the expression of emotion in man and animals-第45章

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scles　of　the　body　are　involuntarily　and　momentarily　thrown　into　strong　action；　for　the　sake　of　guarding　ourselves　against　or　jumping　away　from　the　danger；　which　we　habitually　associate　with　anything　unexpected。　But　we　always　unconsciously　prepare　ourselves　for　any　great　exertion；　as　formerly　explained；　by　first　taking　a　deep　and　full　inspiration；　and　we　consequently　open　our　mouths。　　If　no　exertion　follows；　and　we　still　remain　astonished；　we　cease　for　a　time　to　breathe；　or　breathe　as　quietly　as　possible；　in　order　that　every　sound　may　be　distinctly　heard。　Or　again；　if　our　attention　continues　long　and　earnestly　absorbed；　all　our　muscles　become　relaxed；　and　the　jaw；　which　was　at　first　suddenly　opened；　remains　dropped。　　Thus　several　causes　concur　towards　this　same　movement；　whenever　surprise；　astonishment；　or　amazement　is　felt。

Although　when　thus　affected；　our　mouths　are　generally　opened；　yet　the　lips　are　often　a　little　protruded。　　This　fact　reminds　us　of　the　same　movement；　though　in　a　much　more　strongly　marked　degree；　in　the　chimpanzee　and　orang　when　astonished。　As　a　strong　expiration　naturally　follows　the　deep　inspiration　which　accompanies　the　first　sense　of　startled　surprise；　and　as　the　lips　are　often　protruded；　the　various　sounds　which　are　then　commonly　uttered　can　apparently　be　accounted　for。　But　sometimes　a　strong　expiration　alone　is　heard；　thus　Laura　Bridgman；　when　amazed；　rounds　and　protrudes　her　lips；　opens　them；　and　breathes　strongly。＇9＇　One　of　the　commonest　sounds　is　a　deep　_Oh_；　and　this　would　naturally　follow；　as　explained　by　Helmholtz；　from　the　mouth　being　moderately　opened　and　the　lips　protruded。　On　a　quiet　night　some　rockets　were　fired　from　the　‘Beagle；'　in　a　little　creek　at　Tahiti；　to　amuse　the　natives；　and　as　each　rocket；　was　let　off　there　was　absolute　silence；　but　this　was　invariably　followed　by　a　deep　groaning　_Oh_；　resounding　all　round　the　bay。　Mr。　Washington　Matthews　says　that　the　North　American　Indians　express　astonishment　by　a　groan；　and　the　negroes　on　the　West　Coast　of　Africa；　according　to　Mr。　Winwood　Reade；　protrude　their　lips；　and　make　a　sound　like　_heigh；　heigh_。　　If　the　mouth　is　not　much　opened；　whilst　the　lips　are　considerably　protruded；　a　blowing；　hissing；　or　whistling　noise　is　produced。　Mr。　R。　Brough　Smith　informs　me　that　an　Australian　from　the　interior　was　taken　to　the　theatre　to　see　an　acrobat　rapidly　turning　head　over　heels：　　〃he　was　greatly　astonished；　and　protruded　his　lips；　making　a　noise　with　his　mouth　as　if　blowing　out　a　match。〃　According　to　Mr。　Bulmer　the　Australians；　when　surprised；　utter　the　exclamation　_korki_；　〃and　to　do　this　the　mouth　is　drawn　out　as　if　going　to　whistle。〃　　We　Europeans　often　whistle　as　a　sign　of　surprise；　thus；　in　a　recent　novel＇10＇　it　is　said；　〃here　the　man　expressed　his　astonishment　and　disapprobation　by　a　prolonged　whistle。〃　　A　Kafir　girl；　as　Mr。　J。　Mansel　Weale　informs　me；　〃on　hearing　of　the　high　price　of　an　article；　raised　her　eyebrows　and　whistled　just　as　a　European　would。〃　Mr。　Wedgwood　remarks　that　such　sounds　are　written　down　as　_whew_；　and　they　serve　as　interjections　for　surprise。



＇9＇　Lieber；　‘On　the　Vocal　Sounds　of　Laura　Bridgman；'　Smithsonian　Contributions；　1851；　vol。　　ii。　　p。　　7。

＇10＇　‘Wenderholme；'　vol。　　ii。　　p。　　91。

According　to　three　other　observers；　the　Australians　often　evince　astonishment　by　a　clucking　noise。　　Europeans　also　sometimes　express　gentle　surprise　by　a　little　clicking　noise　of　nearly　the　same　kind。　We　have　seen　that　when　we　are　startled；　the　mouth　is　suddenly　opened；　and　if　the　tongue　happens　to　be　then　pressed　closely　against　the　palate；　its　sudden　withdrawal　will　produce　a　sound　of　this　kind；　which　might　thus　come　to　express　surprise。

Turning　to　gestures　of　the　body。　　A　surprised　person　often　raises　his　opened　hands　high　above　his　head；　or　by　bending　his　arms　only　to　the　level　of　his　face。　　The　flat　palms　are　directed　towards　the　person　who　causes　this　feeling；　and　the　straightened　fingers　are　separated。　　This　gesture　is　represented　by　Mr。　Rejlander　in　Plate　VII。　　fig。　　1。　　In　the　‘Last　Supper；'　by　Leonardo　da　Vinci；　two　of　the　Apostles　have　their　hands　half　uplifted；　clearly　expressive　of　their　astonishment。　A　trustworthy　observer　told　me　that　he　had　lately　met　his　wife　under　most　unexpected　circumstances：　　〃She　started；　opened　her　mouth　and　eyes　very　widely；　and　threw　up　both　her　arms　above　her　head。〃　Several　years　ago　I　was　surprised　by　seeing　several　of　my　young　children　earnestly　doing　something　together　on　the　ground；　but　the　distance　was　too　great　for　me　to　ask　what　they　were　about。　Therefore　I　threw　up　my　open　hands　with　extended　fingers　above　my　head；　and　as　soon　as　I　had　done　this；　I　became　conscious　of　the　action。　I　then　waited；　without　saying　a　word；　to　see　if　my　children　had　understood　this　gesture；　and　as　they　came　running　to　me　they　cried　out；　〃We　saw　that　you　were　astonished　at　us。〃　I　do　not　know　whether　this　gesture　is　common　to　the　various　races　of　man；　as　I　neglected　to　make　inquiries　on　this　head。　That　it　is　innate　or　natural　may　be　inferred　from　the　fact　that　Laura　Bridgman；　when　amazed；　〃spreads　her　arms　and　turns　her　hands　with　extended　fingers　upwards；〃＇11＇　nor　is　it　likely；　considering　that　the　feeling　of　surprise　is　generally　a　brief　one；　that　she　should　have　learnt　this　gesture　through　her　keen　sense　of　touch。

Huschke　describes＇12＇　a　somewhat　different　yet　allied　gesture；　which　he　says　is　exhibited　by　persons　when　astonished。　　They　hold　themselves　erect；　with　the　features　as　before　described；　but　with　the　straightened　arms　extended　backwardsthe　stretched　fingers　being　separated　from　each　other。　I　have　never　myself　seen　this　gesture；　but　Huschke　is　probably　correct；　for　a　friend　asked　another　man　how　he　would　express　great　astonishment；　and　he　at　once　threw　himself　into　this　attitude。

These　gestures　are；　I　believe；　explicable　on　the　principle　of　antithesis。　We　have　seen　that　an　indignant　man　holds　his　head　erect；　squares　his　shoulders；　turns　out　his　elbows；　often　clenches　his　fist；　frowns；　and　closes　his　mouth；　whilst　the　attitude　of　a　helpless　man　is　in　every　one　of　these　details　the　reverse。　　Now；　a　man　in　an　ordinary　frame　of　mind；　doing　nothing　and　thinking　of　nothing　in　particular；　usually　keeps　his　two　arms　suspended　laxly　by　his　sides；　with　his　hands　somewhat　flexed；　and　the　fingers　near　together。　　Therefore；　to　raise　the　arms　suddenly；　either　the　whole　arms　or　the　fore…arms；　to　open　the　palms　flat；　and　to　separate　the　fingers；or；　again；　to　straighten　the　arms；　extending　them　backwards　with　separated　fingers；are　movements　in　complete　antithesis　to　those　preserved　under　an　indifferent　frame　of　mind；　and　they　are；　in　consequence；　unconsciously　assumed　by　an　astonished　man。　There　is；　also；　often　a　desire　to　display　surprise　in　a　conspicuous　manner；　and　the　above　attitudes　are　well　fitted　for　this　purpose。　It　may　be　asked　why　should　surprise；　and　only　a　few　other　states　of　the　mind；　be　exhibited　by　movements　in　antithesis　to　others。　But　this　principle　will　not　be　brought　into　play　in　the　case　of　those　emotions；　such　as　terror；　great　joy；　suffering；　or　rage；　which　naturally　lead　to　certain　lines　of　action　and　produce　certain　effects　on　the　body；　for　the　whole　system　is　thus　preoccupied；　and　these　emotions　are　already　thus　expressed　with　the　greatest　plainness。


＇11＇　Lieber；　‘On　the　Vocal　Sounds；'　&c。；　ibid。　　p。　　7。

＇12＇　Huschke；　‘Mimices　et　Physiognomices；'　1821；　p。　　18。　　Gratiolet　（De　la　Phys。　　p。　　255）　gives　a　figure　of　a　man　in　this　attitude；　which；　however；　seems　to　me　expressive　of　fear　combined　with　astonishment。　Le　Brun　also　refers　（Lavater；　vol。　　ix。　　p。　　299）　to　the　hands　of　an　astonished　man　being　opened。

There　is　another　little　gesture；　expressive　of　astonishment　of　which　I　can　offer　no　explanation；　namely；　the　hand　being　placed　over　the　mouth　or　on　some　part　of　the　head。　　This　has　been　observed　with　so　many　races　of　man；　that　it　must　have　some　natural　origin。　A　wild　Australian　was　taken　into　a　large　room　full　of　official　papers；　which　surprised　him　greatly；　and　he　cried　out；　_cluck；　cluck；　cluck_；　putting　the　back　of　his　hand　towards　his　lips。　　Mrs。　Barber　says　that　the　Kafirs　and　Fingoes　express　astonishment　by　a　serious　look　and　by　placing　the　right　hand　upon　the　mouth；　Littering　the　word　_mawo_；　which　means　‘wonderful。'　The　Bushmen　are　said＇13＇　to　put　their　right　hands　to　their　necks；　bending　their　heads　backwards。　Mr。　Winwood　Reade　has　observed　that　the　negroes　on　the　West　Coast　of　Africa；　when　surprised；　clap　their　hands　to　their　mouths；　saying　at　the　same　time；　〃My　mouth　cleaves　to　me；〃　i。　　e。　　to　my　hands；　and　he　has　heard　that　this　is　their　usual　gesture　on　such　occasions。　Captain　Speedy　informs　me　that　the　Abyssinians　place　their　right　hand　to　the　forehead；　with　the　palm　outside。　　Lastly；　Mr。　Washington　Matthews　states　that　the　conventional　sign　of　astonishment　with　the　wild　tribes　of　the　western　parts　of　the　United　States　〃is　made　by　placing　the　half…closed　hand　over　the　mouth；　in　doing　this；　the　head　is　often　bent　forwards；　and　words　or　low　groans　are　sometimes　uttered。〃　Catlin＇14＇　makes　the　same　remark　about　the　hand　being　pressed　over　the　mouth　by　the　Mandans　and　other　Indian　tribes。


＇13＇　Huschke；　ibid。　　p。　　18。


_Admiration_。Little　need　be　said　on　this　head。　　Admiration　apparently　consists　of　surprise　associated　with　some　pleasure　and　a　sense　of　approval。　When　vividly　felt；　the　eyes　are　opened　and　the　eyebrows　raised；　the　eyes　become　bright；　instead　of　remaining　blank；　as　under　simple　astonishment；　and　the　mouth；　instead　of　gaping　open；　expands　into　a　smile。


_Fear；　Terror_。The　word　‘fear'　seems　to　be　derived　from　what　is　sudden　and　dangerous；＇15＇　and　that　of　terror　from　the　trembling　of　the　vocal　organs　and　body。　　I　use　the　word　‘terror'　for　extreme　fear；　but　some　writers　think　it　ought　to　be　confined　to　cases　in　which　the　imagination　is　more　particularly　concerned。　Fear　is　often　preceded　by　astonishment；　and　is　so　far　akin　to　it；　that　both　lead　to　the　senses　of　sight　and　hearing　being　instantly　aroused。　In　both　cases　the　eyes　and　mouth　are　widely　opened；　and　the　eyebrows　raised。　The　frightened　man　at　first　stands　like　a　statue　motionless　and　breathless；　or　crouches　down　as　if　instinctively　to　escape　observation。


＇14＇　‘North　American　Indians；'　3rd　edit。　　1842；　vol。　　i。　　p。　　105。

＇15＇　H。　Wedgwood；　Dict。　　of　English　Etymology；　vol。　　ii。　　1862；　p。　35。　　See；　also；　Gratiolet　（‘De　la　Physionomie；'　p。　　135）　on　the　sources　of　such　words　as　‘terror；　horror；　rigidus；　frigidus；'　&c。

The　heart　beats　quickly　and　violently；　so　that　it　palpitates　or　knocks　against　the　ribs；　but　it　is　very　doubtful　whether　it　then　works　more　efficiently　than　usual；　so　as　to　send　a　greater　supply　of　blood　to　all　parts　of　the　body；　for　the　skin　instantly　becomes　pale；　as　during　incipient　faintness。　　This　paleness　of　the　surface；　however；　is　probably　in　large　part；　or　exclusively；　due　to　the　vasomotor　centre　being　affected　in　such　a　manner　as　to　cause　the　contraction　of　the　small　arteries　of　the　skin。　That　the　skin　is　much　affected　under　the　sense　of　great　fear；　we　see　in　the　marvellous　and　inexplicable　manner　in　which　perspiration　immediately　exudes　from　it。　　This　exudation　is　all　the　more　remarkable；　as　the　surface　is　then　cold；　and　hence　the　term　a　cold　sweat；　whereas；　the　sudor