486 DISEASES OF VOLITION. SECT. XXXIV. i. 



into pain. All of us have felt the pain of immo- 

 derate laughter; children have been tickled into con- 

 vulfions or the whole body ; and others have died 

 in the act of laughing; probably from a paralyhs 

 fucceeding the long continued actions of the mufcles 

 of refpiration. 



Hence we learn the reafon, why children, who 

 are fo eafily excited to laugh by the tickling of other 

 people's fingers, cannot tickle themfelves into laugh- 

 ter. The exertion of their hands in the endeavour 

 to tickle themfelves prevents the neceffity of any 

 exertion of the refpiratory mufcles to relieve the ex- 

 cefs of pleafarable atfedion. See Sect. 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 bedfide put on the 

 holy tiara. Hall. Phyf. T. III. p. 306. 



There are inilances of epilepfy being produced by 

 laughing recorded by Van^Swieten, 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 prevented by the 

 pcertions of laughter. 



Every combination of ideas, which we attend to, 

 pccafions pain or pleafure; thofe which occaiion 

 pleafure, furnifh either focial or felfifh pleafure, ei- 

 ^her malicious or friendly, or lafcivious, or fublime 

 pleafure; that is, they give us pleafure mixed with 

 Other emotions, or they give us unmixed pleafure, 

 without occasioning any other emotions or exertions 

 at the fame-time. This unmixed pleafure, if it be 

 great, becomes painful, like all other animal motions 

 from flimuli of" every kiad ; and if no other exer- 

 tions are occafioned at the fame time, we ufe the 

 exertioa of laughter to relieve this pain. Hence 

 laughter is occafioned by fuch wit as excites fimple 

 pleafure without any othex emotion, fuch as pity, 



love, 



