the expression of emotion in man and animals-第44章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ig。　4）；　be　compared　with　that　（fig。　5）　in　which　he　is　naturally　smiling；　it　may　be　seen　that　the　eyebrows　in　the　latter　are　a　little　lowered。　I　presume　that　this　is　owing　to　the　upper　orbiculars　being　impelled；　through　the　force　of　long…associated　habit；　to　act　to　a　certain　extent　in　concert　with　the　lower　orbiculars；　which　themselves　contract　in　connection　with　the　drawing　up　of　the　upper　lip。

The　tendency　in　the　zygomatic　muscles　to　contract　under　pleasurable　emotions　is　shown　by　a　curious　fact；　communicated　to　me　by　Dr。　Browne；　with　respect　to　patients　suffering　from　GENERAL　PARALYSIS　OF　THE　INSANE。＇11＇　〃In　this　malady　there　is　almost　invariably　optimismdelusions　as　to　wealth；　rank；　grandeurinsane　joyousness；　benevolence；　and　profusion；　while　its　very　earliest　physical　symptom　is　trembling　at　the　corners　of　the　mouth　and　at　the　outer　corners　of　the　eyes。　　This　is　a　well…recognized　fact。　Constant　tremulous　agitation　of　the　inferior　palpebral　and　great　zygomatic　muscles　is　pathognomic　of　the　earlier　stages　of　general　paralysis。　The　countenance　has　a　pleased　and　benevolent　expression。　　As　the　disease　advances　other　muscles　become　involved；　but　until　complete　fatuity　is　reached；　the　prevailing　expression　is　that　of　feeble　benevolence。〃

As　in　laughing　and　broadly　smiling　the　cheeks　and　upper　lip　are　much　raised；　the　nose　appears　to　be　shortened；　and　the　skin　on　the　bridge　becomes　finely　wrinkled　in　transverse　lines；　with　other　oblique　longitudinal　lines　on　the　sides。　　The　upper　front　teeth　are　commonly　exposed。　A　well…marked　naso…labial　fold　is　formed；　which　runs　from　the　wing　of　each　nostril　to　the　corner　of　the　mouth；　and　this　fold　is　often　double　in　old　persons。


＇11＇　See；　also；　remarks　to　the　same　effect　by　Dr。　J。　Crichton　Browne　in　‘Journal　of　Mental　Science；'　April；　1871；　p。　　149。

A　bright　and　sparkling　eye　is　as　characteristic　of　a　pleased　or　amused　state　of　mind；　as　is　the　retraction　of　the　corners　of　the　mouth　and　upper　lip　with　the　wrinkles　thus　produced。　Even　the　eyes　of　microcephalous　idiots；　who　are　so　degraded　that　they　never　learn　to　speak；　brighten　slightly　when　they　are　pleased。＇12＇　Under　extreme　laughter　the　eyes　are　too　much　suffused　with　tears　to　sparkle；　but　the　moisture　squeezed　out　of　the　glands　during　moderate　laughter　or　smiling　may　aid　in　giving　them　lustre；　though　this　must　be　of　altogether　subordinate　importance；　as　they　become　dull　from　grief；　though　they　are　then　often　moist。　Their　brightness　seems　to　be　chiefly　due　to　their　tenseness；＇13＇　owing　to　the　contraction　of　the　orbicular　muscles　and　to　the　pressure　of　the　raised　cheeks。　　But；　according　to　Dr。　Piderit；　who　has　discussed　this　point　more　fully　than　any　other　writer；＇14＇　the　tenseness　may　be　largely　attributed　to　the　eyeballs　becoming　filled　with　blood　and　other　fluids；　from　the　acceleration　of　the　circulation；　consequent　on　the　excitement　of　pleasure。　He　remarks　on　the　contrast　in　the　appearance　of　the　eyes　of　a　hectic　patient　with　a　rapid　circulation；　and　of　a　man　suffering　from　cholera　with　almost　all　the　fluids　of　his　body　drained　from　him。　Any　cause　which　lowers　the　circulation　deadens　the　eye。　I　remember　seeing　a　man　utterly　prostrated　by　prolonged　and　severe　exertion　during　a　very　hot　day；　and　a　bystander　compared　his　eyes　to　those　of　a　boiled　codfish。


＇12＇　C。　Vogt；　‘Memoire　sur　les　Microcephales；'　1867；　p。　　21。

＇13＇　Sir　C。　Bell；　‘Anatomy　of　Expression；'　p。　　133。

＇14＇　‘Mimik　und　Physiognomik；'　1867；　s。　　63…67。

To　return　to　the　sounds　produced　during　laughter。　　We　can　see　in　a　vague　manner　how　the　utterance　of　sounds　of　some　kind　would　naturally　become　associated　with　a　pleasurable　state　of　mind；　for　throughout　a　large　part　of　the　animal　kingdom　vocal　or　instrumental　sounds　are　employed　either　as　a　call　or　as　a　charm　by　one　sex　for　the　other。　　They　are　also　employed　as　the　means　for　a　joyful　meeting　between　the　parents　and　their　offspring；　and　between　the　attached　members　of　the　same　social　community。　But　why　the　sounds　which　man　utters　when　he　is　pleased　have　the　peculiar　reiterated　character　of　laughter　we　do　not　know。　Nevertheless　we　can　see　that　they　would　naturally　be　as　different　as　possible　from　the　screams　or　cries　of　distress；　and　as　in　the　production　of　the　latter；　the　expirations　are　prolonged　and　continuous；　with　the　inspirations　short　and　interrupted；　so　it　might　perhaps　have　been　expected　with　the　sounds　uttered　from　joy；　that　the　expirations　would　have　been　short　and　broken　with　the　inspirations　prolonged；　and　this　is　the　case。

It　is　an　equally　obscure　point　why　the　corners　of　the　mouth　are　retracted　and　the　upper　lip　raised　during　ordinary　laughter。　The　mouth　must　not　be　opened　to　its　utmost　extent；　for　when　this　occurs　during　a　paroxysm　of　excessive　laughter　hardly　any　sound　is　emitted；　or　it　changes　its　tone　and　seems　to　come　from　deep　down　in　the　throat。　The　respiratory　muscles；　and　even　those　of　the　limbs；　are　at　the　same　time　thrown　into　rapid　vibratory　movements。　The　lower　jaw　often　partakes　of　this　movement；　and　this　would　tend　to　prevent　the　mouth　from　being　widely　opened。　But　as　a　full　volume　of　sound　has　to　be　poured　forth；　the　orifice　of　the　mouth　must　be　large；　and　it　is　perhaps　to　gain　this　end　that　the　corners　are　retracted　and　the　upper　lip　raised。　Although　we　can　hardly　account　for　the　shape　of　the　mouth　during　laughter；　which　leads　to　wrinkles　being　formed　beneath　the　eyes；　nor　for　the　peculiar　reiterated　sound　of　laughter；　nor　for　the　quivering　of　the　jaws；　nevertheless　we　may　infer　that　all　these　effects　are　due　to　some　common　cause。　For　they　are　all　characteristic　and　expressive　of　a　pleased　state　of　mind　in　various　kinds　of　monkeys。

A　graduated　series　can　be　followed　from　violent　to　moderate　laughter；　to　a　broad　smile；　to　a　gentle　smile；　and　to　the　expression　of　mere　cheerfulness。　　During　excessive　laughter　the　whole　body　is　often　thrown　backward　and　shakes；　or　is　almost　convulsed；　the　respiration　is　much　disturbed；　the　head　and　face　become　gorged　with　blood；　with　the　veins　distended；　and　the　orbicular　muscles　are　spasmodically　contracted　in　order　to　protect　the　eyes。　Tears　are　freely　shed。　　Hence；　as　formerly　remarked；　it　is　scarcely　possible　to　point　out　any　difference　between　the　tear…stained　face　of　a　person　after　a　paroxysm　of　excessive　laughter　and　after　a　bitter　crying…fit。＇15＇　It　is　probably　due　to　the　close　similarity　of　the　spasmodic　movements　caused　by　these　widely　different　emotions　that　hysteric　patients　alternately　cry　and　laugh　with　violence；　and　that　young　children　sometimes　pass　suddenly　from　the　one　to　the　other　state。　Mr。　Swinhoe　informs　me　that　he　has　often　seen　the　Chinese；　when　suffering　from　deep　grief；　burst　out　into　hysterical　fits　of　laughter。


＇15＇　Sir　T。　Reynolds　remarks　（‘Discourses；'　xii。　　p。　　100）；　it　is　curious　to　observe；　and　it　is　certainly　true；　that　the　extremes　of　contrary　passions　are；　with　very　little　variation；　expressed　by　the　same　action。〃　He　gives　as　an　instance　the　frantic　joy　of　a　Bacchante　and　the　grief　of　a　Mary　Magdalen。

I　was　anxious　to　know　whether　tears　are　freely　shed　during　excessive　laughter　by　most　of　the　races　of　men；　and　I　hear　from　my　correspondents　that　this　is　the　case。　　One　instance　was　observed　with　the　Hindoos；　and　they　themselves　said　that　it　often　occurred。　　So　it　is　with　the　Chinese。　　The　women　of　a　wild　tribe　of　Malays　in　the　Malacca　peninsula；　sometimes　shed　tears　when　they　laugh　heartily；　though　this　seldom　occurs。　With　the　Dyaks　of　Borneo　it　must　frequently　be　the　case；　at　least　with　the　women；　for　I　hear　from　the　Rajah　C。　Brooke　that　it　is　a　common　expression　with　them　to　say　〃we　nearly　made　tears　from　laughter。〃　The　aborigines　of　Australia　express　their　emotions　freely；　and　they　are　described　by　my　correspondents　as　jumping　about　and　clapping　their　hands　for　joy；　and　as　often　roaring　with　laughter。　　No　less　than　four　observers　have　seen　their　eyes　freely　watering　on　such　occasions；　and　in　one　instance　the　tears　rolled　down　their　cheeks。　　Mr。　Bulmer；　a　missionary　in　a　remote　part　of　Victoria；　remarks；　〃that　they　have　a　keen　sense　of　the　ridiculous；　they　are　excellent　mimics；　and　when　one　of　them　is　able　to　imitate　the　peculiarities　of　some　absent　member　of　the　tribe；　it　is　very　common　to　hear　all　in