New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-01-14

heck. Bushing Is ,seen in oil the ATyaD nations
If Europe, and to certain extent with those OF
India. The Semitic races blush freely the Chinese
seldom. You may often see blush on the cheeks OF
Ihe fairest Polynesian women, and Of the young
squaws among the American Indians. Negroes pre-
sent an appearance resembling blush, described by
some observers as blushing brown, while most affirm
that the blackness becomes more intense. The con-
fusion of the mental powers which most persons ex-
perence while blushing deeply is admirably Illus
uated by the author.
Persons in this condition lose their presence OF mind
and utter singularly inappropriate remarks Ihey are
often much distressed, stammer. and make awkward
movements strange rmaces In certain cases iny1l-
observed have been informed by young lady VINO
bushes excessively that at such times she does not even
that this might due TO her distress from the conscious
ness that her bushng was noticed she answered ' o
quite as stupid when bushing alta thought in her own
ROOM" ,-. -,
will give an instance Of the extreme disturbance OF
mind To which some sensitive men are liable. gentle
man. on whom rely, assured me that he had Deen
an eyewitness OF the following scene small dlnler-
narfy was given in honor of extremely shy who,
when he rose to return thanks rehearsed the speech
which ne had evidently learnt by heart, in absolute
silence and did not utter single word but he acted as
IL he were speaking with much emphasis. HIS friends
perceiying how the case Stood loudly appauded inc
maSnaTy bursts of eOquence, whenever his gestures
Indicated pause and the man never discovered tDat ne
had remained the whole time completely silent On te
contrary he afterward remarked 10 my friend, with
much Satisfaction that he thought he had succeeded I'M
When q person is much ashamed OF very shy, and
bushes intensely his heart beats rapidly and his breath
ia d,stnrhed This can hardly fail TO affect the oircu
aton of the blood within the brain, and perhaps the
mental powers. IL seems, however, doubtful, judging
from the s more powerful influence OF anger and fear
ON the Circulation whether can thus satisfactorily
account the confused state OF mind IN persons "he
bushlng intensely. g., -, .,.o. %
sympathy which exists between the capillary crcula
ton OF the surface OF the mead ana lace ana ' t VI
a., n annlt i
information, he has gwen me various facts bearing
on this subject When the sympathetic nerve IS divided
on one side of the head, the caplares this side are
relaxed and become filed with blood, causing the SKIN 10
redden and to grow hot ana al the same time te 'e
fammatOn OF the membranes OF the brain leads 10 re
engagement OF the face ears, and eyes with blood Inc
first stage of an epieptc lit appears TO be the c0ntrac
ton of Inc vessels OF the BRAIN and the first outward
manifestation is an extreme palor OF c0untenance y
sipeas of the head commonly induces delrlum: len
the relief given to severe heaIache Dy DuIulns to
skin with strong lotion depends presume on inc same
principle.
vapor OF the nitrite of amyL which has the singular
property of causing vivid redness OF the face IN rom
thirty TO sixty seconds. This flushing resembles blush
ing in almost every detail: begins at several DISTINCT
points the face, and spreads n II involves the Wnoe
surface of the head neck ana 'front.' OF the cnes D'
has been observed extend only IN one case 10 inc az
dOmen The arteries In the retina become enlarged tue
eyes gsten and in one instance there was sigh emu
sion OF tears Ghc patients are at first pleasantly stnu
lated but "a the flushing increases they become con-
fused and bewildered. one woman to whom the Vapof
had often been administered asserted tdt as soO az
SIN rev
commencing TO blush 1t appears, Judging from thelr
bright eyes and lively behavior that their mental powers
are somewhat stimulated lti only when the Dlushihs
Is excessive that the mimi grows confused lheIoc
would seem that the capares Of the face are aueeted
both during the Inhalation OF the nitre Of am{l and
during blushn before that part Oh the prah Is oc'cu
ON which the mental powers depend.
Conversely when tue brain Is primarily Affected thc
circulation of the skin is so in secondary manner Dt
Browne has frequently observed, as he informs me-
scattered red botches and mOLngs on the chests of e
lleptc patents In these cases Nhth lie shin ul ~
thOrax abdomen is gently rubbed with pencil OF
other object, in srongly-narked cases, Is merely
touched by the nnger the surface becomes slHust
less than half a minute with bright red marks when
spread to distance on each side OF the touched
point, and persist for several minutes These arc Ie
cerebral mdcui0 OF 1Ousseau and they indicate as Ut
Browne remarks, highly modified condition OF tAe GU
faneOus vascular system. II, them there exists, rs can
NOT he doubted an intimate sympathy between the ca
pary circulation IN that part OF the brain on when our
mental powers depend and the SKIN OF the face il noS
surprising that tine moral causes which induce ntepse
bushng should likewise induce, independently Oh tAer
own disturbing influence, much confusion Of mind'
The expositlons III this volume are to great de-
gree independent of the peculiar peculatlons Of Mr.
Darwin in regard to the origin Of species. His oc-
casonal references TO their bearing the subject
will probably be regarded as more ingenious than
conclusive The fact that all the chief expressions
exhibited by man are the same throughout the
world. he considers an evidence of the descent Of
the several races from single parentstock, which
must have been almost completely hu-
man in structure, and to large extent
in mind, before the period at which the
races diyerged from each other. Similar
structures adapted for the purpose, he believes,
have often been Independently acquired by distinct
species but this view will not explain the close SINH
larity between distinct species in multitude Of UNI
important details. 1t seems improbable that such
identity of structure could have been acquired by
independent means But this must have been the
case if the races of man descended from several
distinct aboriginal species. 1t is far more credible
that the numerous points of similarity in the various
races are due to inheritance from single parent
form which had already assumed human character.
The question arises at how early period in the
long line of our progenitors the various movements
of expression, now exhibited by man were sue
cessively acquired. We may believe, according TO
Mr. Darwin, that laughter, as a sign of pleasure,
was practiced by our progentors long before they
ACQUIRED strictly human characteristics. For many
kinds of monkeys, when pleased utter a succession
of sounds similar to our laughter often accompanied
by the wrinkling of the cheeks and even by the
Frightening of the eye. Fear also probably ex-
pressed from an extremely remote period by trem
bling. the erection of the hair cold perspiratiOn,
pallor, and the covering of the whole body,
in almost the same manner as it now
is by man. Suffering from the first, will
have caused the utterance of screams and groans,
the grinding of the teeth, and the contorton of the
body. Weeping probably came on rather late in the
line of descent, which conclusion agrees with the
fact that nearest allies the anthropoid apes, do
not weep. Our early progenitors when suffering
from grief or anxiety, would not have made their
eyebrows oblique or have drawn down the corners
of their mouths until they had acquired the habit Of
restraining their screams The expression of grief
and anxiety, therefore, is eminenty human. Rage
will have been expressed at very early period by
frantic gestures, by glazing eyes, and the reddenng
of the skim but not by frowning. Our primeval an
cestors when enraged would probably have exposed
their teeth more freely than is done by man. We
l. Il ..l.... .l...