Essays On The Anatomy And Philosophy Of Expression

Written by a renowned Scottish surgeon, this book delves into the science of facial expressions. Bell argues that the human face and body are uniquely suited to express emotion, and he provides fascinating insights into how emotions are communicated through physical expression. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1824 edition. Excerpt: ... Pain first rouses the faculties both of the body and of the mind, and from a dormant state gives us consciousness and real existence. It is bestowed upon us as a perpetual guard, forcing us to watch continually for the safety of the body and the preservation of life. From the expression of pain as a centre we may trace the indications of many of the mixed passions. In bodily pain the jaws are fixed and the teeth grind; the lips are drawn laterally, so as to expose the teeth and gums; the nostrils are distended to the utmost, and at the same time drawn up; the eyes are largely uncovered, and the eyebrows elevated; the face is turgid with blood, and the veins of the forehead and temples distended, the breath being suspended, and the descent of the blood from the head impeded. Much of the expression results from the strong action of the muscles closing the jaws, and the strong action and consequent stringiness of the cutaneous muscles of the neck R, plate ii., which at the same time draws down the corner of the mouth. In anguish mingling with bodily suffering the character approaches near to this of the marginal plate: the jaw falls; the tongue is seen, and instead of the lateral retraction of the lips, the lower lip falls; the eyebrows are knit, while their inner extremities are elevated; the pupils of the eyes are in part concealed by the upper eyelids, and the nostrils are agitated. The agony of mind is now added to the bodily suffering, which is most particularly indicated by the change on the eyebrow and forehead. In the marginal plate we have a man forcibly subdued in all his strength. The brows are more violently knit, (which I conceive indicate somewhat of rage and hatred unsubdued), and they are less elevated towards the centre of...

Excerpt from The Anatomy and Philosophy of Expression as Connected With the Fine Arts These essays formed the earliest and the latest occupation of the lamented author's leisure hours; - and they now appear under the disadvantages which must attend a posthumous publication. It was the habit of the author, in his literary compositions, to sketch his first ideas as they arose; and parts of this work were found, evidently intended to be revised and corrected. They are faithfully added to the text of the last edition, where they bear upon the subject. The following prefatory remarks are from the pen of the late Professor Bell, to whom, in the warmth of brotherly affection, the second edition of the work had been inscribed. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1865 edition. Excerpt: ... APPENDIX. ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. BT ALEXANDER SHAW. In many parts of this work references are made to an Essay upon the Nervous System; and the last edition contained such an essay. But on examining the copy intended for the present edition, it was found that the author had drawn his pen through the essay, and had not composed another to supply its place. It cannot be doubted that he intended to reconstruct that part of the work; and as some account of his observations on the Nervous System, which bear upon the questions discussed in the volume, may be interesting, I have been requested to give a short review of his opinions. I enter upon the task with much diffidence. It is stated, in various parts of the essays, that a distinct Class of Nerves is provided, in the human body, for controlling the organ of Respiration; and that it is that class which is principally affected by passion and emotion, so as to give rise to the phenomena of Expression. In Man, the organ of Breathing is constructed in such a manner, that besides ministering to the oxygenation of the blood, its primary office in the economy, it is the instrument of Voice and of Expression, --two properties which bear relation to his Intellectual nature. In order to adapt the organ to these endowments, it is necessary that the mechanism should have a form and arrangement distinct from that in the lower animals, where it serves for purifying the blood alone; and as a correspondence always exists between the structure of the moving parts of the frame, and the nervous system, which regulates their actions, the change in the construction of the organ is accompanied with a change in the arrangement of the nerves. Accordingly, by comparing the nervous system in the inferior animals, .