the expression of emotion in man and animals-第49章

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As　the　effort　of　viewing　with　care　under　a　bright　light　a　distant　object　is　both　difficult　and　irksome；　and　as　this　effort　has　been　habitually　accompanied；　during　numberless　generations；　by　the　contraction　of　the　eyebrows；　the　habit　of　frowning　will　thus　have　been　much　strengthened；　although　it　was　originally　practised　during　infancy　from　a　quite　independent　cause；　namely　as　the　first　step　in　the　protection　of　the　eyes　during　screaming。　There　is；　indeed；　much　analogy；　as　far　as　the　state　of　the　mind　is　concerned；　between　intently　scrutinizing　a　distant　object；　and　following　out　an　obscure　train　of　thought；　or　performing　some　little　and　troublesome　mechanical　work。　The　belief　that　the　habit　of　contracting　the　brows　is　continued　when　there　is　no　need　whatever　to　exclude　too　much　light；　receives　support　from　the　cases　formerly　alluded　to；　in　which　the　eyebrows　or　eyelids　are　acted　on　under　certain　circumstances　in　a　useless　manner；　from　having　been　similarly　used；　under　analogous　circumstances；　for　a　serviceable　purpose。　For　instance；　we　voluntarily　close　our　eyes　when　we　do　not　wish　to　see　any　object；　and　we　are　apt　to　close　them；　when　we　reject　a　proposition；　as　if　we　could　not　or　would　not　see　it；　or　when　we　think　about　something　horrible。　　We　raise　our　eyebrows　when　we　wish　to　see　quickly　all　round　us；　and　we　often　do　the　same；　when　we　earnestly　desire　to　remember　something；　acting　as　if　we　endeavoured　to　see　it。


＇5＇　‘De　la　Physionomie；'　pp。　　15；　144；　146。　　Mr。　Herbert　Spencer　accounts　for　frowning　exclusively　by　the　habit　of　contracting　the　brows　as　a　shade　to　the　eyes　in　a　bright　light：　see　‘Principles　of　Physiology；'　2nd　edit。　　1872；　p。　　546。

_Abstraction。　　Meditation_。When　a　person　is　lost　in　thought　with　his　mind　absent；　or；　as　it　is　sometimes　said；　〃when　he　is　in　a　brown　study；〃　he　does　not　frown；　but　his　eyes　appear　vacant。　The　lower　eyelids　are　generally　raised　and　wrinkled；　in　the　same　manner　as　when　a　short…sighted　person　tries　to　distinguish　a　distant　object；　and　the　upper　orbicular　muscles　are　at　the　same　time　slightly　contracted。　The　wrinkling　of　the　lower　eyelids　under　these　circumstances　has　been　observed　with　some　savages；　as　by　Mr。　Dyson　Lacy　with　the　Australians　of　Queensland；　and　several　times　by　Mr。　Geach　with　the　Malays　of　the　interior　of　Malacca。　　What　the　meaning　or　cause　of　this　action　may　be；　cannot　at　present　be　explained；　but　here　we　have　another　instance　of　movement　round　the　eyes　in　relation　to　the　state　of　the　mind。

The　vacant　expression　of　the　eyes　is　very　peculiar；　and　at　once　shows　when　a　man　is　completely　lost　in　thought。　　Professor　Donders　has；　with　his　usual　kindness；　investigated　this　subject　for　me。　He　has　observed　others　in　this　condition；　and　has　been　himself　observed　by　Professor　Engelmann。　　The　eyes　are　not　then　fixed　on　any　object；　and　therefore　not；　as　I　had　imagined；　on　some　distant　object。　The　lines　of　vision　of　the　two　eyes　even　often　become　slightly　divergent；　the　divergence；　if　the　head　be　held　vertically；　with　the　plane　of　vision　horizontal；　amounting　to　an　angle　of　2'0　as　a　maximum。　This　was　ascertained　by　observing　the　crossed　double　image　of　a　distant　object。　　When　the　head　droops　forward；　as　often　occurs　with　a　man　absorbed　in　thought；　owing　to　the　general　relaxation　of　his　muscles；　if　the　plane　of　vision　be　still　horizontal；　the　eyes　are　necessarily　a　little　turned　upwards；　and　then　the　divergence　is　as　much　as　3'0；　or　3'0　5'：　if　the　eyes　are　turned　still　more　upwards；　it　amounts　to　between　6'0　and　7'0。　Professor　Donders　attributes　this　divergence　to　the　almost　complete　relaxation　of　certain　muscles　of　the　eyes；　which　would　be　apt　to　follow　from　the　mind　being　wholly　absorbed。＇6＇　The　active　condition　of　the　muscles　of　the　eyes　is　that　of　convergence；　and　Professor　Donders　remarks；　as　bearing　on　their　divergence　during　a　period　of　complete　abstraction；　that　when　one　eye　becomes　blind；　it　almost　always；　after　a　short　lapse　of　time；　deviates　outwards；　for　its　muscles　are　no　longer　used　in　moving　the　eyeball　inwards　for　the　sake　of　binocular　vision。


＇6＇　Gratiolet　remarks　（De　la　Phys。　　p。　　35）；　〃Quand　l'attention　est　fixee　sur　quelque　image　interieure；　l'oeil　regarde　dqns　le　vide　et　s'associe　automatiquement　a　la　contemplation　de　l'esprit。〃　But　this　view　hardly　deserves　to　be　called　an　explanation。

Perplexed　reflection　is　often　accompanied　by　certain　movements　or　gestures。　　At　such　times　we　commonly　raise　our　hands　to　our　foreheads；　mouths；　or　chins；　but　we　do　not　act　thus；　as　far　as　I　have　seen；　when　we　are　quite　lost　in　meditation；　and　no　difficulty　is　encountered。　　Plautus；　describing　in　one　of　his　plays＇7＇　a　puzzled　man；　says；　〃Now　look；　he　has　pillared　his　chin　upon　his　hand。〃　　Even　so　trifling　and　apparently　unmeaning　a　gesture　as　the　raising　of　the　hand　to　the　face　has　been　observed　with　some　savages。　　Al。　　J。　Mansel　Weale　has　seen　it　with　the　Kafirs　of　South　Africa；　and　the　native　chief　Gaika　adds；　that　men　then　〃sometimes　pull　their　beards。〃　Mr。　Washington　Matthews；　who　attended　to　some　of　the　wildest　tribes　of　Indians　in　the　western　regions　of　the　United　States；　remarks　that　he　has　seen　them　when　concentrating　their　thoughts；　bring　their　〃hands；　usually　the　thumb　and　index　finger；　in　contact　with　some　part　of　the　face；　commonly　the　upper　lip。〃　We　can　understand　why　the　forehead　should　be　pressed　or　rubbed；　as　deep　thought　tries　the　brain；　but　why　the　hand　should　be　raised　to　the　mouth　or　face　is　far　from　clear。

_Ill…temper_。We　have　seen　that　frowning　is　the　natural　expression　of　some　difficulty　encountered；　or　of　something　disagreeable　experienced　either　in　thought　or　action；　and　he　whose　mind　is　often　and　readily　affected　in　this　way；　will　be　apt　to　be　ill…tempered；　or　slightly　angry；　or　peevish；　and　will　commonly　show　it　by　frowning。　　But　a　cross　expression；　due　to　a　frown；　may　be　counteracted；　if　the　mouth　appears　sweet；　from　being　habitually　drawn　into　a　smile；　and　the　eyes　are　bright　and　cheerful。　So　it　will　be　if　the　eye　is　clear　and　steady；　and　there　is　the　appearance　of　earnest　reflection。　　Frowning；　with　some　depression　of　the　corners　of　the　mouth；　which　is　a　sign　of　grief；　gives　an　air　of　peevishness。　If　a　child　（see　Plate　IV。；　fig。　　2）＇8＇　frowns　much　whilst　crying；　but　does　not　strongly　contract　in　the　usual　manner　the　orbicular　muscles；　a　well…marked　expression　of　anger　or　even　of　rage；　together　with　misery；　is　displayed。


＇7＇　‘Miles　Gloriosus；'　act　ii。　　sc。　　2。

If　the　whole　frowning　brow　be　drawn　much　downward　by　the　contraction　of　the　pyramidal　muscles　of　the　nose；　which　produces　transverse　wrinkles　or　folds　across　the　base　of　the　nose；　the　expression　becomes　one　of　moroseness。　　Duchenne　believes　that　the　contraction　of　this　muscle；　without　any　frowning；　gives　the　appearance　of　extreme　and　aggressive　hardness。＇9＇　But　I　much　doubt　whether　this　is　a　true　or　natural　expression。　I　have　shown　Duchenne's　photograph　of　a　young　man；　with　this　muscle　strongly　contracted　by　means　of　galvanism；　to　eleven　persons；　including　some　artists；　and　none　of　them　could　form　an　idea　what　was　intended；　except　one；　a　girl；　who　answered　correctly；　〃surely　reserve。〃　　When　I　first　looked　at　this　photograph；　knowing　what　was　intended；　my　imagination　added；　as　I　believe；　what　was　necessary；　namely；　a　frowning　brow；　and　consequently　the　expression　appeared　to　me　true　and　extremely　morose。


＇8＇　The　original　photograph　by　Herr　Kindermann　is　much　more　expressive　than　this　copy；　as　it　shows　the　frown　on　the　brow　more　plainly。

＇9＇　‘Mecanisme　de　la　Physionomie　Humaine；'　Album；　Legende　iv。　　figs。　　16…18。

A　firmly　closed　mouth；　in　addition　to　a　lowered　and　frowning　brow；　gives　determination　to　the　expression；　or　may　make　it　obstinate　and　sullen。　How　it　comes　that　the　firm　closure　of　the　mouth　gives　the　appearance　of　determination　will　presently　be　discussed。　　An　expression　of　sullen　obstinacy　has　been　clearly　recognized　by　my　informants；　in　the　natives　of　six　different　regions　of　Australia。　　It　is　well　marked；　according　to　Mr。　Scott；　with　the　Hindoos。　　It　has　been　recognized　with　the　Malays；　Chinese；　Kafirs；　Abyssinians；　and　in　a　conspicuous　degree；　according　to　Dr。　Rothrock；　with　the　wild　Indians　of　North　America；　and　according　to　Mr。　D。　Forbes；　with　the　Ay