The herald., 1894-06-21
WHY PEOPLE BLUSH.
Fear Is the Truc Cause, and Old People
Rarely DO 1t.

Fear Is the True Cause, and Old People
Rarely DO 1t.
Why do people blush? Certain emo
tions cause kind of syncope. The heart
stops for an instant, and regaining
strength Immediately it acts in a stron-
ger manner and sends tho blood racing
into the arteries. So much for the phys
biological portion Of the question, but we
wish to know what causes these emo
tions.
Darwin explained this by saying that
when we perceive Or fancy that we are
being criticised or closely observed our
whole attention is forcibly directed TO
ourselves and is especially concentrated
upon our ccuntenance. When particu-
lar part Of the body becomes tho object
of such concentrated attention, its work
ing is greatly modified. We see a good
example of this in the immediate effect
produced upon the saliva by thinking Of
lemon. Our face reddens ON the same
principle. The veins relax and are filed
with arterial blood.
This explanation is not quite satisfac-
tory, and other theories have been put
forward with moro or less success. The
latest is that Of Mr. Melinard, which is
at least original. We blush through
modesty, timidity, bashfulness and con-
fusion. Praise makes us blush-that is
modesty. Now, what takes place within
us? Something very simple. This praise
pleases us, but we do not wish that fact
to be perceived. Take case Of timid-
ity. A schcolboy is asked a question
which he cannot answer. He wishes to
hide his ignorance, which may expose
him to punishment or the gibes of his
fellow scholars. He turns red.
1t is the same with confusions. We
have done something which we wish to
hide, and we are afraid that it will be-
come known. In short, the moral state
is identical in all cases. We redden be-
cause we feel that people are finding out
something which we wish to hide.
M. Melinard endeavors to demonstrate
the correctness Of his theory by showing
that when the fear of being 'unmasked"
is removed there is no blushing. In the
case of lovers, we find at first that they
blush when they meet because they are
DESTROYS to hide their sentiment. After
ward there is no sign of blush because
each knows that the other is aware Of
his or her sentiments and is no longer
afraid of their being known.
A child does not blush. That is be-
cause he has no idea Of hiding anything
AS soon as he becomes old enough to
understand that it may be to his inter-
est not to tell all that he has done or all
that passes in his mind he begins to
redden. 1t is the same with idiots The
fear of being unmasked does not exist,
and there is no hlushing
Fear, then, is the cause of this change
of countensnce according to NJ. Nell
nard. We are more likely to turn red in
front of number Of people than when
we are face to face with one or two
only. Old people blush very seldom be-
cause they are not troubled with the fear
that other people will find them out.
This is novel theory, with some good
points, but there are several objections
to it. 1t is fact that we blush invol-
unfairly; we blush when we have moth
ing at all to hide in the presence of peo-
pie concerping whom we are quite in
different.
Girls and boys will sometimes turn
red when ono inquiries about the health
of their father, mother or little brother
That old people do not blush much is
owing not to the fact that they have
nothing to hide, but because they know
better how to dissimulate
According to NJ Melinard's theory,
all old people must be paragons of vir-
tue and all young ones just the oppo-
site, which we beg leave to doubt
Nevertheless there is some truth in
this new theory, and study of this in
connection with the Darwinian theory
mentioned above will lead to some posi-
tive explanation Of the psychology Of
blushing. Atlanta Constitution.
EI7va Cafc Tn, Tarr,r;n