44 PHYSICAL EXPRESSION. 



surfaces allow of the occurrence of certain reflexes. 

 An object placed in the mouth stimulates the 

 movements of sucking ; cold to the skin is followed 

 by crying ; light causes contraction of the orbicular 

 muscles of the eyelids, and if the eyelids are raised 

 the iris contracts to light. The tone of the 

 sphincter apparatus enables the hollow viscera to 

 retain their contents. In a newborn child a few 

 hours old, the attempt to straighten the elbow 

 when flexed may be strongly resisted. 



Frequent spontaneous movements may be seen 

 while the infant is awake ; movements apparently 

 irregular, are almost constant in the hands, fingers, 

 and toes. A short period of wakefulness is usually 

 followed by sleep, indicated by subsidence of move- 

 ment in the limbs and closure of the eyelids. We 

 say that the newborn infant does not give expres- 

 sion of the faculties of mind, because it does not 

 present physical signs showing that it is impressed, 

 even temporarily, by the sight of surrounding 

 objects ; it does not move its hands towards objects 

 within its field of vision, and no movements indi- 

 cate that it is impressed thereby reflexes of sight 

 and sound are almost entirely absent. 



In the early stages of development there is 

 inability to put out the hand, moving it in a 

 straight line towards an object. There is also 

 inability to touch a definite part of the body 

 where there may be pain. When one leg itches 

 the child is unable to scratch it with the hand, 

 but tends to do so with the other foot. The power 

 to grasp an object by its own act is a later develop- 



