THE CEREBRUM, AND ITS FUNCTIONS. 767 



798. Like the other sources of motor activity which have been already 

 treated of, the Emotional tendencies may become morbidly excited, so as to 

 produce a variety of movements which the Will vainly attempts to control. Of 

 this abnormal condition there are several varieties. The most common is the 

 Hysterical state (most frequent among females, though not peculiar to them) 

 in which smiles and cries, laughter and sobbing, are strangely intermingled, and 

 are brought on by the slightest emotional excitement. Now here the deficiency 

 lies rather in the power of voluntary direction of the thoughts, than in the power 

 of the will over the muscles; for such patients can be caused to restrain them- 

 selves, either by the presentation of some powerful motive (as the threat of 

 severe discipline in the event of the return of the paroxysm), or by the more 

 gradual exercise of the power of the Will in repressing the first access of emo- 

 tional excitement by the withdrawal of the mind from the contemplation of all 

 that induces it. For in such individuals the involuntary movements are but 

 the expression of an unhealthy state of Mind; in which, either from an injudi- 

 cious system of education, or from habitual want of self-control on the part of 

 the individual, the emotions are allowed to exercise unchecked domination; and 

 in which the Will is at last so weakened, that the subject of the disorder can 

 scarcely be considered as a responsible being. There are other Hysterical cases, 

 again, in which there is less of mental disorder, but a greater physical excita- 

 bility of the nervous system ; so that most violent paroxysms of a tetanic or 

 epileptic character are induced by very slight stimuli ; and any emotional excite- 

 ment may act as one among these stimuli, without, however, being at all ex- 

 cessive in its amount. Here, too, the Will may have a perfect control over the 

 muscles at all other times than when they are thrown into violent action by the 

 reflex excitability of the Automatic centres ; and the treatment of such cases 

 must be in great degree directed to the removal of such excitability, which fre- 

 quently depends upon some morbid condition of the uterus or ovaries. At the 

 same time, there is no doubt that an habitually perturbed state of the emotions, 

 and especially of those relating to sexual love, has a most decided influence both 

 in first inducing and in subsequently maintaining the automatic excitability ; 

 and that whilst mental tranquillity and self-regulation are almost essential to 

 recovery, nothing promotes it so much as the supervention of a more favorable 

 state of feeling, arising out of the prospective realization of desires repressed or 

 of hopes deferred. But there are other states in which Emotional excitement 

 has a morbid power of inducing muscular movements; and this not through any 

 deficiency of due control over the feelings, but often concurrently with a want 

 of power to bring the Will to bear upon the muscles. This condition in its ex- 

 treme form is known as Chorea, the nature of which will be hereafter examined 

 more minutely ; at present it will be sufficient to refer to some of those slighter 

 forms of it which have received no definite appellation. Thus, there are individu- 

 als not at all remarkable for their emotional excitability, who cannot avoid making 

 the most extraordinary grimaces whenever anything happens which in the least 

 disturbs their usual equanimity, notwithstanding that they may make all the 

 efforts in their power to prevent these. 1 The general muscular agitation of the 



fortnight after her sister's death, however, she was found dead in her bed ; yet neither 

 had there been any symptoms during life, nor was there any post-mortem appearance, 

 which in the least degree accounted for this event, of which no explanation seems admis- 

 sible, except the depressing influence of her pent-up grief upon her frame generally, 

 through the nervous system. 



1 The Author has a case at present under his observation, in which not merely the face, 

 but the body and limbs, are thrown into the most extraordinary contortions, upon any 

 agitation of the feelings, however trifling. This gentleman, a man of education and intel- 

 ligence, of extreme benevolence of character, and a mind habitually well-regulated, can 

 scarcely walk the streets without being liable to the induction of paroxysms of this kind, 

 by causes that could scarcely have been supposed capable of thus operating. For example, 



