270 HELPLESSNESS : Chap. XL 



obstinate children may be seen with both their shoulders 

 raised high up; but this movement is not associated with 

 the others which generally accompany a true shrug. An 

 excellent observer 16 in describing a young man who was 

 determined not to yield to his father's desire, says, " He 

 thrust his hands deep down into his pockets, and set 

 up his shoulders to his ears, which was a good warning 

 that, come right or wrong, tins rock should fly from its 

 firm base as soon as Jack would; and that any remon- 

 strance on the subject was purely futile." As soon as 

 the son got his own way, he " put his shoulders into their 

 natural position." 



Resignation is sometimes shown by the open hands 

 being placed, one over the other, on the lower part of 

 the body. I should not have thought this little gesture 

 worth even a passing notice, had not Dr. W. Ogle re- 

 marked to me that he had two or three times observed 

 it in patients who were preparing for operations under 

 chloroform. They exhibited no great fear, but seemed 

 to declare by this posture of their hands, that they had 

 made up their minds, and were resigned to the inevi- 

 table. 



We may now inquire why men in all parts of the 

 world when they feel, — whether or not they wish to show 

 this feeling, — that they cannot or will not do something, 

 or will not resist something if done by another, shrug 

 their shoulders, at the same time often bending in their 

 elbows, showing the palms of their hands with extended 

 fingers, often throwing their heads a little on one side, 

 raising their eyebrows, and opening their mouths. These 

 states of the mind are either simply passive, or show a 

 determination not to act. None of the above move- 

 ments are of the least service. The explanation lies, I 



16 



Mrs. Oliphant, ' The Brownlows,' vol. ii. p. 206. 



