Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1893-02-10
PHYSIOLOGY OF TEARS,
The Man Who Never Weeps Has "a Har,
Heart.

The Man Who Never Weepy Has Hard
Heart
Fear grief and JOY, to say nothing
OF pathoS and anger bring tears to
the eyes. says the Asclepiad. They
are said to come from the heart and
this Is true, for no one ever reasoned
himself into weeping without q first
appeal through the imagination to
some emotion. Tears are the natur-
al outlet of emotional tension. They
are the result of a storm in the cen.
trail nervous system, giving rise to
changes in the vascular terminals OF
the tear secreting glands
These changes induce a profuse en-
erection OF water and weeping results.
In a mild degree some excretion is
always in process to bathe the eye
and clear 1t OF foreign matter. The
controlling center is at distance,
though the secretion may be kept up
by the small trace OF saline substance
that Is present in the tears them.
selves. The lachrymal glands lie be
tween the nervous center and the
mucous surface of the eyeball Tears
afford good illustration OF the way
in which nervous fibers are capable
OF conveying to secreting organ
exciting impulses from both sides of
gland lying in their course.
Afferent and efferent commuuica-
tions bring about similar result
says the Cincinnati Enquirer In
ternal nervous vibrations and ex-
ternal excitation of reflex action cause
flow Of tears. In both instances
tho exciting impulse is a vibration.
NiObe 'all tears and the unfortun.
ate pedestrian with q minute particle
OF steel from the rail of an elevated
road in his eye are unwilling expon-
ents OF a similar process. They weep
the same kind Of briny fluid. in ex-
actly the same way. though from
widely different causes.
Imagination is at times sufficient to
excite the nervous system into the
production OF tears without external
aid or reflex. Writers and readers of
good fiction weep over it alike and
the actor loses himself so entirely in
the exlgencies OF dramatic art that he
sheds real tears and the audience
sheds tears with him. or a truth
the man VINO never weeps has hard
heart and the quality of his intellect
may also be questioned
Emotion, then affection. grief.
anxiety incite to tears; not pain or
discomfort The pangs of maternity
are fearless though the influen nee OF
ether or chloroform may cause some
emotional dream that results in weep
ing. In the early days of surgery pa.
tients might scream and utter such
pitiful cries as to sicken the bystand.
ers might even faint with pain. but
thsre were seldom any tears These.
being pure waves OF emotion and re.
lief to the heart. are almost powerless
to mitigate pain. Perhaps one who
weeps from pain does so from uncon-
scious though selfish pity-in other
words from emotion.
For the fearful. change of scene.
mental diversion and out door life
are the best remedies. The author
quoted objects to alcohol as fearfully
in urious. 1t disturbs and unbal-
ances the nervous ystem keeps W a
maudlin and pitiful sentimentality
and sustains the evil Alcohol is the
mother OF sorrow An opiate, how
ever prescribed at night soothes and
controls and really disciplines re.
bellious nerve centers. Sleep cures
tears. And so does time. the re-
storer. Persons subject TO many and
repeated griefs. forge. how to weep
and the old as oompar d to the young
are almost fearless. Tears have
their value in the life OF humanity.
not as tears but as signs. They show
that grief centers are being relieved
OF their sensibility. and that the sr-
vous organization is learning now to
bear up against sorrow