a mortal antipathy-第49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！



The　pallid　or　burning　cheek　tells　of　the　failing　or　leaping　fountain

which　gives　it　color。　　The　lovers　at　the　'Brookside'　could　hear　each

other's　hearts　beating。　　When　Genevieve；　in　Coleridge's　poem；　forgot

herself；　and　was　beforehand　with　her　suitor　in　her　sudden　embrace；



　　　　'T　was　partly　love　and　partly　fear；

　　　　　And　partly　't　was　a　bashful　art；

　　　　　That　I　might　rather　feel　than　see

　　　　　The　swelling　of　her　heart'



Always　the　heart；　whether　its　hurried　action　is　seen；　or　heard；　or

felt。　　But　it　is　not　always　in　this　way　that　the　'deceitful'　organ

treats　the　lover。



　　　　'Faint　heart　never　won　fair　lady。'



This　saying　was　not　meant；　perhaps；　to　be　taken　literally；　but　it　has

its　literal　truth。　　Many　a　lover　has　found　his　heart　sink　within

him；lose　all　its　force；　and　leave　him　weak　as　a　child　in　his

emotion　at　the　sight　of　the　object　of　his　affections。　　When　Porphyro

looked　upon　Madeline　at　her　prayers　in　the　chapel；　it　was　too　much

for　him：



　　　　'She　seemed　a　splendid　angel；　newly　drest；

　　　　　Save　wings；　for　heaven：Porphyro　grew　faint；

　　　　　She　knelt；　so　pure　a　thing；　so　free　from　earthly　taint。'



And　in　Balzac's　novel；　'Cesar　Birotteau；'　the　hero　of　the　story

'fainted　away　for…joy　at　the　moment　when；　under　a　linden…tree；　at

Sceaux；　Constance…Barbe…Josephine　accepted　him　as　her　future

husband。'



〃One　who　faints　is　dead　if　he　does　not　I　come　to；'　and　nothing　is

more　likely　than　that　too　susceptible　lovers　have　actually　gone　off

in　this　way。　　Everything　depends　on　how　the　heart　behaves　itself　in

these　and　similar　trying　moments。　　The　mechanism　of　its　actions

becomes　an　interesting　subject；　therefore；　to　lovers　of　both　sexes；

and　to　all　who　are　capable　of　intense　emotions。



〃The　heart　is　a　great　reservoir；　which　distributes　food；　drink；　air；

and　heat　to　every　part　of　the　system；　in　exchange　for　its　waste

material。　　It　knocks　at　the　gate　of　every　organ　seventy　or　eighty

times　in　a　minute；　calling　upon　it　to　receive　its　supplies　and　unload

its　refuse。　　Between　it　and　the　brain　there　is　the　closest　relation。

The　emotions；　which　act　upon　it　as　we　have　seen；　govern　it　by　a

mechanism　only　of　late　years　thoroughly　understood。　　This　mechanism

can　be　made　plain　enough　to　the　reader　who　is　not　afraid　to　believe

that　he　can　understand　it。



〃The　brain；　as　all　know；　is　the　seat　of　ideas；　emotions；　volition。

It　is　the　great　central　telegraphic　station　with　which　many　lesser

centres　are　in　close　relation；　from　which　they　receive；　and　to　which

they　transmit；　their　messages。　　The　heart　has　its　own　little　brains；

so　to　speak；small　collections　of　nervous　substance　which　govern　its

rhythmical　motions　under　ordinary　conditions。　　But　these　lesser

nervous　centres　are　to　a　large　extent　dominated　by　influences

transmitted　from　certain　groups　of　nerve…cells　in　the　brain　and　its

immediate　dependencies。



〃There　are　two　among　the　special　groups　of　nerve…cells　which　produce

directly　opposite　effects。　　One　of　these　has　the　power　of

accelerating　the　action　of　the　heart；　while　the　other　has　the　power

of　retarding　or　arresting　this　action。　　One　acts　as　the　spur；　the

other　as　the　bridle。　　According　as　one　or　the　other　predominates；　the

action　of　the　heart　will　be　stimulated　or　restrained。　　Among　the

great　modern　discoveries　in　physiology　is　that　of　the　existence　of　a

distinct　centre　of　inhibition；　as　the　restraining　influence　over　the

heart　is　called。



〃The　centre　of　inhibition　plays　a　terrible　part　in　the　history　of

cowardice　and　of　unsuccessful　love。　　No　man　can　be　brave　without

blood　to　sustain　his　courage；　any　more　than　he　can　think；　as　the

German　materialist　says；　not　absurdly；　without　phosphorus。　　The

fainting　lover　must　recover　his　circulation；　or　his　lady　will　lend

him　her　smelling…salts　and　take　a　gallant　with　blood　in　his　cheeks。

Porphyro　got　over　his　faintness　before　he　ran　away　with　Madeline；　and

Cesar　Birotteau　was　an　accepted　lover　when　he　swooned　with　happiness：

but　many　an　officer　has　been　cashiered；　and　many　a　suitor　has　been

rejected；　because　the　centre　of　inhibition　has　got　the　upper　hand　of

the　centre　of　stimulation。



〃In　the　well…known　cases　of　deadly　antipathy　which　have　been

recorded；　the　most　frequent　cause　has　been　the　disturbed　and

depressing　influence　of　the　centre　of　inhibition。　　Fainting　at　the

sight　of　blood　is　one　of　the　commonest　examples　of　this　influence。　　A

single　impression；　in　a　very　early　period　of　atmospheric　existence；

perhaps；　indirectly；　before　that　period；　as　was　said　to　have　happened

in　the　case　of　James　the　First　of　England；may　establish　a

communication　between　this　centre　and　the　heart　which　will　remain

open　ever　afterwards。　　How　does　a　footpath　across　a　field　establish

itself？　　Its　curves　are　arbitrary；　and　what　we　call　accidental；　but

one　after　another　follows　it　as　if　he　were　guided　by　a　chart　on　which

it　was　laid　down。　　So　it　is　with　this　dangerous　transit　between　the

centre　of　inhibition　and　the　great　organ　of　life。　　If　once　the　path

is　opened　by　the　track　of　some　profound　impression；　that　same

impression；　if　repeated；　or　a　similar　one；　is　likely　to　find　the　old

footmarks　and　follow　them。　　Habit　only　makes　the　path　easier　to

traverse；　and　thus　the　unreasoning　terror　of　a　child；　of　an　infant；

may　perpetuate　itself　in　a　timidity　which　shames　the　manhood　of　its

subject。



〃The　case　before　us　is　an　exceptional　and　most　remarkable　example　of

the　effect　of　inhibition　on　the　heart。



〃We　will　not　say　that　we　believe　it　to　be　unique　in　the　history　of

the　human　race；　on　the　contrary；　we　do　not　doubt　that　there　have　been

similar　cases；　and　that　in　some　rare　instances　sudden　death　has　been

the　consequence　of　seizures　like　that　of　the　subject　of　this　Report。

The　case　most　like　it　is　that　of　Colone　Townsend；　which　is　too　well

known　to　require　any　lengthened　description　in　this　paper。　　It　is

enough　to　recall　the　main　facts。　　He　could　by　a　voluntary　effort

suspend　the　action　of　his　heart　for　a　considerable　period；　during

which　he　lay　like　one　dead；　pulseless；　and　without　motion。　　After　a

time　the　circulation　returned；　and　he　does　not　seem　to　have　been　the

worse　for　his　dangerous；　or　seemingly　dangerous；　experiment。　　But　in

his　case　it　was　by　an　act　of　the　will　that　the　heart's　action　was

suspended。　　In　the　case　before　us　it　is　an　involuntary　impulse

transmitted　from　the　brain　to　the　inhibiting　centre；　which　arrests

the　cardiac　movements。



〃What　is　like　to　be　the　further　history　of　the　case？



〃The　subject　of　this　anomalous　affliction　is　now　more　than　twenty

years　old。　　The　chain　of　nervous　actions　has　become　firmly

established。　　It　might　have　been　hoped　that　the　changes　of

adolescence　would　have　effected　a　transformation　of　the　perverted

instinct。　　On　the　contrary；　the　whole　force　of　this　instinct　throws

itself　on　the　centre　of　inhibition；　instead　of　quickening　the　heart…

beats；　and　sending　the　rush　of　youthful　blood　with　fresh　life　through

the　entire　system　to　the　throbbing　finger…tips。



〃Is　it　probable　that　time　and　circumstances　will　alter　a　habit　of

nervous　interactions　so　long　established？　　We　are　disposed　to　think

that　there　is　a　chance　of　its　being　broken　up。　　And　we　are　not　afraid

to　say　that　we　suspect　the　old　gypsy　woman；　whose　prophecy　took　such

hold　of　the　patient's　imagination；　has　hit　upon　the　way　in　which　the

〃spell；'　as　she　called　it；　is　to　be　dissolved。　　She　must；　in　all

probability；　have　had　a　hint　of　the　'antipatia'　to　which　the　youth

before　her　was　a　victim；　and　its　cause；　and　if　so；　her　guess　as　to

the　probable　mode　in　which　the　young　man　would　obtain　relief　from　his

unfortunate　condition　was　the　one　which　would　naturally　suggest

itself。



〃If　once　the　nervous　impression　which　falls　on　the　centre　of

inhibition　can　be　made　to　change　its　course；　so　as　to　follow　its

natural　channel；　it　will　probably　keep　to　that　channel　ever

afterwards。　　And　this　will；　it　is　most　likely；　be　effected　by　s