the origin and nature of emotions-第12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！


there　developed　a　pulsating　enlargement　of　the　thyroid　gland；　an　increased　prominence　of　the　eyes；　marked　increase　in　perspirationprofuse　sweating　evenpalpitation　of　the　heart；　increased　respiration　with　frequent　sighing；　increase　in　blood…pressure；　there　were　tremor　of　many　muscles；　rapid　loss　of　weight　and　strength；　frequent　gastro…intestinal　disturbances；　loss　of　normal　control　of　his　emotions；　and　marked　impairment　of　his　mental　faculties。　He　was　as　completely　broken　in　health　as　in　fortune。　These　phenomena　resembled　closely　those　of　fear　and　followed　in　the　wake　of　a　strain　which　was　due　to　fear。

In　young　women　exophthalmic　goiter　often　follows　in　the　wake　of　a　disappointment　in　love；　in　women；　too；　it　frequently　follows　the　illnesses　of　children　or　parents　during　which　they　have　had　to　endure　the　double　strain　of　worry　and　of　constant　care。　Since　such　strains　usually　fall　most　heavily　upon　women；　they　are　the　most　frequent　victims　of　this　disease。　　Now；　whatever　the　exciting　cause　of　exophthalmic　goiter；　whether　it　be　unusual　business　worry；　disappointment　in　love；　a　tragedy；　or　the　illness　of　a　loved　one；　the　symptoms　are　alike　and　closely　resemble　the　phenomena　of　one　of　the　great　primitive　emotions。　　How　could　disappointment　in　love　play　a　role　in　the　causation　of　Graves'　disease？　　If　the　hypothesis　which　has　been　presented　as　an　explanation　of　the　genesis　and　the　phenomena　of　fear　be　correct；　then　that　hypothesis　explains　also　the　emotion　of　love。　　If　fear　be　a　phylogenetic　physical　defense　or　escape　which　does　not　result　in　muscular　action；　then　love　is　a　phylogenetic　conjugation　without　physical　action。　The　quickened　pulse；　the　leaping　heart；　the　accelerated　respiration；　the　sighing；　the　glowing　eye；　the　crimson　cheek；　and　many　other　phenomena　are　merely　phylogenetic　recapitulations　of　ancestral　acts。　The　thyroid　gland　is　believed　to　participate　in　such　physical　activities。　Hence　it　may　well　follow　that　the　disappointed　maiden　who　is　intensely　integrated　for　a　youth　will；　at　every　thought　of　him；　be　subjected　by　phylogenetic　association　to　a　specific　stimulation　analogous　to　that　which　attended　the　ancestral　consummation。　　Moreover；　a　happy　marriage　has　many　times　been　followed　by　a　cure　of　the　exophthalmic　goiter　which　appeared　in　the　wake　of　such　an　experience。

The　victims　of　Graves'　disease　present　a　counterpart　of　emotional　exhaustion。　　That　the　emotions　in　Graves'　disease　are　abnormally　acute　is　illustrated　by　my　personal　observation　of　the　death　of　a　subject　of　this　disease　from　fear　alone。　Whatever　the　exciting　cause　of　this　disease；　the　symptoms　are　the　same；　just　as　in　fear；　the　phenomena　are　the　same　whatever　the　exciting　cause。

Figures　12　and　16　show　the　resemblance　between　the　outward　appearances　of　a　patient　with　Graves'　disease　and　of　a　person　obsessed　by　fear。　Fear　and　Graves'　disease　have　the　following　phenomena　in　common：　Increased　heart…beat；　increased　respiration；　rising　temperature；　muscular　tremors；　protruding　eyes；　loss　in　weight；　Cannon　has　found　an　increased　amount　of　adrenalin　in　the　blood　in　fear　and　Frankel　in　Graves'　disease；　increased　blood…pressure；　muscular　weakness；　digestive　disturbances；　impaired　nervous　control；　hypersusceptibility　to　stimuli；　in　protracted　intense　fear　the　brain…cells　show　marked　physical　changes；　and　in　Graves'　disease　analogous　changes　are　seen　（Figs。　13　C　and　15）。　In　Graves'　disease　there　seems　to　be　a　composite　picture　of　an　intense　expression　of　the　great　primitive　emotions。　If　Graves'　disease　be　a　disease　of　the　great　primitive　emotions；　or　rather　of　the　whole　motor　mechanism；　how　is　the　constant　flow　of　stimulation　of　this　complicated　mechanism　supplied？　　It　would　seem　that　there　must　be　secreted　in　excessive　amount　some　substance　that　activates　the　motor　mechanism。　　The　nervous　system　in　Graves'　disease　is　hypersusceptible　to　stimuli　and　to　thyroid　extract。　It　might　follow　that　even　a　normal　amount　of　thyroid　secretion　would　lead　to　excessive　stimulation　of　the　hypersusceptible　motor　mechanism。

This　condition　of　excessive　motor　activity　and　hyperexcitability　may　endure　for　years。　　What　is　the　source　of　this　pathologic　excitation？　The　following　facts　may　give　a　clue。　　In　suitable　cases　of　Graves'　disease；　if　the　thyroid　secretion　is　sufficiently　diminished　by　a　removal　of　a　part　of　the　gland　or　by　interrupting　the　nerve　and　the　blood　supply；　the　phenomena　of　the　disease　are　diminished　immediately；　and　in　favorable　cases　the　patient　is　restored　to　approximately　the　normal　condition。　The　heart　action　slows；　the　respiratory　rate　falls；　the　restlessness　diminishes；　digestive　disturbances　disappear；　tremors　decrease；　there　is　a　rapid　increase　in　the　body　weight；　and　the　patient　gradually　resumes　his　normal　state。　　On　the　other　hand；　if　for　a　period　of　time　extract　of　the　thyroid　gland　is　administered　to　a　normal　individual　in　excessive　dosage；　there　will　develop　nervousness；　palpitation　of　the　heart；　sweating；　loss　of　weight；　slight　protrusion　of　the　eyes；　indigestion；　in　short；　most　of　the　phenomena　of　Graves'　disease　and　of　the　strong　emotions　will　be　produced　artificially　（Figs。　15　and　23）。　When　the　administration　of　the　thyroid　extract　is　discontinued；　these　phenomena　may　disappear。　　On　the　other　hand；　when　there　is　too　little　or　no　thyroid　gland；　the　individual　becomes　dull；　stupid；　and　emotionless；　though　he　may　be　irritable；　while　if　a　sufficient　amount　of　thyroid　extract　be　given　to　such　a　patient　he　may　be　brought　back　to　his　normal　condition。

Hence　we　see　that　the　phenomena　of　the　emotions　may　within　certain　limits　be　increased；　diminished；　or　abolished　by　increasing；　diminishing；　or　totally　excluding　the　secretion　of　the　thyroid　gland。

Graves'　disease　may　be　increased　by　giving　thyroid　extract　and　by　fear。　It　may　be　diminished　by　removing　a　part　of　the　gland；　or　by　interrupting　the　blood　and　nerve　supply；　or　by　complete　rest。　In　addition；　at　some　stage　of　Graves'　disease　there　is　an　increase　in　the　size　and　in　the　number　of　the　secreting　cells。　These　facts　regarding　the　normal　and　the　pathologic　supply　of　thyroid　secretion　point　to　this　gland　as　one　of　the　sources　of　the　energizing　substance　or　substances；　by　means　of　which　the　motor　phenomena　of　animals　are　executed　and　their　emotions　expressed。

Anger　is　similar　to　fear　in　origin　and；　like　fear；　is　an　integration　and　stimulation　of　the　motor　mechanism　and　its　accessories。　Animals　which　have　no　natural　weapons　for　attack　experience　neither　fear　nor　anger；　while　the　animals　which　have　weapons　for　attack　express　anger　principally　by　energizing　the　muscles　used　in　attack。　Although；　as　has　already　been　stated；　the　efficiency　of　the　hands　of　man　has　largely　supplanted　the　use　of　the　teeth；　he　still　shows　his　teeth　in　anger　and　so　gives　support　to　the　theory　that　this　emotion　is　of　remote　ancestral　origin　and　proves　the　great　persistence　of　phylogenetic　association。　　On　this　conception　we　can　understand　why　it　is　that　a　patient　consumed　by　worrywhich　to　me　signifies　interrupted　stimulation；　a　state　of　alternation　between　hope　and　fearsuffers　so　many　bodily　impairments　and　diseases　even。　This　hypothesis　explains　the　slow　dying　of　animals　in　captivity。　It　explains　the　grave　digestive　and　metabolic　disturbances　which　appear　under　any　nerve　strain；　especially　under　the　strain　of　fear；　and　the　great　benefits　of　confidence　and　hope；　it　explains　the　nervousness；　loss　of　weight；　indigestionin　short；　the　comprehensive　physical　changes　that　are　wrought　by　fear　and　by　sexual　love　and　hate。　On　this　hypothesis　we　can　understand　the　physical　influence　of　one　individual　over　the　body　and　personality　of　another；　and　of　the　infinite　factors　in　environment　that；　through　phylogenetic　association；　play　a　role　in　the　functions　of　many　of　our　organs。　It　is　because　under　the　uncompromising　law　of　survival　of　the　fittest　we　were　evolved　as　motor　beings　that　we　do　not　possess　any　organs　or　faculties　which　have　not　served　our　progenitors　in　accomplishing　their　survival　in　the　relentless　struggle　of　organic　forms　with　one　another。　We　are　now；　as　we　were　then；　essentially　motor　beings；　and　the　only　way　in　which　we　can　meet　the　dangers　in　our　environment　is　by　a　motor　response。　Such　a　motor　response　implies　the　integratio