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Show 302 FEAR. CHAP. XII. Mr. J. vV oou, who ha8 studied with such care the Jnuscles of the human body, as shown by his varions publications, has often seen the plat.ysrna co~1tracted in vomiting, nausea, and diRgust; also in children and adults under the influence of rage,-for instance, in Irishwomen, quarrelling and brawling together with an()TV gesticulations. This may possibly have been 0 " due to their high and angry tones; for I know a lady, an excellent 1nusician, who, in singing certain high notes, always contracts her platysma. So does a young man, as I have observed, in sounding certain notes on the flute. Mr. J. vVood informs me that he l1as found the platysma best developed in persons with · thick necks and broad shoulders; and that in families inheriting these peculiarjties, its development is usually associated with much voluntary power over the hon1ologous occipito-frontalis muscle, by which the scalp can be rnoved. None of the foregoing cases appear to throw any light on the contraction of the platysma from fear ; but it is different, I think, with the following cases. The gentleman before referred to, who can voluntarily act on _this muscle only on one side of his neck, is positive that it contracts on both sides whenever he is startled. Eridence has already been given showing that this muscle sometimes contracts, perhaps for the sake of opening the mouth widely, when the breathing is rendered difficult by disease, and during the deep inspirations of crying-fits before an operation. Now, whenever a person starts at any sudden sight or sound, he instantaneously draws a deep breath; and thus the . contraction of the platysma may possibly have become associated with the sense of fear. But there is, :I believe, a more efficient relation. The first sensation of fear, or the imagination of son1ething dreadful, com- CHAP. XII. DILATATION OF THE PUPILS. 302 monlv excit sa hndd r. I hase cano-ht mys If giving a little iuvoluntary hudd r at a painful thonght, ancl I di tinctly p rc i\'ed that n1y platy:ma ontrnct i; it doe if I imulate a hud ler. I hav a. k d oth r. to act in thi n1nJ1n r; and in some th mn cl contracted, but n t in oth rs. One of 1ny sons, whil t o-ettino- ut of b d, . hud l r d from th :l lcl, an l, a h happ n d to have hi, hand on hi· n ck, he plainly :D lt that this mus l tront!"lY contra tecl. lie then voluntarily shudd red, as he had done on former o~casions, but the platy rna was not then affi t d. Mr. J. vVood has also s veral ti1n s ob rved thi mn~ ·le contracting in pati nts, when tripped for xalnination, and who wore not fright nod, but hiv red slig·htly from the 11. Unfortunately bav not b rn able to ascertain whether, wh .n the whole body hak . a in the cold stage of an ague fit, the platysma c ntra ts. But as it c rtainly often contra ·ts dnrino- a shudder; and as a hudder or shiver often accompani the fir t s n ation off, ar, we have, I think, a clue to it. action in this latter case.23 Its contraction, ho,vever, i. not an invariable concomitant of fear; for it probably never a ts under the influence of extrem , pro trating terror. Dilatation of the Pupils.-Gratiolet repeatedly insi ts 24 that the pupil are e11ormou ly dilated whenever t .rror is felt. I have no reason to doubt the a curacy of this statement, but have failed to obtain c nfirmatory ~3 Duchennc takes, in fact, this view (ibicl. p. 45), as he a.ttribut s the contraction of the platysma to the shivol'ing of £ ar (frisRon de ln peur); but he el ewher tom pares the a tion with that ~vbich cn.us s the hair of frightened quaurup tls to ta.nd cr ·ct; a11d llus can hurdly b n idcr '0 as quito corr t. 2<1 'De la Phy ionomi ,' pp. 51. 25G, :J 1G. |