332 DISEASES SECT. XXXIV. i. 4, 



mufcles relieve the pain for a time ; we are, however, unwil- 

 ling to lofe the pleafure, and prefently put u (top to this exer- 

 tion, and immediately the pleafure recurs, and again as inftantly 

 rifes into pain- All of us have felt the pain of immoderate 

 laughter ; children have been tickled into convulfions of the 

 whole body ; and others have died in the acl: of laughing ; 

 probably from a paralyfis fucceeding the long continued actions 

 of the mufcles of refpiration. 



Hence we learn the reafon, why children, who are fo eafily 

 excited to Jaugh by the tickling of other people's fingers, cannot 

 tickle themfelves into laughter The exertion of their hands in 

 the endeavour to tickle themfelves prevents the neceffity of any 

 exenion of the refpiratory mufcles to relieve the excefs of pleaf- 

 urable affedion. See Scflt XVII. 3.5. 



Chryfippus is recorded to have died laughing, when an afs 

 was invited to fup with him. The fame is related of one of the 

 popes, who, when he was ill, faw a tame monkey at his bed-fide 

 put on the holy tiara. Hall. Phyf. T III. p. 306. 



There are inftances of epilepfy being produced by laughing 

 recorded by VanSwieten, T. III. 402 and 308. And it is well 

 known, that many people have died inftantaneoufly from the 

 painful excefs of joy, which probably might have been prevent- 

 ed by the exertions of laughter. 



Every combination of ideas, which we attend to, occafions 

 pain or pleafure ; thofe which occafion pleafure, furnifh either 

 focial or felfim pleafure, either malicious or friendly, or lafcivi- 

 ous, or fublime pleafure ; that is, they give us pleafure mixed 

 with other emotions, or they give us unmixed pleafure, without 

 occafioning any other emotions or exertions at the fame time. 

 This unmixed pleafure, if it be great, becomes painful, like all 

 other animal motions from ftimuli of every kind ; and if no 

 other exertions are occafioned at the fame time, we ufe the ex- 

 ertion of laughter to relieve this pain. Hence laughter is occa- 

 fioned by fuch wit as excites (imply pleafure without any other 

 emotion, fuch as pity, love, reverence. For fublime ideas are 

 mixed with admiration, beautiful ones with love, new ones with 

 furprife ; and thefe exertions of our ideas prevent the action of 

 laughter from being neceflary to relieve the painful pleafure 

 above defcribed. Whence laughable wit confifts of frivolous 

 ideas, without connexions of any confequence, fuch as puns on 

 words, or on phrafes, incongruous junctions of ideas ; on which 

 account laughter is fo frequent in children. 



Unmixed pleafure lefs than that, which caufes laughter, caufes 

 fleep, as in finging children to fleep, or in flight intoxication from 

 wine* or food. See Set. XVIII. 1 2. 



