The Emotions. 777 



Those forms of the expressions of the habitual feelings or emotions 

 which are usual and automatic, have become so through long habit of the 

 present generation, and of our ancestors ; the effects of the habits of 

 our ancestors being transmitted to us in the shape of predispositions to 

 fall into the same habits. Thus, a feeling of obsequiousness, acting as 

 a stimulus, produces a tension on certain muscles of the face, eyes, 

 body, neck and limbs, producing that attitude and expression which we 

 speak of as humble and deferential. This attitude is assumed sub-con- 

 sciously as the automatic reaction of the brain we inherited from our 

 ancestors. This structure, modified by the use made of it in us, will be 

 handed down to our posterity as one of the bases of their instinctive 

 habits, and so on. The stimuli which are reflected from the various 

 centers of emotion when powerful may produce consciousness, and they 

 may be counteracted and neutralized by stimuli from other centers of 

 ideation, or they may burst forth in an uncontrollable manner in the 

 movement of limbs, or in tears, sobs, moans, outcries, laughter, &c. 

 These movements are to be regarded as the mechanical equivalents of 

 the tensions of the emotional stimuli, of which they are the usual and 

 therefore " natural " expressions. But the tension of these stimuli may 

 be worked off by other mechanical movements. A half-idiotic youth in 

 the lunatic asylum at Boston, was subject to violent paroxysms of an- 

 ger. It was suggested to put him at some fatiguing work, with a view 

 of moderating his passionate demonstrations. He was, willingly enough 

 on his part, set to sawing wood for two or three hours every day except 

 Sunday. The effect was that he was tame enough every day he worked, 

 his outrageous conduct breaking out onty on Sunday. When the task 

 was afterward appointed for that day too, there was no longer any 

 trouble with him. (Dr. Howe. ) Anger which usually manifests itself 

 by an explosion of oaths or personal abuse, violent gesticulations, flash- 

 ing of the eyes, tears, hysterical laughter, &c. , may also, as in the 

 above case, find vent in sawing wood. Any other vigorous exercise 

 would answer, as rapid walking, &c. Some persons will slam a door, 

 stamp the foot, kick the dog, &c. , the principle being the diversion of 

 attention and blood from the excited organ. 



The restraint of the physical expressions of the emotions, by main- 

 taining the violent excessive and prolonged erethism of the brain cells 

 inrolvcd, is productive of pain or uneasiness and an apparent effort on 

 the part of the stimulus to find vent. It is well known that pent up 

 grief may disastrously affect the whole nervous system, and through it, 

 the general vitality. Not a few instances of death from grief are on 

 record. But where the demonstrations of grief are violent, it is usually 

 short lived, however real it may be. Diversion is the best remedy for 

 painful tensions of the emotional organs. Because, first, the excitement 



