1897.] Psychology. 735 
quently weakens the dicrotism. On the other hand, the excitation of 
the heart is more marked and the acceleration of the respiration greater 
in physical than in mental work ; again, in physical work the respira- 
tion grows deeper, while in mental work it becomes more superficial ; 
and finally, prolonged mental work tends to produce a weakening of 
the peripheral circulation, an effect not observed in the experiments on 
physical work. 
The effects of emotion on the heart and pulse are the topic of the last 
paper by the same authors. The experiments on this difficult problem 
were contrived with considerable ingenuity. Some of the subjects were 
children of from 8 to 10, in whom it was easy to excite fear, surprise, 
pleasure, ete. With adults the tests had to be more carefully planned ; 
a false alarm of fire was prearranged in one case, and resulted in real 
fear on the part of the subject ; another subject after being blind-folded 
had his hand placed on a pile of worms. A number of tests embodying 
various emotions were successfully made. It was found that every 
emotion tended to weaken the pulse; the quality of the emotion, 
whether pleasurable or painful, had no marked influence—the contrast 
was altogether between a state of mental rest and one of emotional dis- 
turbance. The heart showed a tendency to accelerate when the excite- 
ment was strong, and here too no difference was observable between 
the pleasant and the painful. The influence on the respiration was 
most marked of all; every emotional excitement produced an acceler- 
ation, and at the same time an increase in depth and a shortening of 
the pause. 
The authors added a idal study of the effects of music on these 
functions. Their experiments on this point were confined to one per- 
son—a man of fine musical appreciation and with considerable of a 
musical education ; they represent, therefore, merely a single type of 
individual. There was found to be a distinct, though slight quicken- 
ing of the respiration and heart in consequence of hearing the tones 
themselves, and apart from any emotional “echo” aroused by them. 
When a melody was played, whether sad or gay, the acceleration was 
more marked, and it reached a climax when the piece was of a dramatic 
character and particularly fitted to arouse emotion. This acceleration, 
however, was not accompanied by any noticeable irregularity. There 
was at the same time in general a weakening of the capillary circula- 
tion, which was less when the sounds had merely a sensorial effect than 
when they produced a distinct emotional disturbance. 
In summing up the whole question of emotional effects on the bodily 
functions, the authors’again lay stress on the differences among individ- 
