In Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



There are, however, profound and permanent psychical disturbances, 

 such as incoherence of motions, absence of curiosity, indifference, 

 lack of affection. The social instincts are impaired, as are the sexual 

 instincts. There is increased impulsiveness and emotional agitation, 

 particularly of fear and diminished attention and reflection. He 

 doubts the existence of tactile centres in the Rolandic region. 



Expression in the Insane.' 



The author believes that when we meet with forms of emotional 

 expression, habitual to many different individuals, and. as seen in the 

 adult stage, only occurring in cases of mental disorder, it is more sat- 

 isfactory to seek some explanation of such expression than to regard 

 it as accidental and of no significance. The doctrine of evolution, he 

 concludes, enables us to give a perfectly intelligible and rational 

 description of insane expression, and to account for all its numerous 

 peculiarities and divergencies from expression m the sane. 



Symmetrical forms of morbid expression are referred to the dis- 

 solution of the nervous system. 



He first discusses the snarling or sneering expression in the light 

 of Darwin's attempt to explain it as the survival of the animal trait of 

 uncovering the canine teeth before fighting. Yet, as met with in the 

 insane, it may have little evident relation to the states of mind with 

 which it is associated in the sane. He says, '• I have in the last year 

 or two come across twenty-two instances of the asymme';rical eleva- 

 tion and protrusion of the upper lip, on the right side in ten cases, on 

 the left in twelve. All my most marked cases occur amongst idiots, 

 imbeciles and general paralytics." If of any significance, it seems to 

 him that some of these can only be explained as a return to a more or 

 less primative state, in which such action was habitual and useful. 



Pouting is also common among the imbecile. Darwm notices 

 that it is universal among human races, but is developed most largely 

 in lower peoples. The author regards the prevalence of this expres- 

 sion among the insane, although it is practically absent in European 

 adults and not very common among children, as evidence that inher- 

 ited tendencies are never eradicated, so that each individual contains 

 latent instincts of the whole series of his progenitors. Under the 

 influence of dissolution he first reverts to infantile and then to savage 

 and animal customs. The more rapid and superficial the culture the 

 more ready the reversion. 



'John Turner. Some Further Remarks on Expression in the Insane. 

 Journ. of Mental Science. April, 1893. 



