the origin and nature of emotions-第14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！


imed　to　have　lost　in　weight　and　strength　during　the　several　months　previous　to　his　admission。　A　tentative　diagnosis　of　malignant　tumor　of　the　large　intestine　was　made；　but　free　movements　weresecured　rather　easily；　and　we　abandoned　the　idea　of　an　exploratory　operation。　　The　patient　gradually　failed　and　died　without　a　definite　diagnosis　having　been　made　by　either　the　medical　or　the　surgical　service。　　At　autopsy　there　was　found　a　wide…spread　peritonitis　arising　from　a　perforated　appendix。　A　child；　several　years　old；　was　taken　ill　with　some　indefinite　disease。　A　number　of　the　ablest　medical　and　surgical　consultants　of　a　leading　medical　center　thoroughly　and　repeatedly　investigated　the　case。　Although　they　could　make　no　definite　diagnosis　they　all　agreed　that　the　trouble　surely　could　not　be　appendicitis　because　there　was　neither　muscular　rigidity　nor　tenderness。　The　autopsy　showed　a　gangrenous　appendix　and　general　peritonitis。　How　can　these　apparently　anomalous　cases　be　explained？　These　two　cases　are　illustrations　of　the　same　principle　that　underlies　the　freedom　from　pain　which　results　from　the　use　of　narcotics　and　anesthetics；　the　same　principle　that　explains　the　fact　that　cholecystitis　may　occur　in　the　aged　without　any　other　local　symptoms　than　the　presence　of　a　mass　and　perhaps　very　slight　tenderness；　and　that　accounts　in　general　for　the　lack　of　well…expressed　disease　phenomena　in　senility　and　in　infancy。　　The　reason　why　the　aged；　the　very　young；　and　the　subjects　of　general　paresis　show　but　few　symptoms　of　disease　is　that　in　senility　the　brain　is　deteriorated；　while　in　infancy　the　brain　is　so　undeveloped　that　the　mechanism　of　association　is　inactive；　hence　pain　and　tenderness；　which　are　among　the　oldest　of　the　associations；　are　wanting。　Senility　and　infancy　are　by　nature　normally　narcotized。　The　senile　are　passing　through　the　twilight　into　the　night；　while　infants　are　traversing　through　the　dawn　into　the　day。　Hence　it　is　that　the　diagnosis　of　injury　and　disease　in　the　extremes　oflife　is　beset　by　especial　difficulties；　since　the　entire　body　is　as　silent　as　are　the　brain；　the　pericardium；　the　mediastinum；　and　other　symptomless　areas。　　For　the　same　reason；　when　a　patient　who　is　seriously　ill　with　a　painful　disease　turns　upon　the　physician　a　glowing　eye　and　an　eager　face；　and　remarks　how　comfortable　he　feels；　then　the　end　is　near。　　This　is　a　brilliant　and　fateful　clinical　mirage。　When　one　reflects　on　the　vast　amount　of　evidence　as　to　the　origin　and　the　purpose　of　pain；　he　is　forced　to　conclude　that　pain　is　a　phenomenon　of　motor　stimulation；　and　that　its　principal　role　is　the　protection　of　the　individual　against　the　gross　and　the　microscopic　enemies　in　his　environment。　　The　benefits　of　pain　are　especially　manifested　in　the　urgent　muscular　actions　by　means　of　which　the　body　moves　away　from　physical　injury；　obstructions　of　the　hollow　viscera　are　overcome；　rest　is　compelled　in　the　acute　infections　the　infected　points　are　held　rigidly　quiet；　the　muscles　of　the　abdomen　are　fixed；　and　harmful　peristalsis　is　arrested　in　peritonitis；　while　there　is　absolutely　no　pain　in　the　diseases　or　injuries　which　affect　those　regions　of　the　body　in　which　in　the　course　of　evolution　no　pain　receptors　were　placed；　or　in　those　diseases　in　which　muscular　inhibition　or　contraction　is　of　no　help。　In　a　biologic　sense　pain　is　closely　associated　with　the　emotional　stimuli；　for　both　pain　and　the　emotions　incite　motor　activity　for　the　good　of　the　individual。　　The　frequent　occurrence　of　post…operative　and　post…　traumatic　pain　is　accounted　for　by　the　fact　that　the　operation　or　the　injury　has　lowered　the　threshold　of　the　brain…　cells　to　trauma；　the　brain　and　not　the　local　sensitive　field　is　the　site　of　the　pain。　I　have　found　that；　by　blockingthe　field　of　operation　with　local　anesthesia；　post…operative　pain　is　diminished；　that　is；　since　the　local　anesthesia　prevents　the　strong　stimuli　of　the　trauma　from　reaching　the　brain；　its　threshold　is　not　lowered。　There　is　a　close　resemblance　between　the　phenomena　of　pain　habit；　of　education；　of　physical　training；　of　love　and　of　hate。　　In　education；　in　pain　habit；　in　all　emotional　relations；　a　low　brain…　cell　threshold　is　established　which　facilitates　the　reception　of　specific　stimuli；　all　these　processes　are　motor　acts；　or　are　symbolic　of　motor　acts；　and　we　may　be　trained　to　perceive　misfortune　and　pain　as　readily　as　we　are　trained　to　perceive　mathematical　formulae　or　moral　precepts。　In　each　and　every　case；　readiness　of　perception　depends；　as　it　seems　to　me；　upon　a　modified　state　of　the　brain…cells；　their　threshold　especially；　the　final　degree　of　perception　possible　in　any　individual　being　perhaps　based　on　the　type　of　potential　molecules　of　which　the　brain　is　built。　We　must　believe　also　that　every　impression　is　permanent；　as　only　thus　could　an　individual　animal　or　a　man　be　fitted　by　his　own　experience　for　life's　battles。　　LAUGHTER　AND　CRYING　What　is　laughter？　What　is　its　probable　origin；　its　distribution；　and　its　purpose？　Laughter　is　an　involuntary　rhythmic　contraction　of　certain　respiratory　muscles；　usually　accompanied　by　certain　vocal　sounds。　It　is　a　motor　act　of　the　respiratory　apparatus　primarily；　although　if　intense　it　may　involve　not　only　the　extraordinary　muscles　of　respiration；　but　most　of　the　muscles　of　the　body。　　There　are　many　degrees　of　laughter；　from　the　mere　brightening　of　the　eyes；　a　fleeting　smile；　tittering　andgiggling；　to　hysteric　and　convulsive　laughter。　Under　certain　circumstances；　laughter　may　be　so　intense　and　so　long　continued　that　it　leads　to　considerable　exhaustion。　The　formation　of　tears　is　sometimes　associated　with　laughter。　When　integrated　with　laughter；　the　nervous　system　can　perform　no　other　function。　　Crying　is　closely　associated　with　laughter；　and　in　children　especially　laughter　and　crying　are　readily　interchanged。　We　postulate　that　laughter　and　weeping　serve　a　useful　purpose。　According　to　Darwin；　only　man　and　monkeys　laugh　（Fig。　26）；　other　animals　exhibit　certain　types　of　facial　expression　accompanying　various　emotions；　but　laughter　in　the　sense　in　which　that　word　is　commonly　used　is　probably　an　attribute　of　the　primates　only；　although　it　is　probable　that　many　animals　find　substitutes　for　laughter。　The　proneness　of　man　to　laughter　is　modified　by　age；　sex；　training；　mental　state；　health；　and　by　many　other　factors。　　Healthy；　happy　children　are　especially　prone　to　laughter；　while　disease；　strong　emotions；　fatigue；　and　age　diminish　laughter。　　Women　laugh　more　than　do　men。　The　healthy；　happy　maturing　young　woman　perhaps　laughs　most；　especially　when　she　is　slightly　embarrassed。　　What　causes　laughter？　　Good　news；　high　spirits；　tickling；　hearing　and　seeing　others　laugh；　droll　stories；　flashes　of　wit；　passages　of　humor；　averted　injury；　threatened　breach　of　the　conventions；　and　numerous　other　causes　might　be　added。　It　is　obvious　that　laughter　may　be　produced　by　diverse　influences；　many　of　which　are　so　unlike　each　other　that　it　would　at　first　sight　seem　improbable　that　a　single　general　principle　underlies　all。　Before　presenting　a　hypothesis　which　harmonizes　most　of　the　facts；　and　which　mayoffer　an　explanation　of　the　origin　and　purpose　of　laughter；　let　us　return　for　a　moment　to　some　previous　considerations　that　man　is　essentially　a　motor　being；　that　all　his　responses　to　the　physical　forces　of　his　environment　are　motor；　｛illust。　caption　=　FIG。　　26。LAUGHING　CHIMPANZEE。　　〃Mike；〃　the　clever　chimpanzee　in　the　London　Zoo；　evidently　enjoys　a　joke　as　well　as　any　one　else。　（Photo　by　Underwood　and　Underwood；　N。　Y。）｝


that　thoughts　and　words　even　are　symbolic　of　motor　acts；　that　in　the　emotions　of　fear；　of　anger；　and　of　sexual　love　the　whole　body　is　integrated　for　acts　which　are　not　performed。　These　integrations　stimulate　the　brain…cells；　the　ductless　glands；　and　other　parts；　and　the　energizing　secretions；　among　which　are　epinephrin；　thyroid　and　hypophyseal　secretions；　are　thrown　into　the　blood…stream；　while　that　most　available　fuel；　glycogen；　is　also　mobilized　in　the　blood。　This　body…wide　preparation　for　action　may　be　designated　kinetic　reaction。　The　fact　that　emotion　is　more　injurious　to　the　body　than　is　muscular　action　is　well　known；　the　difference　being　probably　caused　by　the　fact　that　when　there　is　action　the　above…mentioned　products　of　stimulation　are　consumed；　while　in　stimulation　without　action　they　are　not　consumed　and　must　be　eliminated　as　waste　products。　Now　these　activating　substances　and　the　fuel　glycogen　may　be　consumed　by　any　muscular　action　as　well　as　by　the　particular　muscular　action　for　which　the　integration　and　consequent　stimulation　were　made；　that　is；　if　one　were　provoked　to　such　anger　that　he　felt　impelled　to　attack　the　object　of　his　anger；　one　of　three　things　might　happen：　First；　he　might　perform　no　physical　act　but　give　expression　to　the　emotion　of　anger；　second；　he　might　engage　in　a　physical　struggle　and　completely　satisfy　his　anger；　third；　he　might　immediately　engage　in　violent　gymnastic　exercises　and　thus　consume　all　the　motor…producing　elements　mobilized　by　the　anger　and　thus　clarify　his　body。

In　these　premises　we　find　our　explanation　of　the　origin　and　purpose　of　laughter　and　crying；　for　since　they　consist　almost　wholly　of　muscular　exertion；　they　serve　precisely　such　clarifying　purposes　as　would　be