298 FEAR, Chap. XII. 



the control of the will; but almost every one, if told to 

 draw the corners of his mouth backwards and downwards 

 with great force, brings it into action. I have, however, 

 heard of a man who can voluntarily act on it only on one 

 side of his neck. 



Sir C. Bell 21 and others have stated that this muscle 

 is strongly contracted under the influence of fear; and 

 Duchenne insists so strongly on its importance in the 

 expression of this emotion, that he calls it the muscle of 

 fright. 22 He admits, however, that its contraction is 

 quite inexpressive unless associated with widely open 

 eyes and mouth. He has given a photograph (copied 

 and reduced in the accompanying woodcut) of the same 

 old man as on former occasions, with his eyebrows strong- 

 ly raised, his mouth opened, and the platysma contracted, 

 all by means of galvanism. The original photograph 

 was shown to twenty-four persons, and they were sep- 

 arately asked, without any explanation being given, what 

 expression was intended: twenty instantly answered, 

 " intense fright " or " horror; " three said pain, and one 

 extreme discomfort. Dr. Duchenne has given another 

 photograph of the same old man, with the platysma 

 contracted, the eyes and mouth opened, and the eye- 

 brows rendered oblique, by means of galvanism. The 

 expression thus induced is very striking (see Plate VII. 

 fig. 2); the obliquity of the eyebrows adding the appear- 

 ance of great mental distress. ' The original was shown 

 to fifteen persons; twelve answered terror or horror, and 

 three agony or great suffering. From these cases, and 

 from an examination of the other photographs given 

 by Dr. Duchenne, together with his remarks thereon, 

 I think there can be little doubt that the contraction of 



21 ' Anatomy of Expression,' p. 168. 



22 Mecanisme de la Phj^s. Huniaine, Album, Legende xi. 



