Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-12-03
Mr.. Darwin,s New Book.

The author of the origin Of Spe-
cieS has just issued under the imprim-
dtr Of John Murray, what is describ-
ed by the London papers as "a solid
and closely packed volume" on the
Expression of the emotions in man
and animals" The following ex-
tracts will give an idea of It's gener-
al scope and purpose:
"Many writer's consider the whole
subject of expression as inexplicable.
x No doubt as long as man
and all other animals are viewed as
independent creations, an effectua
stop is put to our natural desire to
investigate, as far as possible, the
cause of expression. By this doc
trine, anything and everything can
be equally well explained and it
has proved as pernicious with re-
spect to expression as to every other
branch Of natural history. With
mankind some expressions, such as
me bristling of the hair under the in
ffuence Of extreme terror, or the un.
covering of the teeth under that of
furious rage, can hardly be under
stoC d, except on the belief that man
once existed in q much lower and
animal-like condition. The commu.
nifty Of certain expressions in dis
tinct though allied species, as in the
movements of the same facial mus.
ces during laughter by man and toy
various monkeys, is rendered some-
what more Ineligible, if we believe
in heir descent from common pro-
genitor, He who admits on general
grounds that the structure and hab-
its OF all animals have been gradual
" evolved, will look at the whole
subject OF expression in a new and
interesting light.
A little gesture made by sulky
children may here be noticed, name
ly, their showing a cold shoulder"
This has . different meaning, as |
believe, from the keeping both shout
ders raised. A cross child, sitting on
its parents knee. will lit up the near
shoulder then jerk it away as If from
caress, aud afterwards give back.
ward push with II, as # to push away
the fender | have seen q child
standing at some distance from any
one, clearly express its feelings by
raising one shoulder, giving it lit
tie back ward movement, and then
turning away it's whole body.
WE have seen that the study of the
theory Of expression confirms to a
certain limited extent the conclusion
that man is derived from some lower
animal form and supports the be
lief Of the specific or sub-specifc uni
ty Of the several races but, as far
as my judgment serves, such conir-
nation was hardly needed
Weeping il probably the result of
some such chain of events as follows:
Children, when wanting food, or suf-
fering in any way, cry out loudly,
like the you gof most other animals,
par tly as a call to their parents for
aid, aud partly from any great exer-
ton serving as a relief. Prolonged
screaming invariably leads to the
gOrging of the blood-vessels of the
eye, and this will have led, at first
consciously, and at last habitually,
to the contraction Of the muscles
round the eyes in order TO protect
them AT the same time the spas
modic pressure on the surface OF the
| eye and the distention Of the vessels
within the eye, without necessarily
eAtalling any conscious sensation,
will have affected, through reflex &C.
ton, the lachrymal glands. Finally,
through the tn ee principles Of nerve
force readily passing along accustOm-
ed channels--of association which is
so widely extended in its power
and OF certain actions, being more
under the control of the will than
others--it has come to pass that SUI.
fering readily causes the secretion of
tears, without being necessarily ac-
companied by any other action. AL
! though in accordance with this view
we must look at weeping as an inci-
| dental result, as purposeless as the
secretion Of tear from q blow out
| side the eye, or as a sneeze from the
retina being affected by a bright
light, yet this does not present any
difficulty in our understanding how
the secretion of tears serves as re-
lief TO suffering. And by as much as
the " eeping is more violent or hys-
tericUl, by so much will the relief be
| greater-on the same principle that
the writing Of the whole body, the
grinding OF the teeth, and the utter
ing OF piercing shrieks all give relief
under an agony of pain.
With young children, sickness is
shown by pouting, or, as it is some
times called, making a snout."
When the corners OF the mouth are
much depres ed, the lower lip is a
tile everted and protruded, and this
is likewise called a pout. But the
pouting here referred to consists OF
the protrusion of both lips into tu>
bular form, sometimes to such an ex-
tent as TO project as far as the end of
he nose, if this be short. Pouting
is generally accom- panied by frown>
ing, and sometimes by the utterance
OF boxing or whoOing noise. This
expression Is remark able, as almost
the sole one, as far as | known,
which is exhibited much more plain
" during childhood, at least with
Europeans, than during maturity.
There is, however, some tendency to
the protrusion Of the lips with the
adults Of all races under the infu-
ence Of great rage. Some children
pout when they are shy, and they
can then hardly be called sulky
From inquiries which | have made
il several large families, pouting does
not seem very common with Euro
pean children; but it prevails
throughout the world, and must be
both common and strongly marked
with the most savage races, as it has
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