SEARCH
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Prev | Current Page 419 | Next

Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882

"The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals"


When a paroxysm seizes her, she screams out, "This is hell!"
"There is a black woman!" "I can't get out!"--and other
such exclamations. When thus screaming, her movements are
those of alternate tension and tremor. For one instant she
clenches her hands, holds her arms out before her in a stiff
semi-flexed position; then suddenly bends her body forwards,
sways rapidly to and fro, draws her fingers through her hair,
clutches at her neck, and tries to tear off her clothes.
The sterno-cleido-mastoid muscles (which serve to bend the head
on the chest) stand out prominently, as if swollen, and the skin
in front of them is much wrinkled. Her hair, which is cut
short at the back of her head, and is smooth when she is calm,
now stands on end; that in front being dishevelled by the movements
of her hands. The countenance expresses great mental agony.
The skin is flushed over the face and neck, down to the clavicles,
and the veins of the forehead and neck stand out like
thick cords. The lower lip drops, and is somewhat everted.
The mouth is kept half open, with the lower jaw projecting.
The cheeks are hollow and deeply furrowed in curved lines running
from the wings of the nostrils to the corners of the mouth.


Pages:
407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431