The philosophy of laughter and smiling . the voluntary expressionsof pleasure, except at the instigation of thenurse or the parent, who jostles or jerks them^about, or squeezes them or tickles them, or 32 The Philosophy of suddenly places some glaring or strikingobject before them, or some one jumps about,making grotesque or ridiculous motions,or abrupt or shrill noises, all of whichannoyances are incessantly inflicted uponthe great majority of helpless little infants. 2. These absurd and preposterous anticsvery naturally startle and frighten the littlevacant-minded creatures, and excite thedi
The philosophy of laughter and smiling . the voluntary expressionsof pleasure, except at the instigation of thenurse or the parent, who jostles or jerks them^about, or squeezes them or tickles them, or 32 The Philosophy of suddenly places some glaring or strikingobject before them, or some one jumps about,making grotesque or ridiculous motions,or abrupt or shrill noises, all of whichannoyances are incessantly inflicted uponthe great majority of helpless little infants. 2. These absurd and preposterous anticsvery naturally startle and frighten the littlevacant-minded creatures, and excite thediaphragm and pectoral muscles into spas-modic action, the result of which is convul-sive gaspings for breath. 3. These gaspings for breath graduallybecome more energetic and vocal, andultimately result in those reiterated andcontinued jerkings and heavings of thechest which the parents and nurses foolishlyimagine to be manifestations of pleasure anddelight, but which, in fact, are nothing morenor less than spasmodic and involuntary con-. A Mother with her Child in her Arms and its Big Sister giggling at itand tickling it to make it laugh. Loquitur, Fond Mother (Scottice Daft Mither)— When will mydarling ducky begin to laugh ? Big Sister— Oh, Ill teach him tolaugh—Ill tickle his little ribs for him, and then hell soon begin tolaugh! Wont you, baby dear ? Laughter and Smiling. 33 tractions and dilatations of the pectoralmuscles and the lungs, excited into actionby those absurd ticklings and stupidmonkey tricks which have just beenenumerated. (See Engraving.) 4. These irrational pranks by mothers andnurses are practised so frequently and sopersistently, and are so invariably and in-stantaneously followed by the same spas-modic action of the diaphragm and lungs,that the association of these very foolishand vulgar tricks with the immediateagitation of the breathing apparatus ulti-mately becomes a fixed and permanentassociation, and continues to influence themanners of most indi
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Keywords: ., bookauthorvaseygeo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookyear1875
