the expression of emotion in man and animals-第43章

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a　correspondent　during　the　recent　siege　of　Paris；　namely；　that　the　German　soldiers。　after　strong　excitement　from　exposure　to　extreme　danger；　were　particularly　apt　to　burst　out　into　loud　laughter　at　the　smallest　joke。　So　again　when　young　children　are　just　beginning　to　cry；　an　unexpected　event　will　sometimes　suddenly　turn　their　crying　into　laughter；　which　apparently　serves　equally　well　to　expend　their　superfluous　nervous　energy。


＇4＇　Mr。　Bain　（‘The　Emotions　and　the　Will；'　1865；　p。　　247）　has　a　long　and　interesting　discussion　on　the　Ludicrous。　　The　quotation　above　given　about　the　laughter　of　the　gods　is　taken　from　this　work。　See；　also；　Mandeville；　‘The　Fable　of　the　Bees；'　vol。　　ii。　　p。　　168。

＇5＇　‘The　Physiology　of　Laughter；'　Essays；　Second　Series；　1863；　p。　　114。

The　imagination　is　sometimes　said　to　be　tickled　by　a　ludicrous　idea；　and　this　so…called　tickling　of　the　mind　is　curiously　analogous　with　that　of　the　body。　　Every　one　knows　how　immoderately　children　laugh；　and　how　their　whole　bodies　are　convulsed　when　they　are　tickled。　The　anthropoid　apes；　as　we　have　seen；　likewise　utter　a　reiterated　sound；　corresponding　with　our　laughter；　when　they　are　tickled；　especially　under　the　armpits。　　I　touched　with　a　bit　of　paper　the　sole　of　the　foot　of　one　of　my　infants；　when　only　seven　days　old；　and　it　was　suddenly　jerked　away　and　the　toes　curled　about；　as　in　an　older　child。　　Such　movements；　as　well　as　laughter　from　being　tickled；　are　manifestly　reflex　actions；　and　this　is　likewise　shown　by　the　minute　unstriped　muscles；　which　serve　to　erect　the　separate　hairs　on　the　body；　contracting　near　a　tickled　surface。＇6＇　Yet　laughter　from　a　ludicrous　idea；　though　involuntary；　cannot　be　called　a　strictly　reflex　action。　　In　this　case；　and　in　that　of　laughter　from　being　tickled；　the　mind　must　be　in　a　pleasurable　condition；　a　young　child；　if　tickled　by　a　strange　man；　would　scream　from　fear。　The　touch　must　be　light；　and　an　idea　or　event；　to　be　ludicrous；　must　not　be　of　grave　import。　　The　parts　of　the　body　which　are　most　easily　tickled　are　those　which　are　not　commonly　touched；　such　as　the　armpits　or　between　the　toes；　or　parts　such　as　the　soles　of　the　feet；　which　are　habitually　touched　by　a　broad　surface；　but　the　surface　on　which　we　sit　offers　a　marked　exception　to　this　rule。　　According　to　Gratiolet；＇7＇　certain　nerves　are　much　more　sensitive　to　tickling　than　others。　From　the　fact　that　a　child　can　hardly　tickle　itself；　or　in　a　much　less　degree　than　when　tickled　by　another　person；　it　seems　that　the　precise　point　to　be　touched　must　not　be　known；　so　with　the　mind；　something　unexpected　a　novel　or　incongruous　idea　which　breaks　through　an　habitual　train　of　thought　appears　to　he　a　strong　element　in　the　ludicrous。


＇6＇　J。　Lister　in　‘Quarterly　Journal　of　Microscopical　Science；'　1853；　vol。　　1。　　p。　　266。

The　sound　of　laughter　is　produced　by　a　deep　inspiration　followed　by　short；　interrupted；　spasmodic　contractions　of　the　chest；　and　especially　of　the　diaphragm。＇8＇　Hence　we　hear　of　〃laughter　holding　both　his　sides。〃　From　the　shaking　of　the　body；　the　head　nods　to　and　fro。　　The　lower　jaw　often　quivers　up　and　down；　as　is　likewise　the　case　with　some　species　of　baboons；　when　they　are　much　pleased。

During　laughter　the　mouth　is　opened　more　or　less　widely；　with　the　corners　drawn　much　backwards；　as　well　as　a　little　upwards；　and　the　upper　lip　is　somewhat　raised。　　The　drawing　back　of　the　corners　is　best　seen　in　moderate　laughter；　and　especially　in　a　broad　smile　the　latter　epithet　showing　how　the　mouth　is　widened。　In　the　accompanying　figs。　　1…3；　Plate　III。；　different　degrees　of　moderate　laughter　and　smiling　have　been　photographed。　The　figure　of　the　little　girl；　with　the　hat　is　by　Dr。　Wallich；　and　the　expression　was　a　genuine　one；　the　other　two　are　by　Mr。　Rejlander。　　Dr。　Duchenne　repeatedly　insists＇9＇　that；　under　the　emotion　of　joy；　the　mouth　is　acted　on　exclusively　by　the　great　zygomatic　muscles；　which　serve　to　draw　the　corners　backwards　and　upwards；　but　judging　from　the　manner　in　which　the　upper　teeth　are　always　exposed　during　laughter　and　broad　smiling；　as　well　as　from　my　own　sensations；　I　cannot　doubt　that　some　of　the　muscles　running　to　the　upper　lip　are　likewise　brought　into　moderate　action。　　The　upper　and　lower　orbicular　muscles　of　the　eyes　are　at　the　same　time　more　or　less　contracted；　and　there　is　an　intimate　connection；　as　explained　in　the　chapter　on　weeping；　between　the　orbiculars；　especially　the　lower　ones　and　some　of　the　muscles　running　to　the　upper　lip。　Henle　remarks＇10＇　on　this　head；　that　when　a　man　closely　shuts　one　eye　he　cannot　avoid　retracting　the　upper　lip　on　the　same　side；　conversely；　if　any　one　will　place　his　finger　on　his　lower　eyelid；　and　then　uncover　his　upper　incisors　as　much　as　possible；　he　will　feel；　as　his　upper　lip　is　drawn　strongly　upwards；　that　the　muscles　of　the　lower　eyelid　contract。　In　Henle's　drawing；　given　in　woodcut；　fig。　　2；　the　_musculus　malaris_　（H）　which　runs　to　the　upper　lip　may　be　seen　to　form　an　almost　integral　part　of　the　lower　orbicular　muscle。


＇7＇　‘De　la　Physionomie；'　p。　　186。

＇8＇　Sir　C。　Bell　（Anat。　of　Expression；　p。　　147）　makes　some　remarks　on　the　movement　of　the　diaphragm　during　laughter。

＇9＇　‘Mecanisme　de　la　Physionomie　Humaine；'　Album；　Legende　vi。

Dr。　Duchenne　has　given　a　large　photograph　of　an　old　man　（reduced　on　Plate　III。　　fig　4）；　in　his　usual　passive　condition；　and　another　of　the　same　man　（fig。　5）；　naturally　smiling。　The　latter　was　instantly　recognized　by　every　one　to　whom　it　was　shown　as　true　to　nature。　　He　has　also　given；　as　an　example　of　an　unnatural　or　false　smile；　another　photograph　（fig。　6）　of　the　same　old　man；　with　the　corners　of　his　mouth　strongly　retracted　by　the　galvanization　of　the　great　zygomatic　muscles。　That　the　expression　is　not　natural　is　clear；　for　I　showed　this　photograph　to　twenty…four　persons；　of　whom　three　could　not　in　the　least　tell　what　was　meant；　whilst　the　others；　though　they　perceived　that　the　expression　was　of　the　nature　of　a　smile；　answered　in　such　words　as　〃a　wicked　joke；〃　〃trying　to　laugh；〃　〃grinning　laughter　。。。　。。　half…amazed　laughter；〃　&c。　Dr。　Duchenne　attributes　the　falseness　of　the　expression　altogether　to　the　orbicular　muscles　of　the　lower　eyelids　not　being　sufficiently　contracted；　for　he　justly　lays　great　stress　on　their　contraction　in　the　expression　of　joy。　　No　doubt　there　is　much　truth　in　this　view；　but　not；　as　it　appears　to　me；　the　whole　truth。　　The　contraction　of　the　lower　orbiculars　is　always　accompanied；　as　we　have　seen；　by　the　drawing　up　of　the　upper　lip。　　Had　the　upper　lip；　in　fig。　6；　been　thus　acted　on　to　a　slight　extent；　its　curvature　would　have　been　less　rigid；　the　naso…labial　farrow　would　have　been　slightly　different；　and　the　whole　expression　would；　as　I　believe；　have　been　more　natural；　independently　of　the　more　conspicuous　effect　from　the　stronger　contraction　of　the　lower　eyelids。　The　corruptor　muscle；　moreover；　in　fig。　　6；　is　too　much　contracted；　causing　a　frown；　and　this　muscle　never　acts　under　the　influence　of　joy　except　during　strongly　pronounced　or　violent　laughter。



＇10＇　Handbuch　der　System。　　Anat。　　des　Menschen；　1858；　B。　i。　　s。　　144。　　See　my　woodcut　（H。　fig。　　2）。

By　the　drawing　backwards　and　upwards　of　the　corners　of　the　mouth；　through　the　contraction　of　the　great　zygomatic　muscles；　and　by　the　raising　of　the　upper　lip；　the　cheeks　are　drawn　upwards。　Wrinkles　are　thus　formed　under　the　eyes；　and；　with　old　people；　at　their　outer　ends；　and　these　are　highly　characteristic　of　laughter　or　smiling。　As　a　gentle　smile　increases　into　a　strong　one；　or　into　a　laugh；　every　one　may　feel　and　see；　if　he　will　attend　to　his　own　sensations　and　look　at　himself　in　a　mirror；　that　as　the　upper　lip　is　drawn　up　and　the　lower　orbiculars　contract；　the　wrinkles　in　the　lower　eyelids　and　those　beneath　the　eyes　are　much　strengthened　or　increased。　At　the　same　time；　as　I　have　repeatedly　observed；　the　eyebrows　are　slightly　lowered；　which　shows　that　the　upper　as　well　as　the　lower　orbiculars　contract　at　least　to　some　degree；　though　this　passes　unperecived；　as　far　as　our　sensations　are　concerned。　　If　the　original　photograph　of　the　old　man；　with　his　countenance　in　its　usual　placid　state　（fig。　4）；　be　compared　with　that　（fig。　5）　in　which　he　is　naturally　smiling；　it　may　be　seen　that　the　eye