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Show 196 ~X PRESS! ON or GlUE :If : CnAr. VII. oppos.i te to me 1. n a ra1. 1w ay ca rr·1'age · Whilst I . wa.s lookinO' at her, I saw that her depressores angtd~ orts becam~ very sli()'htly, yet decidedly, contracted ; but as 0 her countenance remai· ne d as p1 a cI' d ca s ever ' I reflect•e d how meaningless was this contraction, and how easil~ one might be deceived. The tlJought had hardly occurred to me when I saw that her eyes s~ddenly became su·ffused with tears almost to overflowing, and her whole countenance fell. There could now be ~10 doubt that son1e painful recollection, perh.aps that of a long-lost child, was passing through her m~nd. As soon as her sonsoriu1n was thus affected, certain nerve-cel\f:) f'ro1n long habit instantly transmitted au order to all the respiratory muscles, and ~o those round the mouth, to prepare for a fit of .crying. But the order was counter1nanded by the w1ll, or rather by a l.ater acquired habit, and all the muscles were obedtent: excepting in a slight degree the depressores ~ng~lt oris. The mouth was not even opened; the respuat1on was not hurried ; and no muscle was affected except those which draw down the corners of the mouth. As soon as the mouth of this lady began, involuntarily and unconsciously on her part, to assume the proper form for a cryjng-fit, we may feel almost .sure that some nerve-influence would have been transmitted throt1gh the long accustomed channels to the va1~ious respiratory muscles, as well as to those round the eyes, and to the vaso-motor centre which governs the supply of blood sent to the lacrymal glands. Of thi~ latter fact we have indeed clear evidence in her eyes becoming sljghtly suffused with tears ; and ·we can understand this, as the lacrymal glands are less under the control of the will than the facial muscles. No. doubt there existed at the same time some tendency in the muscles round the eyes to contract, as if for the sake of protecting them from CnAr. VII. DEPRESSED CORNERS OF THE MOUTH. 197 b ing gorged. with blood, but this contraction was completely ov rn1astered, and her brow remained unruffled. Had the pyramidal, corrugator, and orLicular muscles been as little obedient to the will, as they are in many persons, they would have been slightly acted on ; and then the central fasciro of the frontal muscle would have contracted in antagonism, and her eyebrows would have become oblique, with rectangular furrows on her fo~·ehead. Her countenance would then have expressed st1ll more plainly than it did a state of dejection, or rather one of grief. ~rhrough steps such as these we can understand how it is, that as soon. as son1e n1elancholy thought passes thro~gh the brain, there occurs a just perceptible dr~~v1ng down of ~he corners of the mouth, or a slight ra1s1ng up of the Inner ends of the eyebrows, or both movements combined, and immediately afterwards a slight suffusion of tears. A thrill of ne1·ve-force is transn1itted along several habitual channels, and produces an effect on any point where the will has not acquired through long habit much power of interference. The above actions may be considered as rudimental vestiges of the sc~ea~ing-fits, which are so frequent ~nd prolonged dur1ng Infancy. In this case, as well as 1n n1any others, the links are indeed wonderful which eonnect cause and effect in giving rise to various expressions on the human countenance; and they explain tons the meaning of certain movements, which we involuntarily and unconsciously perform, whenever certain tran._itory cn1otions pass through our minds .. |