the expression of emotion in man and animals-第53章

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n　no　way　relating　to　others。　If　this　be　so；　we　must　attribute　the　result　to　the　force　of　inveterate　habit　and　association；　under　a　state　of　mind　closely　analogous　to　that　which　ordinarily　excites　a　blush；　nor　need　we　feel　surprise　at　this；　as　even　sympathy　with　another　person　who　commits　a　flagrant　breach　of　etiquette　is　believed；　as　we　have　just　seen；　sometimes　to　cause　a　blush。

Finally；　then；　I　conclude　that　blushing；whether　due　to　shyness　to　shame　for　a　real　crimeto　shame　from　a　breach　of　the　laws　of　etiquetteto　modesty　from　humilityto　modesty　from　an　indelicacydepends　in　all　cases　on　the　same　principle；　this　principle　being　a　sensitive　regard　for　the　opinion；　more　particularly　for　the　depreciation　of　others；　primarily　in　relation　to　our　personal　appearance；　especially　of　our　faces；　and　secondarily；　through　the　force　of　association　and　habit；　in　relation　to　the　opinion　of　others　on　our　conduct。


_Theory　of　Blushing_。We　have　now　to　consider；　why　should　the　thought　that　others　are　thinking　about　us　affect　our　capillary　circulation？　Sir　C。　Bell　insists＇31＇　that　blushing　〃is　a　provision　for　expression；　as　may　be　inferred　from　the　colour　extending　only　to　the　surface　of　the　face；　neck；　and　breast；　the　parts　most　exposed。　　It　is　not　acquired；　it　is　from　the　beginning。〃　　Dr。　Burgess　believes　that　it　was　designed　by　the　Creator　in　〃order　that　the　soul　might　have　sovereign　power　of　displaying　in　the　cheeks　the　various　internal　emotions　of　the　moral　feelings；〃　so　as　to　serve　as　a　check　on　ourselves；　and　as　a　sign　to　others；　that　we　were　violating　rules　which　ought　to　be　held　sacred。　Gratiolet　merely　remarks；〃Or；　comme　il　est　dans　l'ordre　de　la　nature　que　l'etre　social　le　plus　intelligent　soit　aussi　le　plus　intelligible；　cette　faculte　de　rougeur　et　de　paleur　qui　distingue　l'homme；　est　un　signe　naturel　de　sa　haute　perfection。〃

The　belief　that　blushing　was　SPECIALLY　designed　by　the　Creator　is　opposed　to　the　general　theory　of　evolution；　which　is　now　so　largely　accepted；　but　it　forms　no　part　of　my　duty　here　to　argue　on　the　general　question。　Those　who　believe　in　design；　will　find　it　difficult　to　account　for　shyness　being　the　most　frequent　and　efficient　of　all　the　causes　of　blushing；　as　it　makes　the　blusher　to　suffer　and　the　beholder　uncomfortable；　without　being　of　the　least　service　to　either　of　them。　　They　will　also　find　it　difficult　to　account　for　negroes　and　other　dark…coloured　races　blushing；　in　whom　a　change　of　colour　in　the　skin　is　scarcely　or　not　at　all　visible。


＇31＇　Bell；　‘Anatomy　of　Expression；'　p。　　95。　　Burgess；　as　quoted　below；　ibid。　　p。　　49。　　Gratiolet；　De　la　Phys。　　p。　　94。

No　doubt　a　slight　blush　adds　to　the　beauty　of　a　maiden's　face；　and　the　Circassian　women　who　are　capable　of　blushing；　invariably　fetch　a　higher　price　in　the　seraolio　of　the　Sultan　than　less　susceptible　women。＇32＇　But　the　firmest　believer　in　the　efficacy　of　sexual　selection　will　hardly　suppose　that　blushing　was　acquired　as　a　sexual　ornament。　This　view　would　also　be　opposed　to　what　has。　　just　been　said　about　the　dark…coloured　races　blushing　in　an　invisible　manner。

The　hypothesis　which　appears　to　me　the　most　probable；　though　it　may　at　first　seem　rash；　is　that　attention　closely　directed　to　any　part　of　the　body　tends　to　interfere　with　the　ordinary　and　tonic　contraction　of　the　small　arteries　of　that　part。　These　vessels；　in　consequence；　become　at　such　times　more　or　less　relaxed；　and　are　instantly　filled　with　arterial　blood。　This　tendency　will　have　been　much　strengthened；　if　frequent　attention　has　been　paid　during　many　generations　to　the　same　part；　owing　to　nerve…force　readily　flowing　along　accustomed　channels；　and　by　the　power　of　inheritance。　　Whenever　we　believe　that　others　are　depreciating　or　even　considering　our　personal　appearance；　our　attention　is　vividly　directed　to　the　outer　and　visible　parts　of　our　bodies；　and　of　all　such　parts　we　are　most　sensitive　about　our　faces；　as　no　doubt　has　been　the　case　during　many　past　generations。　　Therefore；　assuming　for　the　moment　that　the　capillary　vessels　can　be　acted　on　by　close　attention；　those　of　the　face　will　have　become　eminently　susceptible。　Through　the　force　of　association；　the　same　effects　will　tend　to　follow　whenever　we　think　that　others　are　considering　or　censuring　our　actions　or　character。

As　the　basis　of　this　theory　rests　on　mental　attention　having　some　power　to　influence　the　capillary　circulation；　it　will　be　necessary　to　give　a　considerable　body　of　details；　bearing　more　or　less　directly　on　this　subject。　Several　observers；＇33＇　who　from　their　wide　experience　and　knowledge　are　eminently　capable　of　forming　a　sound　judgment；　are　convinced　that　attention　or　consciousness　（which　latter　term　Sir　H。　Holland　thinks　the　more　explicit）　concentrated　on　almost　any　part　of　the　body　produces　some　direct　physical　effect　on　it。　This　applies　to　the　movements　of　the　involuntary　muscles；　and　of　the　voluntary　muscles　when　acting　involuntarily；　to　the　secretion　of　the　glands；to　the　activity　of　the　senses　and　sensations；and　even　to　the　nutrition　of　parts。


＇32＇　On　the　authority　of　Lady　Mary　Wortley　Montague；　see　Burgess；　ibid。　　p。　　43。

It　is　known　that　the　involuntary　movements　of　the　heart　are　affected　if　close　attention　be　paid　to　them。　　Gratiolet＇34＇　gives　the　case　of　a　man；　who　by　continually　watching　and　counting　his　own　pulse；　at　last　caused　one　beat　out　of　every　six　to　intermit。　On　the　other　hand；　my　father　told　me　of　a　careful　observer；　who　certainly　had　heart…disease　and　died　from　it；　and　who　positively　stated　that　his　pulse　was　habitually　irregular　to　an　extreme　degree；　yet　to　his　great　disappointment　it　invariably　became　regular　as　soon　as　my　father　entered　the　room。　Sir　H。　Holland　remarks；＇35＇　that　〃the　effect　upon　the　circulation　of　a　part　from　the　consciousness　suddenly　directed　and　fixed　upon　it；　is　often　obvious　and　immediate。〃　　Professor　Laycock；　who　has　particularly　attended　to　phenomena　of　this　nature；＇36＇　insists　that　〃when　the　attention　is　directed　to　any　portion　of　the　body；　innervation　and　circulation　are　excited　locally；　and　the　functional　activity　of　that　portion　developed。〃


＇33＇　In　England；　Sir　H。　Holland　was；　I　believe；　the　first　to　consider　the　influence　of　mental　attention　on　various　parts　of　the　body；　in　his　‘Medical　Notes　and　Reflections；'　1839　p。　　64。　　This　essay；　much　enlarged；　was　reprinted　by　Sir　H。　Holland　in　his　‘Chapters　on　Mental　Physiology；'　1858；　p。　　79；　from　which　work　I　always　quote。　　At　nearly　the　same　time；　as　well　as　subsequently；　Prof。　Laycock　discussed　the　same　subject：　see　‘Edinburgh　Medical　and　Surgical　Journal；'　1839；　July；　pp。　　17…22。　Also　his　‘Treatise　on　the　Nervous　Diseases　of　Women；'　1840；　p。　　110；　and　‘Mind　and　Brain；'　vol。　　ii。　　1860；　p。　　327。　　Dr。　Carpenter's　views　on　mesmerism　have　a　nearly　similar　bearing。　　The　great　physiologist　Muller　treated　（‘Elements　of　Physiology；'　Eng。　　translat。　　vol。　　ii。　　pp。　　937；　1085）　of　the　influence　of　the　attention　on　the　senses。　　Sir　J。　Paget　discusses　the　influence　of　the　mind　on　the　nutrition　of　parts；　in　his　‘Lectures　on　Surgical　Pathology；'　1853；　vol。　　i。　　p。　　39：　　1　quote　from　the　3rd　edit。　revised　by　Prof。　Turner；　1870；　p。　　28。　　See；　also；　Gratiolet；　De　la　Phys。　　pp。　　283…287。

＇34＇　De　la　Phys。　　p。　　283。

It　is　generally　believed　that　the　peristaltic　movements　of　the　intestines　are　influenced　by　attention　being　paid　to　them　at　fixed　recurrent　periods；　and　these　movements　depend　on　the　contraction　of　unstriped　and　involuntary　muscles。　The　abnormal　action　of　the　voluntary　muscles　in　epilepsy；　chorea；　and　hysteria　is　known　to　be　influenced　by　the　expectation　of　an　attack；　and　by　the　sight　of　other　patients　similarly　affected。＇37＇　So　it　is　with　the　involuntary　acts　of　yawning　and　laughing。

Certain　glands　are　much　influenced　by　thinking　of　them；　or　of　the　conditions　under　which　they　have　been　habitually　excited。　This　is　familiar　to　every　one　in　the　increased　flow　of　saliva；　when　the　thought；　for　instance；　of　intensely　acid　fruit　is　kept　before　the　mind。〃　　It　was　shown　in　our　sixth　chapter；　that　an　earnest　and　long…continued　desire　either　to　repress；　or　to　increase；　the　action　of　the　lacrymal　glands　is　effectual。　Some　curious　cases　have　been　recorded　in　the　case　of　women；　of　the　power　of　the　mind　on　the　mammary　glands；　and　still　more　remarkable　ones　in　relation　to　the　uterine　functions。＇39＇


＇35＇　‘Chapters　on　Mental　Physiology；'　1858；　p。　　111。　　＇36＇　‘Mind　find　Brain；'　vol。　　ii。　　1860；　p。　　327。　　＇37＇　‘Chapters　on　Mental　Physiology；'　pp。　　104…106。　＇38＇　See　Gratiolet　on　this　subject；　De　la　Phys。　　p。　　287。　　＇39＇　Dr。　J。　Crichton　Browne；　from　his　observations　on　the　insane；　is　convinced　that　attention　directed　for　a　prolonged　period　on　any　part　or　organ　may　ultimately　influence　its　capillary　circulation　and　nutrition。　He　has　given　me　some　extraordinary　cases；　one　of　these；　which　cannot　here　be　related　in　full；　refers　to　a　married　woman　fifty　years　of　age；　who　laboured　under　the　firm　and　long…continued　delusion　that　she　was　pregnant。　When　the　expected　period　arrived；　she　acted　precisely　as　if　she　had　been　really　delivered　of　a　child；　and　seemed　to　suffer　extreme　pain；　so　that　the　perspiration　broke　out　on　her　forehead。　The　result　was　that　a　state　of　things　returned；　continuing　for　three　days；　which　had　ceased　during　the　six　previous　years。　Mr。　Braid　gives；　in　his　‘Magic；　Hypnotism；'　&c。；　1852；　p。　95；　and　in　his　other　works　analogous　cases；　as　well　as　other　facts　showing　the　great　influence　of　the　will　on　the　mammary　glands；　even　on　one　breast　alone。

When　we　direct　our　whole　attention　to　any　one　sense；　its　acuteness　is　increased；＇40＇　and　the　continued　habit　of　close　attention；　as　with　blind　people　to　that　of　hearing；　and　with　the　blind　and　deaf　to　that　of　touch；　appears　to　improve　the　sense　in　question　permanently。　There　is；　also；　some　reason　to　believe；　judging　from　the　capacities　of　different　races　of　man；　that　the　effects　are　inherited。　Turning　to　ordinary　sensations；　it　is　well　known　that　pain　is　increased　by　attending　to　it；　and　Sir　B。　Brodie　goes　so　far　as　to　believe　that　pain　may　be　felt　in　any　part　of　the　body　to　which　attention　is　closely　drawn。＇41＇　Sir　H。　Holland　also　remarks　that　we　become　not　only　conscious　of　the　existence　of　a　part　subjected　to　concentrated　attention；　but　we　experience　in　it　various　odd　sensations。　as　of　weight；　heat；　cold；　tingling；　or　itching。＇42＇

Lastly；　some　physiologists　maintain　that　the　mind　can　influence　the　nutrition　of　parts。　　Sir　J。　Paget　has　given　a　curious　instance　of　the　power；　not　indeed　of　the　mind；　but　of　the　nervous　system；　on　the　hair。　　A　lady　〃who　is　subject　to　attacks　of　what　is　called　nervous　headache；　always　finds　in　the　morning　after　such　an　one；　that　some　patches　of　her　hair　are　white；　as　if　powdered　with　starch。　The　change　is　effected　in　a　night；　and　in　a　few　days　after；　the　hairs　gradually　regain　their　dark　brownish　colour。＇43＇


＇40＇　Dr。　Maudsley　has　given　（‘The　Physiology　and　Pathology　of　Mind；'　2nd　edit。　　1868；　p。　　105）；　on　good　authority；　some　curious　statements　with　respect　to　the　improvement　of　the　sense　of　touch　by　practice　and　attention。　It　is　remarkable　that　when　this　sense　has　thus　been　rendered　more　acute　at　any　point　of　the　body；　for　instance；　in　a　finger；　it　is　likewise　improved　at　the　corresponding　point　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　body。

＇41＇　T