The origin and nature of the emotions; miscellaneous papers . -signed muscular action, such as crying or laughter. Henceit is that laughter and crying may be evoked by diverseexciting causes. The intensity of the laughter or of the cry-ing depends upon the intensity of the stimulus and the dy-namic state of the individual. The linking together of these apparently widely separatedphenomena by the simple law of the discharge of energy byassociation perhaps explains the association of an abnormaltendency to tears with an abnormally low threshold for pain(Fig. 36). In the neurasthenic, tears and p
The origin and nature of the emotions; miscellaneous papers . -signed muscular action, such as crying or laughter. Henceit is that laughter and crying may be evoked by diverseexciting causes. The intensity of the laughter or of the cry-ing depends upon the intensity of the stimulus and the dy-namic state of the individual. The linking together of these apparently widely separatedphenomena by the simple law of the discharge of energy byassociation perhaps explains the association of an abnormaltendency to tears with an abnormally low threshold for pain(Fig. 36). In the neurasthenic, tears and pain are producedwith abnormal facihty. Hence it is that, if a patient aboutto undergo a surgical operation is in a state of fear and dreadbefore the operation, the threshold to all stimuli is lowered. 108 THE KMOTIONS and this lowered threshold will continue throughout theoi)eration, even under inhalation anesthesia, because thestimulus jiroduced Ijy ciiltinj>; sensitive tissue is transmittedto the l)rain just as readily as if the patitmt were not aiies-. IlCi. 30.—Photo of liomcuic^k i);ilieiil. in licspital wliose hiaiii thrcsliolii liadbeen so lowered that the sh^htest stiiiiuhis resuhcil in tears. thetized. In like maimer, the brain may be sensitized bythe administration of large doses of thyroid extract prior tooperation, the threshold to injury in such a case continuingto be low to traumatic stinudi even under anesthesia. Underthe sensitizing influences of thyroid extract or (jf Clraves PAIN, LAUGHTER, AND CRYING 109 disease the effect of an injury, of an operation, or of emo-tional excitation is heightened. The extent to which thethreshold to pain or to any other excitant is affected byGraves disease is illustrated by the almost fatal reactionwhich I once saw result from the mere pricking with a hypo-dermic needle of a patient with this disease. As the resultof a visit from a friend, the pulse-rate of a victim of thisdisease may increase twentj^ beats and his temper
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubject, booksubjectemotions
