MEANS OF THE EXPEESSION OF THE EMOTIONS. 289 



DISGUST. 



Expression Extreme disgust is expressed by move- 



tions, ' ments round the mouth identical with those 

 page 253. preparatory to the act of vomiting. The 

 mouth is opened widely, with the upper lip strongly 

 retracted, which wrinkles the sides of the nose, and with 

 the lower lip protruded and everted as much as possible. 

 This latter movement requires the contraction of the 

 muscles which draw downward the comers of the mouth. 

 It is remarkable how readily and instantly retching or 

 actual vomiting is induced in some persons by the mere 

 idea of having partaken of any unusual food, as of an 

 animal which is not commonly eaten ; although there is 

 nothing in such food to cause the stomach to reject it. 

 When vomiting results, as a reflex action, from some real 

 cause — as from too rich food, or tainted meat, or from an 

 emetic — it does not ensue immediately, but generally 

 after a considerable interval of time. Therefore, to ac- 

 count for retching or vomiting being so quickly and easi- 

 ly excited by a mere idea, the suspicion arises that our 

 progenitors must formerly have had the power (like that 

 possessed by ruminants and some other animals) of vol- 

 untarily rejecting food which disagreed with them, or 

 which they thought would disagree with them ; and now, 

 though this power has been lost, as far as the will is con- 

 cerned, it is called into involuntary action, through the 

 force of a formerly well-established habit, whenever the 

 mind revolts at the idea of having partaken of any kind 

 of food, or at anything disgusting. This suspicion re- 

 ceives support from the fact, of which I am assured by 

 Mr. Sutton, that the monkeys in the Zoological Gardens 

 often vomit while in perfect health, which looks as if the 

 act were voluntary. We can see that as man is able to 



