pression upon one person than another, and if it may be termed the tem- CHAP. IX. perament of the mind, as distinguishable from that of the body, although SECT. IV. probably attributable to the same or similar circumstances in the structure PASSIONS, of the whole frame. EMOTIONS, We deem that man of irascible temper who is always &c. disposed to be angry at trifles, and him we praise as humane who is uniformly disposed to commiserate sufferings. (b) But even these mental qualifications are generally much influenced by the particular state of the body; a fact which we all practically know, and frequently watch in others. (c) These qualifications of the mind, however, are much more under the influence of careful education, than the temperaments of the body can be affected by pathological or medical care. Hence the importance of the earliest moral and religious precepts, encouraged by example, so as on the one hand to rouse and stimulate an unfeeling temper or mind to works of charity and benevolence, and to restrain and limit the too liberal or humane temper, and render it more cautious and discriminate in works of charity and humanity, lest the naturally amiable temper should become prodigal, and ultimately distress and sour the mind, from the inability to continue its generous propensity. (d) We are taught by the laws of morality, and still more by revealed religion and heavenly example, so to modify our tempers as to become prone towards good, and restrained from evil actions; and hence it is no excuse in law, if any undue propensity be indulged, so as to become injurious either to ourselves or to society. (d) But, even in the administration of the law, the circumstance of a person being unhappily of an irascible temper, yet laudably endeavouring to curb and restrain its indulgence, may occasion mitigation of punishment for an injury committed by him under a strong and malevolent excitement, purposely occasioned by another who knew of such disposition. We practically know that what is commonly termed good temper, good nature or good humour, powerfully affects the bodily functions, and generally occasions composure, fatness and good health, whilst the sour, peevish, and fretful temper in general induces an excess in the secretion of bile, and irregular health and spare habit. (e) Secondly, OF PAS SIONS, EMOTIONS, AFFEC Perhaps, next to the organs of external sense and sensation, in the ascending scale towards the highest mental faculties, are those Passions, Emotions, and Affections which more or less influence man as well as animals. The study of the passions has been regarded by some as exclusively belonging to the department of morals or metaphysics; but this is much too limited a view, for they are very nearly related to our corpo- MENTAL real organization, and have a most important influence over it, so as to oc- FEELINGS, casion health or disease, and gradual or even sudden death:(ƒ) and even (d) See a beautiful illustration in Parnel's Hermit. (d) Rex v. Treagle, Old Bailey, 11th Sept. 1833, cor. Patterson, J., and Gurney B. The defence for stabbing prosecutor to mercy. (e) 5 Good, 199 to 200, sed quære. Modern physiologists deny the result as to bile. (f) Cyclop. Prac. Med. tit. Antiphlogistic Regimen; 3 Bost. 202 to 208; and see 4 Good, 66, &c.; anger, why injurious, TIONS, and and how PASSIONS, &c. far they CHAP. IX. those physiologists who deny the materiality of the mind, admit that the SECT. IV. operations of mind and body are so intimately connected, and the one part of our frame has so much power over the other, that no system of EMOTIONS, physiology can be perfect in which the passions and mental faculties are entirely disregarded;(g) and the intellectual functions, although not so are the ob- direct an object of physiology as those considered in the preceding chapjects of ters, yet many of them are so closely connected with the physical change medical or of the body, as to require considerable attention in any system which legal inter- professes to give an entire view of the animal economy; and whatever hypothesis may be adopted upon the subject of materialism, it is obvious that the passions, emotions, and intellectual faculties, possess the power of acting upon matter, and actually do exercise a very extensive influence over the animal body; and for this reason discreet physicians frequently forbear to communicate to their patients any apprehension of their being in a dangerous or precarious state.(h) ference. The bene well as mind. It is therefore essential to investigate the nature of passions and emotions, and to trace their effects, though unhappily the investigation will evince that too frequently the mind is weak and selfish, and that almost in every one, more or less, they are not adequately restrained by moral or religious precepts. Why is it so frequent that man will be stimulated by the passion or emotion of pride even to self-destruction, rushing, though unprepared, criminally into the presence of his Creator, merely because he has, perhaps by an absurd speculation or gambling transaction, become unable to pay his bills, or satisfy what he terms a debt of honour; when he can bear, with comparative composure, the sudden discovery of the infidelity of his wife, the seduction of his daughter, or the dishonour of his son? The diversities in the effects of these passions are truly mysterious. We will first consider the effect of passions, emotions, and affections ficial or in- upon the mind and body, with some allusions to the remedies, and then jurious ef- examine how far the law has interfered upon these subjects. We have fects of seen that there is scarcely an organ or function of the human frame that passions, emotions, may not be directly affected and disordered by the indulgence or inand affec- fluence of one or more of the Passions. Dr. Copland, in his excellent tions on the work, practically demonstrates how many diseases are attributable to body as sentiments and passions, and how greatly they may be modified as well by medical as by mental regimen,(i) and he adduces many interesting instances, which will be more properly enumerated in the second part of this work, evincing how much more the passions and emotions should be attended to as well by physicians as in the administration of the law, than has hitherto been observed. Dr. Barlow, in a valuable article upon antiphlogistic regimen, speaking generally upon the effect of excitement upon an already diseased person, observes, that mental excitement is capable of disturbing all the bodily functions, and of exasperating every symptom of fever; of ordinary exertion of mind, the febrile patient is soon rendered incapable by the effects of disease, which speedily hebetate the mental energies. The morbid excitement of the brain, which results from its special derangement, is itself a symptom of disease, and as such is the proper province of the medical attendant, who should direct the appropriate treatment; all ordinary excitement of mind of which the patient may be susceptible, should be carefully restrained, or permitted only with B. Rush, Med. Inq. &c. on Diseases of the relations may prepare the patient for (g) 1 Bost. 262, 263. (h) G. Smith, 537; 2 Bell, 98; Sir Henry Halford, Med. Gaz. 600 to 603, where see the exceptions, in order that (i) Copl. Prac. Dict. Med. tit. Disease; and see the effect of passion on the blood. Copl. Dict.; and on Deglutition; Jackson, Princ. Med. 251 to 260. &c. extreme caution; perfect quiescence, both of body and mind, being that CHAP. IX. state which will best second the medical treatment. Indeed it is the same SECT. IV. principle which applies to mental as to bodily rest; for though in refer- PASSIONS, ring to mind, the remarks are applied to the manifestations, the reasonEMOTIONS, ing is really directed, not to these but to the physical state of the brain, on which they depend, and which, under fever, is sensibly disturbed by whatever gives rise to such mental emotion; and consequently, the moral treatment of the invalid is no unimportant part of the antiphlogistic regimen;(k) and Dr. Roget, in his interesting article upon Age, observes, that the most frequent predisposing cause of climacteric disease is mental anxiety and suffering, the corroding influence of which will eventually sap the foundations of the most robust constitution.(1) Dr. Good observes, that a sober, quiet, and regular habit of life, with a due attention to the ingesta and egesta, and particularly to a tranquillized state of mind, will often enable the valetudinarian, although dangerously predisposed to sudden death, to reach even his threescore and tenth year with cheerfulness and content;(m) whilst the death of a consumptive person will be accelerated by numerous passions, as mortified ambition, disappointed love, and even home-longing, when at a remote distance from friends and country;(n) and it was well established in the instance of Marinus de Caballis, ambassador at Paris from the Venetian States, that his palpitation of heart and intermitting pulse was attributable to nervous affection, occasioned entirely by the great charge of important state matters, which pressed heavy upon his mind, increased by dejection, in consequence of his physician having indiscreetly prognosticated his death, and which was prevented by other more judicious advice, avoiding the exciting cause, by temporary retirement, and taking cordial medicines, accompanied with the assurance of recovery.(0) Mental emotions particularly affect the secreting organs. It has been said that the whole surface of the skin has been bedewed with drops of sweat and even of blood, by a sudden paroxysm of agony of mind; grief fills the eyes with tears; fear is well known to be a powerful stimulant to the kidney, and very generally to the alvine canal; anger gives an additional flow, and perhaps additional acrimony, to the bile; and if urged to violence, even renders the saliva poisonous; and disappointed hope destroys the digestion and alters the qualities of the secreted fluids of the stomach, and they become more acid. (p) Even the unsatiated appetites of hunger or thirst may be suspended by mental emotions, especially by the sudden communication of news that overwhelms us with grief or disappointment; (g) and sudden passion or commotion of mind will frequently occasion diarrhoea or looseness, or in other words, hasty and unnatural, crude, loose, and too frequent evacuations, (r) or feculent looseness,(s) and bilious cholera may be occasioned by a sudden fright or any other rapid exhaustion of the sensorial power. (t) Dr. Elliotson remarks that Bichat regards the passions as directly influencing the organic functions only, and springing from the state of the organs of that class, but that here he is perfectly unintelligible. Vexation, indeed, disturbs the stomach, and fear augments the quantity of urine; but does not vexation equally and as directly disturb the mind, confuse the understanding, and occasion heat and pain in the forehead? Are not, in fact, CHAP. IX. the passions a part of the mind?-a part of the animal functions? They SECT. IV. powerfully affect, it is true, the organic or vital function; but this shows PASSIONS, the close connexion merely between the two classes of functions. (u) Camper, in his valuable work upon the connexion between the science &c. of anatomy and the arts of drawing, painting, and statuary, shows prac ENOTIONS, tically how each passion operates upon the brain, nerves and muscles, in deranging or modifying their action; and the interesting work of Dr. Cogan on the Passions, (x) [Rush on Diseases of the Mind,] Park's Inquiry into the Laws of Animal Life, (y) and Fletcher on the Influence of the troubled Mind on the Health(z) powerfully illustrate how the indulgence or control over each passion and emotion, medically and mentally influences our bodily as well as our mental health and happiness. Dr. Bostock also has made some valuable observations on the subject. (a) These should be studied by all who wish to enlarge the scale of their own and their fellow creatures' happiness. In them will be found ably considered the effect of mental attention, abstraction, memory, association, and imagination, and judgment, joy, love, hope, and fortitude, shame, anxiety, fear, disappointment, surprise, alarm, terror, pride, pity, sorrow, grief, despair, jealousy, hatred, anger, and rage, and all other passions and emotions, and their happy or baneful consequences upon the bodily and mental health and happiness.(a) The passions and emotions, with reference to their physical influence on the body, may, it is said, properly be arranged under two heads, 1st, those which stimulate and excite; and 2dly, those which depress.(b) Each of them has a particular effect upon the several functions, first, directly on the brain and nerves; and secondarily upon the other functions, and especially the circulation. Anger stimulates and increases the action of the heart; whilst in fear the circulation of the blood is depressed, and the blood is not transferred with the usual force through the different parts of the sanguiniferous system.(b) The effects of fear are especially manifested upon the heart and arteries, the pulse becomes irregular, throbbing violently, or being nearly suspended, according to the degree of the emotion or the mental feeling immediately connected with it. The extent to which this action may proceed is absolutely indefinite; and we have numerous examples in which the effects produced upon the circulation by mental excitement, have remained during life; and to such a dangerous extent has this excitement been occasionally carried, as to have caused instant dissolution.(c) So, sudden intelligence of death may occasion permanent insanity;(d) and very frequently the unguarded communication of a depressing event has occasioned immediate death, espe (u) El. Blum. 56. (x) Cogan on Medical Influence of the Passions, 278 to 325. (y) Park's Inquiry, 216 to 255, where the physical influence of moral impressions, passions, and emotions, are fully considered. (z) Fletcher's Sketches, &c. published 1833. (a) 3 Bost. 202 to 208; all young people should also read Mason's Self-Knowledge, as the best instructer for regulating and controlling the passions. Young artists should study Camper's work, with plates; and Sir C. Bell's Treatise on the anatomy and philosophy of expressions; and see Le Brun's work. (b) 3 Bost. 206 to 207; and see the inAuence of the nervous function on secre tions, ante, 233. See also Jackson, Princ. Med. 251 to 260. (c) Ante, 233, 234; 3 Bost. 203. (d) A gentleman, on the point of marriage, left his intended bride for a short time; he usually travelled in the stage coach to the place of her abode; the last journey he took to her was the last of his life. Anxiously expecting his return, she went to meet the vehicle: an old friend suddenly announced to her the death of her lover: she uttered an involuntary scream and piteous exclamation-" He is dead." From that fatal moment, for fifty years, this unfortunate female, daily and in all seasons, traversed the distance of a few miles to the spot where she expected her future husband to alight from the coach, uttering in a plaintive tone-" He PASSIONS, EMOTIONS, &c. cially of a previously enfeebled body.(e) Indulgence of the passion of CHAP. IX. anger will affect the secretion of milk.(f) The depressing passion of SECT. IV. distress will even instantly change the colour of the hair from dark to gray; (g) and fright will bring on cholera. (h) The terror and fear of death from a gunshot wound may actually produce it, unless the tender and sympathizing manner of the surgeon, and his assurance of safety, should instantly relieve the mind:(i) and it is supposed that not only may the function of a particular organ be separately suspended or affected for a time, but by the continuance of any passion, even the structure of such organ itself may be injured.(k) Having thus shown in general the influence of passions, emotions, and Effects of affections on health, we will, even at the risk of the imputation of repe- cach partitition, in a few respects, attempt to show the peculiar local or general influence of each particular passion, emotion, or affection. cular passion, emotion, and affection, on the The impressions and excitements to the mind are various; but all may be arranged under the terms Passions, Emotions, Affections, and Feelings; and are of two descriptions; as, first, those originating in Self-Love; body as and, secondly, those derived from the Social Principle. And each of these well as the are again of two orders; first, those which are excited by the idea of mind. Good, under which those connected with self-love, are joy, gladness, contentment, satisfaction, complacency, proper pride, desire and hope, and all their variations; and those of the social principle are all benevolent desires and dispositions, whether social affections or sympathetic affections, as gratitude, admiration, esteem, respect, veneration, and fondness; the prevalence and due indulgence of all which are beneficial as well to the mind as the body; secondly, those passions, emotions and affections, which are excited by the idea of Evil, and are always more or less injurious as well to the mind as to the body; of these also some are selfish, whilst others are connected with the social principle; of the former, are sorrow, grief, melancholy, and their variations, with their correctives, patience, resignation and humility;(1) doubt, suspicion, fear, surprise, fright, consternation, terror, horror, dread, anxiety, despair, anger, wrath, resentment, indignation, &c.; those connected with the social principle, are malevolent desires and dispositions, false pride, malignancy, envy, rancour, cruelty, rage, revenge, suspicion, jealousy, indignation, contempt, &c. The lively and temperate action of the vital influence of the good pas- General insions, emotions and affections, constitute an essential part of the perfec- fluence of tion of health. The mind, undisturbed by any violent emotion, agitation good pasor depression, is able to exercise its noblest powers, with a tranquil sions, emovigour. The body continues in the regular discharge of its proper affections, functions, without the least sensation of difficulty or embarrassment.(m) and of But if influenced by one or more of the evil passions or emotions, all or those some of the bodily functions become deranged, and the deviation from which are (g) 1 Dungl. Phy. 76; and see El. (i) Coop. Dict. tit. Wounds. (1) Even such corrections, if indulged (m) Cogan on Passions, 280; and see ante, 311, as to effects of good temper in causing full and healthy appearance; and 5 Good, 199, 200. tions and evil. |