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'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 Physionomie;' p。 345。
The respiration is likewise affected; the chest heaves; and the dilated nostrils quiver。'5' As Tennyson writes; 〃sharp breaths of anger puffed her fairy nostrils out。〃 Hence we have such expressions as breathing out vengeance;〃 and 〃fuming with anger。〃'6'
The excited brain gives strength to the muscles; and at the same time energy to the will。 The body is commonly held erect ready for instant action; but sometimes it is bent forward towards the offending person; with the limbs more or less rigid。 The mouth is generally closed with firmness; showing fixed determination; and the teeth are clenched or ground together。 Such gestures as the raising of the arms; with the fists clenched; as if to strike the offender; are common。 Few men in a great passion; and telling some one to begone; can resist acting as if they intended to strike or push the man violently away。 The desire; indeed; to strike often becomes so intolerably strong; that inanimate objects are struck or dashed to the ground; but the gestures frequently become altogether purposeless or frantic。 Young children; when in a violent rage roll on the ground on their backs or bellies; screaming; kicking; scratching; or biting everything within reach。 So it is; as I hear from Mr。 Scott; with Hindoo children; and; as we have seen; with the young of the anthropomorphous apes。
'6' Sir C。 Bell ‘Anatomy of Expression;' pp。 91; 107) has fully discussed this subject。 Moreau remarks (in the edit。 of 1820 of ‘La Physionomie; par G。 Lavater;' vol。 iv。 p。 237); and quotes Portal in confirmation; that asthmatic patients acquire permanently expanded nostrils; owing to the habitual contraction of the elevatory muscles of the wings of the nose。 The explanation by Dr。 Piderit (‘Mimik und Physiognomik;' s。 82) of the distension of the nostrils; namely; to allow free breathing whilst the mouth is closed and the teeth clenched; does not appear to be nearly so correct as that by Sir C。 Bell; who attributes it to the sympathy (_i。 e_。 habitual co…action) of all the respiratory muscles。 The nostrils of an angry man may be seen to become dilated; although his mouth is open。
'7' Mr。 Wedgwood; ‘On the Origin of Language;' 1866; p。 76。 He also observes that the sound of hard breathing 〃is represented by the syllables _puff; huff; whiff_; whence a _huff_ is a fit of ill…temper。〃
But the muscular system is often affected in a wholly different way; for trembling is a frequent consequence of extreme rage。 The paralysed lips then refuse to obey the will; 〃and the voice sticks in the throat;〃'7' or it is rendered loud; harsh; and discordant。 If there be much and rapid speaking; the mouth froths。 The hair sometimes bristles; but I shall return to this subject in another chapter; when I treat of the mingled emotions of rage and terror。 There is in most cases a strongly…marked frown on the forehead; for this follows from the sense of anything displeasing or difficult; together with concentration of mind。 But sometimes the brow; instead of being much contracted and lowered; remains smooth; with the glaring eyes kept widely open。 The eyes are always bright; or may; as Homer expresses it; glisten with fire。 They are sometimes bloodshot; and are said to protrude from their socketsthe result; no doubt; of the head being gorged with blood; as shown by the veins being distended。 According to Gratiolet;〃 the pupils are always contracted in rage; and I hear from Dr。 Crichton Browne that this is the case in the fierce delirium of meningitis; but the movements of the iris under the influence of the different emotions is a very obscure subject。
Shakspeare sums up the chief characteristics of rage as follows:
〃In peace there's nothing so becomes a man; As modest stillness and humility; But when the blast of war blows in our ears; Then imitate the action of the tiger: Stiffen the sinews; summon up the blood; Then lend the eye a terrible aspect; Now set the teeth; and stretch the nostril wide; Hold hard the breath; and bend up every spirit To his full height! On; on; you noblest English。〃 _Henry V_。; act iii。 sc。 1。
'7' Sir C。 Bell ‘Anatomy of Expression;' p。 95) has some excellent remarks on the expression of rage。
'8' ‘De la Physionomie;' 1865; p。 346。
The lips are sometimes protruded during rage in a manner; the meaning of which I do not understand; unless it depends on our descent from some ape…like animal。 Instances have been observed; not only with Europeans; but with the Australians and Hindoos。 The lips; however; are much more commonly retracted; the grinning or clenched teeth being thus exposed。 This has been noticed by almost every one who has written on expression。'9' The appearance is as if the teeth were uncovered; ready for seizing or tearing an enemy; though there may be no intention of acting in this manner。 Mr。 Dyson Lacy has seen this grinning expression with the Australians; when quarrelling; and so has Gaika with the Kafirs of South America。 Dickens;'10' in speaking of an atrocious murderer who had just been caught; and was surrounded by a furious mob; describes 〃the people as jumping up one behind another; snarling with their teeth; and making at him like wild beasts。〃 Every one who has had much to do with young children must have seen how naturally they take to biting; when in a passion。 It seems as instinctive in them as in young crocodiles; who snap their little jaws as soon as they emerge from the egg。
'9' Sir C。 Bell; ‘Anatomy of Expression;' p。 177。 Gratiolet (De la Phys。 p。 369) says; ‘les dents se decouvrent; et imitent symboliquement l'action de dechirer et de mordre。'I If; instead of using the vague term _symboliquement_; Gratiolet had said that the action was a remnant of a habit acquired during primeval times when our semi…human progenitors fought together with their teeth; like gorillas and orangs at the present day; he would have been more intelligible。 Dr。 Piderit (‘Mimik;' &c。; s。 82) also speaks of the retraction of the upper lip during rage。 In an engraving of one of Hogarth's wonderful pictures; passion is represented in the plainest manner by the open glaring eyes; frowning forehead; and exposed grinning teeth。
'10' ‘Oliver Twist;' vol。 iii。 p。 245。
A grinning expression and the protrusion of the lips appear sometimes to go together。 A close observer says that he has seen many instances of intense hatred (which can hardly be distinguished from rage; more or less suppressed) in Orientals; and once in an elderly English woman。 In all these cases there 〃was a grin; not a scowlthe lips lengthening; the cheeks settling downwards; the eyes half…closed; whilst the brow remained perfectly calm。〃'11'
This retraction of the lips and uncovering of the teeth during paroxysms of rage; as if to bite the offender; is so remarkable; considering how seldom the teeth are used by men in fighting; that I inquired from Dr。 J。 Crichton Browne whether the habit was common in the insane whose passions are unbridled。