The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-23
ARE FORGETTING HOW
American Society Is Killing
Hearty Laugh.
HEALTH THEREBY INJURED
New York Specialist Explains
the Trouble.
HEALTH THEREBY INJURED

Society has frowned upon the laugh. II
is decadent now. You may smile sardoni-
cally if you will, or even indulge in al
ironicaI smoker. but to laugh 'Ha, ha."
is the extreme of bad form" So, follow
ing society's lead, man is forgetting how
10 laugh.
His restraint of resistibility, writes a
writer in the New York World, is cue 70
the dictates of society to the sharp class
antagonisms Of the present day; TO
disappearance OF the human spirit OF play;
TO a whole alteration of temper in the
mass of the people"
Thus announces II James Sully, the
, eminent phychoioeist Of Washington. Dig
ging deep down into the why and the
wherefore Of things human, he has made
the discovery that the day is coming
when man will never, never laugh again.
This function viii be reserved for babies,
when they have received a full meal. and
for dogs and the lower animals, as well
as for savages, who dare laugh when
their white conquerors are not around to
took
This is no pessimist's dream. DR.. sully
will tell you He has data far too COM
plete to gainSay II. says he:
There is nothing unreasonable in tho
idea of the death of all joyous and re-
freshing mirth. The utilities give us no
pledge for the survival of the merry i'm
pulse"
How does Dr. SulIy arrive at this iron
oclastic conclusion?
Simply by observation. He has studied
people Of all classes. The woman of the
'-550' has come just as much under his
observation as the savage whose mode OF
emitting nirth is by the simple ugh
He finds that the reservoir which supplies
the stream of national gayety has GER
tainlv fallen in its level and threatens
20 dry UP.
Says DR. Sully:
Leaders of the high society tel US
that loud laughter is prohibited by It's
code of proprietles. The middle class, In
which the imitation OF social superiors
grows into a solemn cult, has naturally
adopted this idea from the upper class
AT social entertainments you will find
men and women who will meet your play
full challenge only when niggard!y glgsle
which they instantly suppress Poor dis
tracted souls, unable for moment 10
free themselves from the chaos OF soclal
claims which haunts them"
Peopie in the smart" set, DR.. Sully also
asserts. don't laugh as their forefathers
did-these self-same forefathers who
made this nation what it is. Though
they suffered starvation and death at
Valley Forge and endured the rigors OF
northern winters when creature comforts
were not obtainable for love or money
they still found time to laugh and grow
fat.
How very vulgar.
At least that's what DIT. Suliy says the
best PEOPLE here now say. What we or
later DAYS hear, he Will tell you, is later
social laughter" And how very different
It is from the laughter of our daddies
the hearty 'Ha, Ha,' the louder guffaw,
the explosive .'Ho. no. ho"'
THE thin. wiry note of contempt" Is
the way he describes modern laughter
among the best of Us Americans Or
1.-The rough, brazen sound which burrs
from the holder lips of the rouge"
Sad isn't it?
But DIT. Suly viii tell you il is per-
fectIy true He knows, too, because in
company with other learned psychologists
he has been applying certain delicate in
struments to the human laugh. They rec
ord not only the laugh but the smile.
and measure not only power and dimen-
sions but even the motions that make IT.
These queer instruments. hardly yet
known 20 the everyday scientist, are APP
plied TO the mouth and facial organs
More than that. they are fixed TO the
muscles of the throat. too, so that every
tremor OF movement, every play OF the
many muscles which enter into the hui
man laugh, may be noted in black and
white
These delicate and intricate mechanisms
actually draw diagrams of your smiles
or your laughter Now won't yoL believe
that DR. Sully is right when he declares
that the laugh is dying out? a smile,
he will tell you. is only an imperfect
laugh. This is the technical description.
Or. Sully says:
The perfect smile IS Characterized by a
drawing back and lifting Of the corners
OF the mouth a raising of the upper lip
which unpartialy uncovers the teeth. a
curving Of the burrows between the cor
ners OF the mouth and the nostrils, the
formation OF wrinkles under the eyes,
contraction Of the adjacent muscles and
pressure of the raised cheek, causing in
creased brightness Of the eyes. which lat
ter condition is due also to acceleratior
OF circulation in the eyeballs. This is the
sincere. unsophiscated smile of children
and unrestrained adults
But you won't find that kind Of a smile
nowadays among people who are taught
TO control themselves.
Among the cultivated classes II civ
flied community" says Dr. Su'ly. this
primitive smile is not only restrained and
modified. but serves other uses than ths
confession Of the elemental experiences
OF pleasure and gladness-" Among tbs
so-called superior class he finds the con-
temptuous smile. the slightly ironico
smile aud the bitter sardonic smile.
as characteristics.
The facial expression is approximately
the same in the broad smile and the gen
lie laugh. The characteristics Of tbs
hearty laugh include those Of the broad
smile The supplemental peeuliarities are
The vooaI note: strong contraction of tbs
muscles about the eyes. leading 70 frown-
.ns and the shedding Of tears, interruption
OF the natural rhythm Of breathing; IN
usual action OF the large muscles by
which the chest IS expanded; quick sue
cessive risings and fallings OF the dia
phragm and ribs.
BY this time Or. Sully VIII be taking e