Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-07
CENSUS OF W[EPERs
Unique Methods Used by SCien-
tific Experts Studying Tears.
SECRET OF YOUTH IN CRYING
Excellent Means of Exercise for
Healthy Babies.
LIMPID EYES AND QUIET NERVES
The Tear That Touches Only a Solu-
ton of Salt and Phos-
phate Of Lime.
SECRET OF YOUTH IN CRYING
EYES AND QUIET NERVES


An investigation of the psychology. physi-
ology and hygiene OF crying is the latest en-
prise OF the interesting man-study work
shop of Prof. G. Stanley Hall Of Worcester,
Mass. Here every phase OF human life Is
being inquired into with unique methods.
Love, fear. hatred-indeed, all Of the emo
items; effects of clothing. play. animal COM
partnership and what not, upon mans life.
have all come In for a share of this highly
interesting research which, month by
month, Is revealing to us no end Of start
Ing facts about ourselves.
In this new study of weeping DR.. Hall
has found a field practically untouched. An
interesting feature of this research Is what
might be called census of weepers" He
his sent out hundreds of question blanks to
persons in various parts of the country.
asking them to furnish divers and sundry
information concerning their own fearful
experiences. He has also had the co-opera-
tion of the bureau Of American ethnology
AMI other scientific institutions. This spe-
cal research has been placed In the hands
of Mr.. Alvin BorgQuist, research assistant
In Clark University of which DIR. Hall Is
president and where this man-study Is all
being undertaken.
Effects Of Age.
Crying far more than its opposite,
laughing, is a neglected problem of phychol-
ogy,' said Mr.. Borgquist
Comparing the weeping Of the young and
Old he discovers that the child cries most
adults tears are shed over grief or trouble
sympathy, remorse, bereavement and pity
are apparently absent largely in tho infant
While crying diminishes from infancy to
puberty, 1t increases again from puberty to
maturity, and then diminishes again The
cry of the infant Is largely for the purpose
OF obtaining something. and the anger cry.
(which Is essentially the child cry" comes
mi u,
nfteen OF the subjects examined confesses to
crying from anger since puberty. Weeping
from fear belongs to childhood and both
the savage and civilized alike taboo crying
because OF pain. AS we grow out of child
hood we discover that our new desires can
not be satisfied through tears, according
about us dfsapprove of weeping, and our
desire for approval leads to the abandon
Inent of tears which are "a confession Of
impotency not in keeping with growing
self-respect- Shame at being seen crying
then strengthens our self-control and we
commence to distinguish between shame
ful and legitimate weeping. We learn that
physical pain must be borne without CRYING
The Indian child Is trained not to cry from
pain at an earlier age than the civilized
child, and Is ashamed to show that no is
hurt
Crying Season Of Youth.
Between puberty and maturity we are
apt to cry from Insignificant causes or from
no cause at all-some imagined slight or
situation Our melancholy at this period
usually contains large element OF pleas
ure Our crying spells grow shorter as we
grow older Thus both the quality and
quantity of our crying change with age
The child cries from helplessness and the
adult from bopelessness In the adults
cry there is no call for help as in the
child's. but realization of the hopeless
ness OF help. Hatred. envy and sullen rage
do not take on tears a form of express
sion The man who shoots his rival Is not
in CRYING frame of mind. Those states
IN winch laughter and crying alternate are
similar IN nature, as when one is severely
tfckled or tantalized In the cry of Joy the
mind goes back to the time before it wa.
freed from it's strain and the suffering OF
the past Is heightened by contrast with the
pleasure of the present. In deep stage
of grief the adult cries with quietness of
attitude of body. The child's cry mostly
for inner needs. is, on the other hand
noisy and intended to attract attention
Race Differences.
Weeping depends largely upon race The
Latin races appear to be unusually prone
to tears, and our teachers report italian
children as especially fearful. The English
shed tears much less frequently than con-
tnental Europeans. according to Darwin
Tears are more frequently shed among the
lower races than among civilized people, and
there is more use of voice In the crying of
primitive people than IN that of the more
civilized. According to tradition, our Indian
brave never weeps, but as matter of fact
he sheds tears freely upon the death of, at
parting from or at meeting after long alb
sence one whom he loves. He remains sto-
ical. however during physical suffering or
In his relations with his enemies Indian
children cry as loud and long as others
though not as often. Samoan women cry
principally from anger. while weeping for
JOY is common among negroes. The Maori
woman cries upon meeting her friend while
tire Hawaiians do the same as well as at
parting.
Each Painful State Has It's Own Cry.
Crying is not merely shedding of tears
1t Is due to the action of five different
nerves and the secretion of tears alone to
only two of these. one of which causes us
to flush and grow pale, alternately There
Is also a general stimulation of the breath
Ing center of the brain resulting In sobs
and convulsive movements. Cold hands
also result from disturbance of the
symp pathetic nerves. After effects are some
times bloodshot eyes. burning eyeballs
notified complexion. parched and distended
lips In crying fits from anger fear and
pain there is more body movement and IA
ciai contort.on than in those from grief
These movements cause suspension of the
breath and black or purple discolorations
OF the face result as characteristics of the
pain and anger cries only In the cry of