New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-23
FEAR IN THE BLOOD.


FEAR BY Angelo Mosso Translated from the
Fifth Edition OF the Italian by E. Tough and +.
Kiesow Authorized Translation. PIP. 27S. Long
mans, Green N Co.
The use Of a single word the title Of this
book is misleading. AS matter of fact, Sgnor
Mosso manages to include nearly all the emotions
in his book. so that his fear is almost mis-
cellaneous as the primal passions" of those biol
ogsts who confne themselves to the study of low
ly organisms With the ordinary and popular
definition Of fear 1t would be difficult to include
the phenomena of love Joy. But they are all
reviewed in this book because they all have to do
with the nervous system and with the circulation
Of the blood. The author is the inventor OF sim
pie device which he calls a "plethysmograph' for
measuring changes in the volume of the circula-
ton. 1t is an elaboration of the obvious-that is
obvious now that It has been pointed out-prin-
cipe that If the arm Is thrust into closed vessel
Of water the liquid will be displaced by any rush
of blood that erlarges decreases the size Of the
arm. The same is true Of the leg and foot. BY
contriving a balanced couch the circulation OF the
who body could be studied. 1t then found
tina n a person sleeping on this couch the slight
est sound was sure TO cause a movement OF the
blood to t, head. and that dreams or unknown
psychic ch. yes in the sleepe. gave the same re-
suit. Minute investigation showed that the curve
of single pulsation in the hand or foot sufiiced
to show whether the person tested had eaten or
was fasting. "One Of my literary friends came
one day to visit me-" writes the author. lin the
laboratory l proposed TO make an experiment
upon him, 10 see whether any change would
be observable in his pulse when he passed from
reading an Italian book TO Greek one. At frs.
he laughed at the Idea but when put ii 10 the
proof found that with him also the pulse OF the
wrist changed considerably when he passed from
easy work to the more difficult one Of trans
lating, unprepared. a passage from Homer" This
incident will certainly to illustrate that fear
scientifically treated involves much that the
erage person would never associate with 1t.
Deeply interesting as the book Is. and so
many Of its kind are, might well wish hem
to be written in Latin and never translated If
Signor Mosso could have all his Italian fellow
countrymen read his book and take to expert
menting the flow OF blood in their arms and
legs, it is safe to predict that he would save them
forever from any more attacks on Abyssnia, or
indeed any warlike ventures. Only short time
ago military medical experts warned various per-
sons in the secret not to say too much about
the peculiarities of the rifles that have been
adopted OF late years and ii Is axiom that
there are ways OF talking about wounds in bat
tie. about the perls Of a warship and so on which
injure the qualities Of fighting men, The old
Homeric glory Of boodshed is safe enough in an
army, but this minute psychological ANALYSIS
Of modern times has a tendency to bring on a
kind OF peace more suitable to rabbit warren
than to a nation. Yet indirectly Signor Mossos
purpose is to lessen the dominance Of the emo
tons particularly Of fear. He calls 1t a disease
to be cured. But apparently he expects II 10 be
cured In the by heredity rather than in the
individual "Cvzatlon." he says, has re-
moulded our nerve centres there Is culture
which heredity transmits to the brain OF our
children: the supremacy Of present generations
depends upon the greater power in thinking the
greater skill in acting"