To Frans Cornelis Donders1 6 September 1869
Down, Beckenham | Kent
6 Sepr 1869.
“1st Are any facts known which support Sir C Bell’s statement that the contraction of the muscles round the eyes prevents the eye-balls and surrounding parts from becoming gorged with blood, when the circulation is impeded by screaming or or other similar exertions?2
2ndly Is it conceivable that the strong pressure of the muscles round the eyes can in any way stimulate the lachrymal glands, so as to lead to the secretion of tears? I am aware that strong voluntary contraction of these muscles does not produce this effect, or only in a very slight degree: yet I cannot avoid the suspicion that there is some relation between their contraction and the secretion of tears.3
Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Bell, Charles. 1844. The anatomy and philosophy of expression as connected with the fine arts. Preface by George Bell, and an appendix on the nervous system by Alexander Shaw. 3d edition, enlarged. London: John Murray.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Summary
Asks about Charles Bell’s statement concerning contraction of eye muscles. Asks whether such contraction is related to secretion of tears.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6878
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Frans Cornelis (Franciscus Cornelius) Donders
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.)
- Physical description
- Cmem 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6878,” accessed on 19 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6878.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17