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Show 344 BLUSHING. CHAP. XIII. allowed to flow into the capillaries of tl~e p~rt in que.stion. This increased action of the caprllar1es may .In some eases be co1nbined with the simultaneously In-creased activity of the sensoriutn. The manner in which the 1nind affects the vaso- 1notor systetn may be conceived in the . follow~ng 1nanner. When we actually taste sour frurt, an Impression is sent through the gustatory ner:ves to a certain part of the sensorium; this transmits nerve* force to the vaso-motor centre, which consequently allows the muscular coats of the sinall arteries that p~rmeate the salivary glands to relax. Hence ~ore blood flows into these glands, and they secrete a copious snpply of saliva. Now it does not seen1 an improbable assumption, that, when we reflect intently on a sensation, the same part of the sensorium, or a closely connected part of it, is brought into a state of activity, in. the same manner as when we actually perceive the sensation. If so, the same cells in the brain will be excited, though, perhaps, in a less degree, by vividly thinking about a sour taste, as by perceiving it ; and they will transmit in the one case, as in the other, nerve* force to the vaso-motor centre with the same results. To give another, and, in some respects, more appro· priate illustration. If a man stands before a hot fire, his face reddens. rrhis appears to be due, as Mr. 1\iichael Foster informs me, in part to the local action of the heat, and in part to a reflex action from tho vaso-motor centres.46 In this latter case, the he~t affects the nerves of the face; these transmit an itnpression to the sensory cells of the brain, which act on the 46 See, also, Mr. Miehao] Foster, on tho action of tho vaso·motor system, in his interesting Lecture before the Royal Institution, as translated in tho 'Revue des Oours Scientifiques,' Sept. 25, 1869, p. 683. Cn.u•. XIII. llLUSHING. 345 vaso-motor centro, and this reacts on th snudl arteries of the face, relaxing them an l allowincr them to become filled .with blood. IIere, again, it ee~s not improbable that If we were repeatedly to concentrate with great earnestness our attention on the recollection of our h~ated faces, the Stune part of the son orinm which gtves us the consciou nes of actual h at would be in some slight degree sti1nulated., and would iu cons - q uence tend to trans1nit some nerve-force to the vasoInotor centres, so as to relax the capillaries of the fac . Now ~s men during endless generations have had their attentiOn often _and e~rnestly direct d to their personal appearanc~, and especially to their face , any incipient t~nclency 1n the facial capillaries to be thus affected w1ll have become in the course of tin1e greatly strenothoned through t~e prin~iples ju t re£ rred to, nam~ly, nerve-force passtng readily along accuston1ed channel::; and ~nherited habit. Thus, as it appears to me, ~ plausible explana~ion is afforded of the leading phononlona connecteJ with the act of b1ushincr 0' Recapitulation.-M n and women, and e pecially tJ 1e young, have always valued, in a high degree, their personal appearance; and have likewise regarded tho u~peara~ce of others. ~rhe face has been the chief oLjoct of attention, though, when man aboriginally wont naked tho whole surface of his body would have Loen attcndocl to. o.u: self-attention is excited almost exclusively by th~ opuuon of others, for no person living in absolute solitude would care about his appearance. Every 0110 feels blame more acutely than praise. Now, whenever we know, or suppose, that others are d pre iatincr our personal appearance, our attention is strongly drawn towards ourselves, more especially to our faces. The probaLle effect of this will be, as has just been ex· |
