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s the man is compelled to draw breath; he still keeps his chest as much distended as possible。
'11' I have given several instances in my ‘Descent of Man;' vol。 i。 chap。 iv。
Various causes have been assigned for this manner of acting。 Sir C。 Bell maintains'13' that the chest is distended with air; and is kept distended at such times; in order to give a fixed support to the muscles which are thereto attached。 Hence; as he remarks; when two men are engaged in a deadly contest; a terrible silence prevails; broken only by hard stifled breathing。 There is silence; because to expel the air in the utterance of any sound would be to relax the support for the muscles of the arms。 If an outcry is heard; supposing the struggle to take place in the dark; we at once know that one of the two has given up in despair。
Gratiolet admits'14' that when a man has to struggle with another to his utmost; or has to support a great weight; or to keep for a long time the same forced attitude; it is necessary for him first to make a deep inspiration; and then to cease breathing; but he thinks that Sir C。 Bell's explanation is erroneous。 He maintains that arrested respiration retards the circulation of the blood; of which I believe there is no doubt; and he adduces some curious evidence from the structure of the lower animals; showing; on the one hand; that a retarded circulation is necessary for prolonged muscular exertion; and; on the other hand; that a rapid circulation is necessary for rapid movements。 According to this view; when we commence any great exertion; we close our mouths and stop breathing; in order to retard the circulation of the blood。 Gratiolet sums up the subject by saying; 〃C'est la la vraie theorie de l'effort continu;〃 but how far this theory is admitted by other physiologists I do not know。
'13' ‘Anatomy of Expression。' p。 190。
'14' ‘De la Physionomie;' pp。 118…121。
Dr。 Piderit accounts'15' for the firm closure of the mouth during strong muscular exertion; on the principle that the influence of the will spreads to other muscles besides those necessarily brought into action in making any particular exertion; and it is natural that the muscles of respiration and of the mouth; from being so habitually used; should be especially liable to be thus acted on。 It appears to me that there probably is some truth in this view; for we are apt to press the teeth hard together during violent exertion; and this is not requisite to prevent expiration; whilst the muscles of the chest are strongly contracted。
Lastly; when a man has to perform some delicate and difficult operation; not requiring the exertion of any strength; he nevertheless generally closes his mouth and ceases for a time to breathe; but he acts thus in order that the movements of his chest may not disturb; those of his arms。 A person; for instance; whilst threading a needle; may be seen to compress his lips and either to stop breathing; or to breathe as quietly as possible。 So it was; as formerly stated; with a young and sick chimpanzee; whilst it amused itself by killing flies with its knuckles; as they buzzed about on the window…panes。 To perform an action; however trifling; if difficult; implies some amount of previous determination。
'15' ‘Mimik und Physiognomik;' s。 79。
There appears nothing improbable in all the above assigned causes having come into play in different degrees; either conjointly or separately; on various occasions。 The result would be a well…established habit; now perhaps inherited; of firmly closing the mouth at the commencement of and during any violent and prolonged exertion; or any delicate operation。 Through the principle of association there would also be a strong tendency towards this same habit; as soon as the mind had resolved on any particular action or line of conduct; even before there was any bodily exertion; or if none were requisite。 The habitual and firm closure of the mouth would thus come to show decision of character; and decision readily passes into obstinacy。 CHAPTER X。
HATRED AND ANGER。
HatredRage; effects of on the systemUncovering of the teeth Rage in the insaneAnger and indignationAs expressed by the various races of manSneering and defianceThe uncovering of the canine tooth on one side of the face。
IF we have suffered or expect to suffer some wilful injury from a man; or if he is in any way offensive to us; we dislike him; and dislike easily rises into hatred。 Such feelings; if experienced in a moderate degree; are not clearly expressed by any movement of the body or features; excepting perhaps by a certain gravity of behaviour; or by some ill…temper。 Few individuals; however; can long reflect about a hated person; without feeling and exhibiting signs of indignation or rage。 But if the offending person be quite insignificant; we experience merely disdain or contempt。 If; on the other hand; he is all…powerful; then hatred passes into terror; as when a slave thinks about a cruel master; or a savage about a bloodthirsty malignant deity。'1' Most of our emotions are so closely connected with their expression; that they hardly exist if the body remains passivethe nature of the expression depending in chief part on the nature of the actions which have been habitually performed under this particular state of the mind。 A man; for instance; may know that his life is in the extremest peril; and may strongly desire to save if; yet; as Louis XVI。 said; when surrounded by a fierce mob; 〃Am I afraid? feel my pulse。〃 So a man may intensely hate another; but until his bodily frame is affected; he cannot be said to be enraged。
'1' See some remarks to this effect by Mr。 Bain; ‘The Emotions and the Will;' 2nd edit。 1865; p。 127。
_Rage_。I have already had occasion to treat of this emotion in the third chapter; when discussing the direct influence of the excited sensorium on the body; in combination with the effects of habitually associated actions。 Rage exhibits itself in the most diversified manner。 The heart and circulation are always affected; the face reddens or becomes purple; with the veins on the forehead and neck distended。 The reddening of the skin has been observed with the copper…coloured Indians of South America;'2' and even; as it is said; on the white cicatrices left by old wounds on negroes。'3' Monkeys also redden from passion。 With one of my own infants; under four months old; I repeatedly observed that the first symptom of an approaching passion was the rushing of the blood into his bare scalp。 On the other hand; the action of the heart is sometimes so much impeded by great rage; that the countenance becomes pallid or livid;'4' and not a few men with heart…disease have dropped down dead under this powerful emotion。
'2' Rengger; Naturgesch。 der Saugethiere von Paraguay; 1830; s。 3。
'3' Sir C。 Bell; ‘Anatomy of Expression;' p。 96。 On the other hand; Dr。 Burgess (‘Physiology of Blushing;' 1839; p。 31) speaks of the reddening of a cicatrix in a negress as of the nature of a blush。
'4' Moreau and Gratiolet have discussed the colour of the face under the influence of intense passion: see the edit。 of 1820 of Lavater; vol。 iv。 pp。 282 and 300; and Gratiolet; ‘De la