They exhibited some trepidation, but no great terror.
In only four of the cases was the platysma visibly contracted;
and it did not begin to contract until the patients began to cry.
The muscle seemed to contract at the moment of each deep-drawn inspiration;
so that it is very doubtful whether the contraction depended
at all on the emotion of fear. In a fifth case, the patient,
who was not chloroformed, was much terrified; and his platysma was
more forcibly and persistently contracted than in the other cases.
But even here there is room for doubt, for the muscle which appeared
to be unusually developed, was seen by Dr. Ogle to contract as the man
moved his head from the pillow, after the operation was over.
As I felt much perplexed why, in any case, a superficial
muscle on the neck should be especially affected by fear,
I applied to my many obliging correspondents for information
about the contraction of this muscle under other circumstances.
It would be superfluous to give all the answers which I have received.
They show that this muscle acts, often in a variable manner
and degree, under many different conditions. It is violently
contracted in hydrophobia, and in a somewhat less degree in lockjaw;
sometimes in a marked manner during the insensibility from chloroform.
Pages:
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441