this contraction of the nostrils by children having bad colds, or
whilst crying, seems to be to check the downward flow of the mucus and
tears, and to prevent these fluids spreading over the upper lip.
After a prolonged and severe screaming-fit, the scalp, face, and eyes
are reddened, owing to the return of the blood from the head having
been impeded by the violent expiratory efforts; but the redness of the
stimulated eyes is chiefly due to the copious effusion of tears. The
various muscles of the face which have been strongly contracted, still
twitch a little, and the upper lip is still slightly drawn up or
everted,[607] with the corners of the mouth still a little drawn
downwards. I have myself felt, and have observed in other grown-up
persons, that when tears are restrained with difficulty, as in reading
a pathetic story, it is almost impossible to prevent the various
muscles. which with young children are brought into strong action
during their screaming-fits, from slightly twitching or trembling.
Infants whilst young do not shed tears or weep, as is well known to
nurses and medical men. This circumstance is not exclusively due to the
lacrymal glands being as yet incapable of secreting tears. I first
noticed this fact from having accidentally brushed with the cuff of my
coat the open eye of one of my infants, when seventy-seven days old,
causing this eye to water freely; and though the child screamed
violently, the other eye remained dry, or was only slightly suffused
with tears. A similar slight effusion occurred ten days previously in
both eyes during a screaming-fit. The tears did not run over the
eyelids and roll down the cheeks of this child, whilst screaming badly,
when 122 days old. This first happened 17 days later, at the age of 139
days. A few other children have been observed for me, and the period of
free weeping appears to be very variable. In one case, the eyes became
slightly suffused at the age of only 20 days; in another, at 62 days.
With two other children, the tears did NOT run down the face at the
ages of 84 and 110 days; but in a third child they did run down at the
age of 104 days. In one instance, as I was positively assured, tears
ran down at the unusually early age of 42 days. It would appear as if
the lacrymal glands required some practice in the individual before
they are easily excited into action, in somewhat the same manner as
various inherited consensual movements and tastes require some exercise
before they are fixed and perfected. This is all the more likely with a
habit like weeping, which must have been acquired since the period when
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