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Show 338 BLUSHING. CHAP. XIII. . . " so as to serve as a check on '' of the moral feeh~gs' th ·s that we were violating d s1gn to o ei ' ourselves, an as a 1 ld cr·er] Gratiolet tnerely h . h ht to be 1e sa "· rules w IC oug .1 ·t dans l'ordre de la nature k "Or comme 1 es . 1 remar s,- '. 1 . t 1lio-ent soit auss1 le p ns " que l'etre somalle p ~~, 1~e e ro~o-eur et de paleur qui "intelligible, cette facut e "ern;; naturel de sa haute " distingue l'homme, es un Sib " perfection." · zz d · ed by b r f that blushing was specta y estgn The e Ie. d o the O'eneral theory of evolu-the Creator 1S oppose tl 1 oaccepted. but it forms . h' h . now so arge y ' tion, w 1c 1 S the general ques· f d t here to argue on n.o partT oh my buo by e1 1. ev'e 1. n desi'gn ' wi11 find it difficult t1on. ose w b . the most frequent aud t £ shyness eJnO' to accoun or h fbblushino- as it makes the ffi · t f all t e causes o '='' . e cien o tt~ ~ d the beholder uncomfortable, withblusher to su er an . to either of them. They b · f the least 5erv1ce o~tll eilng ofind it difficult to account for negroes and WI a so · h' · hom a change other dark-coloured races blus Ing, In w 11 . 'bl . k' . carcely or not at a VISI e. of colour In the sl.Inhtls ~lush adds to the beauty of a No doubt a s Ig . h ·e . ' face . and the Circassian women w ~ a: m. aldbelne so f blu's ln.n g, I. nvar.·l ab ly fetch a hig. her priCe Jn 32 capa l' f the Sultan than less susceptible women. the serag IO o b 1' . the efficacy of sexual selecBut the firmest e Iever In . c uired as t' ·u hardly suppose that blushing was a q 1 Ion WI This view would also be opposec a sexual ornament. . d b t the dark-coloured to what has just been sal a ou h . · n invisible manner. races blus 1ng In a t the most I)l'O· The hypothesi· s wh ' h ppears o me lC a . h . th t atten-h 't at first seem ras ' IS a bable, thoug 1 may · t f the body tends to tion closely directed to any par o W rtle l\fonta()'ue; see Burgess, :li On the authority of Lady Mary 0 Y o ibid. p. 43. CHAP. XIII. . 339 interfere with the or linary and tonic contr,tction 0f the small arteries of that part. ~rhese v ssc1 , in consequence, Lecou1e at such times 111 re or lc . ., r:llaxecl, anLl are instantly flllod. with art rial blood. ~rhis tendency will have been much strengthened, if frequent attention has been paid. during many genercttious to the same part, owing to nerve-force readily flowing along accustomed channels, and by the power of inheritance. vVhenever we believe that others are depreciating or evou considering our personal appearance, our attention is vividly directed. to the outer and visible parts of our bodies; and of all such parts we are mo:::~t sonsiti ve about our faces, as no doubt has boen the case during many past generations. Ther foro, as uming for the moment that the capillary vessels can be acted on by close attention, those of the face will have become eminently susceptibl . ~rhrough the force of association, the stune effects will tend to follow whenever we think that others arc cousidering or censuring our actions or character. As the basis of this theory rests on mental attention having some power to influence tho capillary circulation, it will be nece sary to give a considerable body of details, bearing more or less directly on this subject. Several observers,33 who ft·o1n their wide ex1 erieuce 33 In England, ir II. Holland wn.::l, I believe, the tit·:;t to consider the influence of mental attention on vn.riou part of the body, in his 'l\:leilical Note.:~ and Reflections,' 183D, p. G±. This essay, much enlarged, was reprinted by 'ir H. Holland in his 'Chapters on Menial Physiology,' 1 58, p. 79, f1·om which work I always quote. At nearly the same time, as well as subs quently, Prof. Laycock discussed the same subject: see 'Edinburgh Medical and 'urgical Journal,' 1839, July, pp.17-22. Also his' 'frcutisc on the Nervous Di::~cnscs of Women,' 184:0, p. 110; and ' Mind and Brain,' vol. ii. 1860, p. 327. D1·. Carpenter's views on mesmerism have a nearly similar bearing. The great physiologi1:3t l\Hiller treated (' Elements of Physiology,' Eng. translat. z 2 |