178 EXPRESSION OF GRIEF: Chap. VII. 



Obliquity of the eyebrows. — Two points alone in the 

 above description require further elucidation, and these 

 are very curious ones; namely, the raising of the inner 

 ends of the eyebrows, and the drawing down of the cor- 

 ners of the mouth. With respect to the eyebrows, they 

 may occasionally be seen to assume an oblique position 

 in persons suffering from deep dejection or anxiety; for 

 instance, I have observed this movement in a mother 

 whilst speaking about her sick son; and it is sometimes 

 excited by quite trifling or momentary causes of real or 

 pretended distress. The eyebrows assume this position 

 owing to the contraction of certain muscles (namely, the 

 orbiculars, corrugators, and pyramidals of the nose, 

 which together tend to lower and contract the eyebrows) 

 being partially checked by the more powerful action of 

 the central fasciae of the frontal muscle. These latter 

 fascia? by their contraction raise the inner ends alone 

 of the eyebrows; and as the corrugators at the same time 

 draw the eyebrows together, their inner ends become 

 puckered into a fold or lump. This fold is a highly char- 

 acteristic point in the appearance of the eyebrows when 

 rendered oblique, as may be seen in figs. 2 and 5, Plate 

 II. The eyebrows are at the same time somewhat rough- 

 ened, owing to the hairs being made to project. Dr. J. 

 Crichton Browne has also often noticed in melancholic 

 patients who keep their eyebrows persistently oblique, 

 " a peculiar acute arching of the upper eyelid." A trace 

 of this may be observed by comparing the right and left 

 eyelids of the young man in the photograph (fig. 2, Plate 

 II.) ; for he was not able to act equally on both eyebrows. 

 This is also shown by the unequal furrows on the two 

 sides of his forehead. The acute arching of the eyelids 



see more especially Sir C. Bell, ' Anatomy of Expression,' 

 3rd edit. 1844, p. 151. 



