the expression of emotion in man and animals-第60节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Browne；　together　with　his　assistants；　visited　her　whilst　she　was　in　bed。　The　moment　that　he　approached；　she　blushed　deeply　over　her　cheeks　and　temples；　and　the　blush　spread　quickly　to　her　ears。　　She　was　much　agitated　and　tremulous。　　He　unfastened　the　collar　of　her　chemise　in　order　to　examine　the　state　of　her　lungs；　and　then　a　brilliant　blush　rushed　over　her　chest；　in　an　arched　line　over　the　upper　third　of　each　breast；　and　extended　downwards　between　the　breasts　nearly　to　the　ensiform　cartilage　of　the　sternum。　This　case　is　interesting；　as　the　blush　did　not　thus　extend　downwards　until　it　became　intense　by　her　attention　being　drawn　to　this　part　of　her　person。　As　the　examination　proceeded　she　became　composed；　and　the　blush　disappeared；　but　on　several　subsequent　occasions　the　same　phenomena　were　observed。


＇6＇　Moreau；　in　edit。　　of　1820　of　Lavater；　vol。　　iv。　　p。　　303。

＇7＇　Burgess。　　ibid。　　p。　　38；　on　paleness　after　blushing；　p。　　177。

The　foregoing　facts　show　that；　as　a　general　rule；　with　English　women；　blushing　does　not　extend　beneath　the　neck　and　upper　part　of　the　chest。　Nevertheless　Sir　J。　Paget　informs　me　that　he　has　lately　heard　of　a　case；　on　which　he　can　fully　rely；　in　which　a　little　girl；　shocked　by　what　she　imagined　to　be　an　act　of　indelicacy；　blushed　all　over　her　abdomen　and　the　upper　parts　of　her　legs。　Moreau　also＇8＇　relates；　on　the　authority　of　a　celebrated　painter；　that　the　chest；　shoulders；　arms；　and　whole　body　of　a　girl；　who　unwillingly　consented　to　serve　as　a　model；　reddened　when　she　was　first　divested　of　her　clothes。

It　is　a　rather　curious　question　why；　in　most　cases　the　face；　ears；　and　neck　alone　redden；　inasmuch　as　the　whole　surface　of　the　body　often　tingles　and　grows　hot。　　This　seems　to　depend；　chiefly；　on　the　face　and　adjoining　parts　of　the　skin　having　been　habitually　exposed　to　the　air；　light；　and　alternations　of　temperature；　by　which　the　small　arteries　not　only　have　acquired　the　habit　of　readily　dilating　and　contracting；　but　appear　to　have　become　unusually　developed　in　comparison　with　other　parts　of　the　surface。＇9＇　It　is　probably　owing　to　this　same　cause；　as　M。　Moreau　and　Dr。　Burgess　have　remarked；　that　the　face　is　so　liable　to　redden　under　various　circumstances；　such　as　a　fever…fit。　ordinary　heat；　violent　exertion；　anger；　a　slight　blow；　&c。；　and　on　the　other　hand　that　it　is　liable　to　grow　pale　from　cold　and　fear；　and　to　be　discoloured　during　pregnancy。　The　face　is　also　particularly　liable　to　be　affected　by　cutaneous　complaints；　by　small…pox；　erysipelas；　&c。　This　view　is　likewise　supported　by　the　fact　that　the　men　of　certain　races；　who　habitually　go　nearly　naked；　often　blush　over　their　arms　and　chests　and　even　down　to　their　waists。　A　lady；　who　is　a　great　blusher；　informs　Dr。　Crichton　Browne；　that　when　she　feels　ashamed　or　is　agitated；　she　blushes　over　her　face；　neck；　wrists；　and　hands；that　is；　over　all　the　exposed　portions　of　her　skin。　Nevertheless　it　may　be　doubted　whether　the　habitual　exposure　of　the　skin　of　the　face　and　neck；　and　its　consequent　power　of　reaction　under　stimulants　of　all　kinds；　is　by　itself　sufficient　to　account　for　the　much　greater　tendency　in　English　women　of　these　parts　than　of　others　to　blush；　for　the　hands　are　well　supplied　with　nerves　and　small　vessels；　and　have　been　as　much　exposed　to　the　air　as　the　face　or　neck；　and　yet　the　hands　rarely　blush。　We　shall　presently　see　that　the　attention　of　the　mind　having　been　directed　much　more　frequently　and　earnestly　to　the　face　than　to　any　other　part　of　the　body；　probably　affords　a　sufficient　explanation。


＇8＇　See　Lavater；　edit。　　of　1820；　vol。　　iv。　　p。　　303。

＇9＇　Burgess；　ibid。　　pp。　　114；　122。　　Moreau　in　Lavater；　ibid。　vol。　　iv。　　p。　　293。


_Blushing　in　the　various　races　of　man_。The　small　vessels　of　the　face　become　filled　with　blood；　from　the　emotion　of　shame；　in　almost　all　the　races　of　man；　though　in　the　very　dark　races　no　distinct　change　of　colour　can　be　perceived。　Blushing　is　evident　in　all　the　Aryan　nations　of　Europe；　and　to　a　certain　extent　with　those　of　India。　　But　Mr。　Erskine　has　never　noticed　that　the　necks　of　the　Hindoos　are　decidedly　affected。　With　the　Lepchas　of　Sikhim；　Mr。　Scott　has　often　observed　a　faint　blush　on　the　cheeks；　base　of　the　ears；　and　sides　of　the　neck；　accompanied　by　sunken　eyes　and　lowered　head。　This　has　occurred　when　he　has　detected　them　in　a　falsehood；　or　has　accused　them　of　ingratitude。　　The　pale；　sallow　complexions　of　these　men　render　a　blush　much　more　conspicuous　than　in　most　of　the　other　natives　of　India。　　With　the　latter；　shame；　or　it　may　be　in　part　fear；　is　expressed；　according　to　Mr。　Scott；　much　more　plainly　by　the　head　being　averted　or　bent　down；　with　the　eyes　wavering　or　turned　askant；　than　by　any　change　of　colour　in　the　skin。

The　Semitic　races　blush　freely；　as　might　have　been　expected；　from　their　general　similitude　to　the　Aryans。　　Thus　with　the　Jews；　it　is　said　in　the　Book　of　Jeremiah　（chap。　vi。　15）；　〃Nay；　they　were　not　at　all　ashamed；　neither　could　they　blush。〃　Mrs。　Asa　Gray　saw　an　Arab　managing　his　boat　clumsily　on　the　Nile；　and　when　laughed　at　by　his　companions；　〃he　blushed　quite　to　the　back　of　his　neck。〃　　Lady　Duff　Gordon　remarks　that　a　young　Arab　blushed　on　coming　into　her　presence。＇10＇

Mr。　Swinhoe　has　seen　the　Chinese　blushing；　but　he　thinks　it　is　rare；　yet　they　have　the　expression　〃to　redden　with　shame。〃　　Mr。　Geach　informs　me　that　the　Chinese　settled　in　Malacca　and　the　native　Malays　of　the　interior　both　blush。　　Some　of　these　people　go　nearly　naked；　and　he　particularly　attended　to　the　downward　extension　of　the　blush。　Omitting　the　cases　in　which　the　face　alone　was　seen　to　blush；　Mr。　Geach　observed　that　the　face；　arms；　and　breast　of　a　Chinaman；　aged　24　years；　reddened　from　shame；　and　with　another　Chinese；　when　asked　why　he　had　not　done　his　work　in　better　style；　the　whole　body　was　similarly　affected。　In　two　Malays＇11＇　he　saw　the　face；　neck；　breast；　and　arms　blushing；　and　in　a　third　Malay　（a　Bugis）　the　blush　extended　down　to　the　waist。

The　Polynesians　blush　freely。　　The　Rev。　Mr。　Stack　has　seen　hundreds　of　instances　with　the　New　Zealanders。　　The　following　case　is　worth　giving；　as　it　relates　to　an　old　man　who　was　unusually　dark…coloured　and　partly　tattooed。　　After　having　let　his　land　to　an　Englishman　for　a　small　yearly　rental；　a　strong　passion　seized　him　to　buy　a　gig；　which　had　lately　become　the　fashion　with　the　Maoris。　　He　consequently　wished　to　draw　all　the　rent　for　four　years　from　his　tenant；　and　consulted　Mr。　Stack　whether　he　could　do　so。　The　man　was　old；　clumsy；　poor；　and　ragged；　and　the　idea　of　his　driving　himself　about　in　his　carriage　for　display　amused　Mr。　Stack　so　much　that　he　could　not　help　bursting　out　into　a　laugh；　and　then　〃the　old　man　blushed　up　to　the　roots　of　his　hair。〃　Forster　says　that　〃you　may　easily　distinguish　a　spreading　blush〃　on　the　cheeks　of　the　fairest　women　in　Tahiti。＇12＇　The　natives　also　of　several　of　the　other　archipelagoes　in　the　Pacific　have　been　seen　to　blush。


＇10＇　‘Letters　from　Egypt；'　1865；　p。　　66。　　Lady　Gordon　is　mistaken　when　she　says　Malays　and　Mulattoes　never　blush。

＇11＇　Capt。　Osborn　（‘Quedah；'　p。　　199）；　in　speaking　of　a　Malay；　whom　be　reproached　for　cruelty；　says　he　was　glad　to　see　that　the　man　blushed。

Mr。　Washington　Matthews　has　often　seen　a　blush　on　the　faces　of　the　young　squaws　belonging　to　various　wild　Indian　tribes　of　North　America。　　At　the　opposite　extremity　of　the　continent　in　Tierra　del　Fuego；　the　natives；　according　to　Mr。　Bridges；　〃blush　much；　but　chiefly　in　regard　to　women；　but　they　certainly　blush　also　at　their　own　personal　appearance。〃　　This　latter　statement　agrees　with　what　I　remember　of　the　Fuegian；　Jemmy　Button；　who　blushed　when　he　was　quizzed　about　the　care　which　he　took　in　polishing　his　shoes；　and　in　otherwise　adorning　himself。　With　respect　to　the　Aymara　Indians　on　the　lofty　plateaus　of　Bolivia；　Mr。　Forbes　says；＇13＇　that　from　the　colour　of　their　skins　it　is　impossible　that　their　blushes　should　be　as　clearly　visible　as　in　the　white　races；　still　under　such　circumstances　as　would　raise　a　blush　in　us；　〃there　can　always　be　seen　the　same　expression　of　modesty　or　confusion；　and　even　in　the　dark；　a　rise　of　temperature　of　the　skin　of　the　face　can　be　felt；　exactly　as　occurs　in　the　European。〃　　With　the　Indians　who　inhabit　the　hot；　equable；　and　damp　parts　of　South　America；　the　skin　apparently　does　not　answer　to　mental　excitement　so　readily　as　with　the　natives　of　the　northern　and　southern　parts　of　the　continent；　who　have　long　been　exposed　to　great　vicissitudes　of　climate；　for　Humboldt　quotes　without　a　protest　the　sneer　of　the　Spaniard；　〃How　can　those　be　trusted；　who　know　not　how　to　blush？〃＇14＇　Von　Spix　and　Martius；　in　speaking　of　the　aborigines　of　Brazil；　assert　that　they　cannot　properly　be　said　to　blush；　〃it　was　only　after　long　intercourse　with　the　whites；　and　after　receiving　some　education；　that　we　perceived　in　the　Indians　a　change　of　colour　expressive　of　the　emotions　of　their　minds。〃＇15＇　It　is；　however；　incredible　that　the　power　of　blushing　could　have　thus　originated；　but　the　habit　of　self…attention；　consequent　on　their　education　and　new　course　of　life；　would　have　much　increased　any　innate　tendency　to　blush。


＇12＇　J。　R。　Forster；　‘Observations　during　a　Voyage　round　the　World；'　4to；　1778；　p。　　229。　　Waitz　gives　（‘Introduction　to　Anthropo