＇　‘Mecanisme　de　la　Physionomie　Humaine；'　8vo　edit。　　p。　　31。

＇17＇　‘Elements　of　Physiology；'　English　translation；　vol。　　ii。　　p。　　934。

No　doubt　as　long　as　man　and　all　other　animals　are　viewed　as　independent　creations；　an　effectual　stop　is　put　to　our　natural　desire　to　investigate　as　far　as　possible　the　causes　of　Expression。　　By　this　doctrine；　anything　and　everything　can　be　equally　well　explained；　and　it　has　proved　as　pernicious　with　respect　to　Expression　as　to　every　other　branch　of　natural　history。　With　mankind　some　expressions；　such　as　the　bristling　of　the　hair　under　the　influence　of　extreme　terror；　or　the　uncovering　of　the　teeth　under　that　of　furious　rage；　can　hardly　be　understood；　except　on　the　belief　that　man　once　existed　in　a　much　lower　and　animal…like　condition。　The　community　of　certain　expressions　in　distinct　though　allied　species；　as　in　the　movements　of　the　same　facial　muscles　during　laughter　by　man　and　by　various　monkeys；　is　rendered　somewhat　more　intelligible；　if　we　believe　in　their　descent　from　a　common　progenitor。　He　who　admits　on　general　grounds　that　the　structure　and　habits　of　all　animals　have　been　gradually　evolved；　will　look　at　the　whole　subject　of　Expression　in　a　new　and　interesting　light。

The　study　of　Expression　is　difficult；　owing　to　the　movements　being　often　extremely　slight；　and　of　a　fleeting　nature。　A　difference　may　be　clearly　perceived；　and　yet　it　may　be　impossible；　at　least　I　have　found　it　so；　to　state　in　what　the　difference　consists。　When　we　witness　any　deep　emotion；　our　sympathy　is　so　strongly　excited；　that　close　observation　is　forgotten　or　rendered　almost　impossible；　of　which　fact　I　have　had　many　curious　proofs。　Our　imagination　is　another　and　still　more　serious　source　of　error；　for　if　from　the　nature　of　the　circumstances　we　expect　to　see　any　expression；　we　readily　imagine　its　presence。　Notwithstanding　Dr。　Duchenne's　great　experience；　he　for　a　long　time　fancied；　as　he　states；　that　several　muscles　contracted　under　certain　emotions；　whereas　he　ultimately　convinced　himself　that　the　movement　was　confined　to　a　single　muscle。

In　order　to　acquire　as　good　a　foundation　as　possible；　and　to　ascertain；　independently　of　common　opinion；　how　far　particular　movements　of　the　features　and　gestures　are　really　expressive　of　certain　states　of　the　mind；　I　have　found　the　following　means　the　most　serviceable。　In　the　first　place；　to　observe　infants；　for　they　exhibit　many　emotions；　as　Sir　C。　Bell　remarks；　〃with　extraordinary　force；〃　whereas；　in　after　life；　some　of　our　expressions　〃cease　to　have　the　pure　and　simple　source　from　which　they　spring　in　infancy。〃＇18＇

In　the　second　place；　it　occurred　to　me　that　the　insane　ought　to　be　studied；　as　they　are　liable　to　the　strongest　passions；　and　give　uncontrolled　vent　to　them。　　I　had；　myself；　no　opportunity　of　doing　this；　so　I　applied　to　Dr。　Maudsley　and　received　from　him　an　introduction　to　Dr。　J。　Crichton　Browne；　who　has　charge　of　an　immense　asylum　near　Wakefield；　and　who；　as　I　found；　had　already　attended　to　the　subject。　This　excellent　observer　has　with　unwearied　kindness　sent　me　copious　notes　and　descriptions；　with　valuable　suggestions　on　many　points；　and　I　can　hardly　over…estimate　the　value　of　his　assistance。　　I　owe　also；　to　the　kindness　of　Mr。　Patrick　Nicol；　of　the　Sussex　Lunatic　Asylum；　interesting　statements　on　two　or　three　points。

Thirdly　Dr。　Duchenne　galvanized；　as　we　have　already　seen；　certain　muscles　in　the　face　of　an　old　man；　whose　skin　was　little　sensitive；　and　thus　produced　various　expressions　which　were　photographed　on　a　large　scale。　It　fortunately　occurred　to　me　to　show　several　of　the　best　plates；　without　a　word　of　explanation；　to　above　twenty　educated　persons　of　various　ages　and　both　sexes；　asking　them；　in　each　case；　by　what　emotion　or　feeling　the　old　man　was　supposed　to　be　agitated；　and　I　recorded　their　answers　in　the　words　which　they　used。　Several　of　the　expressions　were　instantly　recognised　by　almost　everyone；　though　described　in　not　exactly　the　same　terms；　and　these　may；　I　think；　be　relied　on　as　truthful；　and　will　hereafter　be　specified。　On　the　other　hand；　the　most　widely　different　judgments　were　pronounced　in　regard　to　some　of　them。　　This　exhibition　was　of　use　in　another　way；　by　convincing　me　how　easily　we　may　be　misguided　by　our　imagination；　for　when　I　first　looked　through　Dr。　Duchenne's　photographs；　reading　at　the　same　time　the　text；　and　thus　learning　what　was　intended；　I　was　struck　with　admiration　at　the　truthfulness　of　all；　with　only　a　few　exceptions。　　Nevertheless；　if　I　had　examined　them　without　any　explanation；　no　doubt　I　should　have　been　as　much　perplexed；　in　some　cases；　as　other　persons　have　been。

＇18＇　〃Anatomy　of　Expression；'　3rd　edit。　　p。　　198。

Fourthly；　I　had　hoped　to　derive　much　aid　from　the　great　masters　in　painting　and　sculpture；　who　are　such　close　observers。　Accordingly；　I　have　looked　at　photographs　and　engravings　of　many　well…known　works；　but；　with　a　few　exceptions；　have　not　thus　profited。　The　reason　no　doubt　is；　that　in　works　of　art；　beauty　is　the　chief　object；　and　strongly　contracted　facial　muscles　destroy　beauty。＇19＇　The　story　of　the　composition　is　generally　told　with　wonderful　force　and　truth　by　skilfully　given　accessories。

＇19＇　See　remarks　to　this　effect　in　Lessing's　‘Lacooon；'　translated　by　W。　Ross；　1836；　p。　　19。

Fifthly；　it　seemed　to　me　highly　important　to　ascertain　whether　the　same　expressions　and　gestures　prevail；　as　has　often　been　asserted　without　much　evidence；　with　all　the　races　of　mankind；　especially　with　those　who　have　associated　but　little　with　Europeans。　　Whenever　the　same　movements　of　the　features　or　body　express　the　same　emotions　in　several　distinct　races　of　man；　we　may　infer　with　much　probability；　that　such　expressions　are　true　ones；that　is；　are　innate　or　instinctive。　Conventional　expressions　or　gestures；　acquired　by　the　individual　during　early　life；　would　probably　have　differed　in　the　different　races；　in　the　same　manner　as　do　their　languages。　Accordingly　I　circulated；　early　in　the　year　1867；　the　following　printed　queries　with　a　request；　which　has　been　fully　responded　to；　that　actual　observations；　and　not　memory；　might　be　trusted。　These　queries　were　written　after　a　considerable　interval　of　time；　during　which　my　attention　had　been　otherwise　directed；　and　I　can　now　see　that　they　might　have　been　greatly　improved。　To　some　of　the　later　copies；　I　appended；　in　manuscript；　a　few　additional　remarks：

（1。）　Is　astonishment　expressed　by　the　eyes　and　mouth　being　opened　wide；　and　by　the　eyebrows　being　raised？

（2。）　Does　shame　excite　a　blush　when　the　colour　of　the　skin　allows　it　to　be　visible？　and　especially　how　low　down　the　body　does　the　blush　extend？

（3。）　When　a　man　is　indignant　or　defiant　does　he　frown；　hold　his　body　and　head　erect；　square　his　shoulders　and　clench　his　fists？

（4）　When　considering　deeply　on　any　subject；　or　trying　to　understand　any　puzzle；　does　he　frown；　or　wrinkle　the　skin　beneath　the　lower　eyelids？

（5。）　When