ASYMMETRY IN THE FACE. 201 



not the most intellectual. In snarling the canine 

 tooth on one side is uncovered by the action of 

 the levator of the upper lip on that side. This, of 

 course, directly indicates the action of the corre- 

 sponding nerve-centre on one side only. In one- 

 eyed winking the orbicular muscle acts on one side 

 only. This also shows asymmetry of nerve-action. 



Suppose a man in " a quiet frame of mind ; " we 

 should see a general good balance of the muscles 

 and nerve-centres, presenting symmetry of the facial 

 muscles. The man then voluntarily winks with one 

 eye or sneers unconsciously. Here an asymmetrical 

 action replaces the quiet symmetry of the features. 

 A part of the expression of passion may be asym- 

 metry of action of the nerve-centres. 



Writers of fiction, if also observers of nature, some- 

 times describe a man who has just received some 

 depressing news say, a heavy bill as presenting 

 a very long face. Can we, from actual observation 

 and analysis, say that a long face is a mode of ex- 

 pression ? The longest face I ever saw was in a 

 patient with complete paralysis of both sides of the 

 face of over twenty years' standing. The palsy was 

 the result of disease of either ear, which commenced 

 in childhood, and destroyed the facial nerve on each 

 side. In this poor man, the face being constantly 

 acted on by gravity, the tissues had fallen, the 

 muscles had become stretched and permanently 

 elongated, the skin of the chin had fallen far below 

 the chin-bone, and literally the face was a very 

 long one. In a case where one side of the face is 

 paralyzed by destruction of its motor nerve, the 



