the origin and nature of emotions-第10节

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creased　as　the　powerful　stimulus　of　fear　drains　the　cup　of　nervous　energy　even　though　no　visible　action　may　result。　An　animal　under　the　stimulus　of　fear　may　be　likened　to　an　automobile　with　the　clutch　thrown　out　but　whose　engine　is　racing　at　full　speed。　The　gasoline　is　being　consumed；　the　machinery　is　being　worn；　but　the　machine　as　a　whole　does　not　move；　though　the　power　of　its　engine　may　cause　it　to　tremble。

When　this　conception　is　applied　to　the　human　beings　of　today；　certain　mysterious　phenomena　are　at　once　elucidated。　　It　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　man　has　not　been　presented　with　any　new　organs　to　meet　the　requirements　of　his　present　state　of　civilization；　indeed；　not　only　does　he　possess　organs　of　the　same　type　as　those　of　his　savage　fellows；　but　of　the　same　type　also　as　those　possessed　by　the　lower　animals　even。　In　fact；　man　has　reached　his　present　status　of　civilization　with　the　primary　equipment　of　brutish　organs。　　Perhaps　the　most　striking　difference　between　man　and　animals　lies　in　the　greater　control　which　man　has　gained　over　his　primitive　instinctive　reactions。　As　compared　with　the　entire　duration　of　organic　evolution；　man　came　down　from　his　arboreal　abode　and　assumed　his　new　role　of　increased　domination　over　the　physical　world　but　a　moment　ago。　And　now；　though　sitting　at　his　desk　in　command　of　the　complicated　machinery　of　civilization；　when　he　fears　a　business　catastrophe　his　fear　is　manifested　in　the　terms　of　his　ancestral　physical　battle　in　the　struggle　for　existence。　　He　cannot　fear　intellectually；　he　cannot　fear　dispassionately；　he　fears　with　all　his　organs；　and　the　same　organs　are　stimulated　and　inhibited　as　if；　instead　of　it　being　a　battle　of　credit；　of　position；　or　of　honor；　it　were　a　physical　battle　with　teeth　and　claws。　　Whether　the　cause　of　acute　fear　be　moral；　financial；　social；　or　stage　fright；　the　heart　beats　wildly；　the　respirations　are　accelerated；　perspiration　is　increased；　there　are　pallor；　trembling；　indigestion；　dry　mouth；　etc。　The　phenomena　are　those　which　accompany　physical　exertion　in　self…defense　or　escape。　　There　is　not　one　group　of　phenomena　for　the　acute　fear　of　the　president　of　a　bank　in　a　financial　crash　and　another　for　the　hitherto　trusted　official　who　suddenly　and　unexpectedly　faces　the　imminent　probability　of　the　penitentiary；　or　one　for　a　patient　who　unexpectedly　finds　he　has　a　cancer　and　another　for　the　hunter　when　he　shoots　his　first　big　game。　Nature　has　but　one　means　of　response　to　fear；　and　whatever　its　cause　the　phenomena　are　always　the　samealways　physical。

If　the　stimulus　of　fear　be　repeated　from　day　to　day；　whether　in　the　case　of　a　mother　anxious　on　account　of　the　illness　of　a　child；　a　business　man　struggling　against　failure；　a　politician　under　contest　for　appointment；　a　broker　in　the　daily　hazard　of　his　fortune；　litigants　in　legal　battle；　or　a　jealous　lover　who　fears　a　rival；　the　countless　real　as　well　as　the　baseless　fears　in　daily　life；　in　fact；　all　forms　of　fear；　as　it　seems　to　me；　express　themselves　in　like　terms　of　ancestral　physical　contests。　　On　this　law；　fear　dominates　the　various　organs　and　parts　of　the　body。

Anger　and　fear　express　opposite　emotional　states。　　Fear　is　the　expression　of　a　strong　desire　to　escape　from　danger；　anger；　of　a　strong　desire　to　attack　physically　and　to　vanquish　opposition。　This　hypothesis　is　strongly　supported　by　the　outward　expressions　of　fear　and　of　anger。　　When　the　business　man　is　conducting　a　struggle　for　existence　against　his　rivals；　and　when　the　contest　is　at　its　height；　he　may　clench　his　fists；　pound　the　table；　perhaps　show　his　teeth；　and　exhibit　every　expression　of　physical　combat。　Fixing　the　jaw　and　showing　the　teeth　in　anger　merely　emphasize　the　remarkable　tenacity　of　phylogeny。　　Although　the　development　of　the　wonderful　efficiency　of　the　hands　has　led　to　a　modification　of　the　once　powerful　canines　of　our　progenitors；　the　ancestral　use　of　the　teeth　for　attack　and　defense　is　attested　in　the　display　of　anger。　In　all　stations　of　life　differences　of　opinion　may　lead　to　argument　and　argument　to　physical　combats；　even　to　the　point　of　killing。　The　physical　violence　of　the　savage　and　of　the　brute　still　lies　surprisingly　near　the　surface　（Fig。　21）。

We　have　now　presented　some　of　the　reasons　based　largely　on　gross　animal　behavior　why　fear　is　to　be　regarded　as　a　response　to　phylogenetic　association　with　physical　danger。　　In　further　support　of　this　hypothesis；　I　shall　now　present　some　clinical　and　experimental　evidence。　Although　there　is　not　convincing　proof；　yet　there　is　evidence　that　the　effect　of　the　stimulus　of　fear　upon　the　body　when　unaccompanied　by　physical　activity　is　more　injurious　than　is　an　actual　physical　contest　which　results　in　fatigue　without　gross　physical　injury。　It　is　well　known　that　the　soldier　who；　while　under　fire；　waits　in　vain　for　orders　to　charge；　suffers　more　than　the　soldier　who　flings　himself　into　the　fray；　and　that　a　wild　animal　endeavoring　to　avoid　capture　suffers　less　than　one　cowering　in　captivity。　An　unexpressed　smouldering　emotion　is　measurably　relieved　by　action。　It　is　probable　that　the　various　energizing　substances　needed　in　physical　combat；　such　as　the　secretions　of　the　thyroid；　the　adrenals　（Cannon）；　etc。；　may　cause　physical　injury　to　the　body　when　they　are　not　consumed　by　action　（Fig。　22）。

That　the　brain　is　definitely　influenceddamaged　even　by　fear　has　been　proved　by　the　following　experiments：　Rabbits　were　frightened　by　a　dog　but　were　neither　injured　nor　chased。　After　various　periods　of　time　the　animals　were　killed　and　their　brain…cells　compared　with　the　brain…cells　of　normal　animals　wide…spread　changes　were　seen　（Fig。　13）。　The　principal　clinical　phenomena　expressed　by　the　rabbit　were　rapid　heart；　accelerated　respiration；　prostration；　tremors；　and　a　rise　in　temperature。　　The　dog　showed　similar　phenomena；　excepting　that；　instead　of　such　muscular　relaxation　as　was　shown　by　the　rabbit；　it　exhibited　aggressive　muscular　action。　Both　the　dog　and　the　rabbit　were　exhausted　but；　although　the　dog　exerted　himself　actively　and　the　rabbit　remained　physically　passive；　the　rabbit　was　much　more　exhausted。

Further　observations　were　made　upon　the　brain　of　a　fox　which　had　been　chased　for　two　hours　by　members　of　a　hunt　club；　and　had　been　finally　overtaken　by　the　hounds　and　killed。　Most　of　the　brain…cells　of　this　fox；　as　compared　with　those　of　a　normal　fox；　showed　extensive　physical　changes　（Fig。　4）。

The　next　line　of　evidence　is　offered　with　some　reservation；　but　it　has　seemed　to　me　to　be　more　than　mere　idle　speculation。　It　relates　to　the　phenomena　of　one　of　the　most　interesting　diseases　in　the　entire　category　of　human　ailmentsI　refer　to　exophthalmic　goiter；　or　Graves'　disease；　a　disease　primarily　involving　the　emotions。　This　disease　is　frequently　the　direct　sequence　of　severe　mental　shock　or　of　a　long　and　intensely　worrying　strain。　The　following　case　is　typical：　　A　broker　was　in　his　usual　health　up　to　the　panic　of　1907；　during　this　panic　his　fortune　and　that　of　others　were　for　almost　a　year　in　jeopardy；　failure　finally　occurring。　During　this　heavy　strain　he　became　increasingly　nervous　and　by　imperceptible　degrees　there　developed　a　pulsating　enlargement　of　the　thyroid　gland；　an　increased　prominence　of　the　eyes；　marked　increase　in　perspirationprofuse　sweating　evenpalpitation　of　the　heart；　increased　respiration　with　frequent　sighing；　increase　in　blood…pressure；　there　were　tremor　of　many　muscles；　rapid　loss　of　weight　and　strength；　frequent　gastro…intestinal　disturbances；　loss　of　normal　control　of　his　emotions；　and　marked　impairment　of　his　mental　faculties。　He　was　as　completely　broken　in　health　as　in　fortune。　These　phenomena　resembled　closely　those　of　fear　and　followed　in　the　wake　of　a　strain　which　was　due　to　fear。

In　young　women　exophthalmic　goiter　often　follows　in　the　wake　of　a　disappointment　in　love；　in　women；　too；　it　frequently　follows　the　illnesses　of　children　or　parents　during　which　they　have　had　to　endure　the　double　strain　of　worry　and　of　constant　care。　Since　such　strains　usually　fall　most　heavily　upon　women；　they　are　the　most　frequent　victims　of　this　disease。　　Now；　whatever　the　exciting　cause　of　exophthalmic　goiter；　whether　it　be　unusual　business　worry；　disappointment　in　love；　a　tragedy；　or　the　illness　of　a　loved　one；　the　symptoms　are　alike　and　closely　resemble　the　phenomena　of　one　of　the　great　primitive　emotions。　　How　could　disappointment　in　love　play　a　role　in　the　causation　of　Graves'　disease？　　If　the　hypothesis　which　has　been　presented　as　an　explanation　of　the　genesis　and　the　phenomena　of　fear　be　correct；　then　that　hypothesis　explains　also　the　emotion　of　love。　　If　fear　be　a　phylogenetic　physical　defense　or　escape　which　does　not　result　in　muscular　action；　then　love　is　a　phylogenetic　conjugation　without　physical　action。　The　quickened　pulse；　the　leaping　heart；　the　accelerated　respiration；　the　sighing；　the　glowing　eye；　the　crimson　cheek；　and　many　other　phenomena　are　merely　phylogenetic　recapitulations　of　ancestral　acts。　The　thyroid　gland　is　believed　to　participate　in　such　physical　activities。　Hence　it　may　well　follow　that　the　disappointed　maiden　who　is　intensely　integrated　for　a　youth　will；　at　every　thought　of　him；　be　subjected　by　phylogenetic　association　to　a　specific　stimulation　analogous　to　that　which　attended　t