To William Ogle 18 March [1871]
Down. | Beckenham | Kent. S.E.
March 18th
My dear Dr Ogle
There is not the most remote danger of my finding any letter of yours too long. Many thanks for the last.1 Since writing I have found old notes of my own, on the jaw falling from concentrated attention, & I agree that this may apply to the Deaf— I suspect various causes come into play.2 I am convinced that in startled surprise the mouth is opened suddenly & the chest filled with air.3 It is odd that so simple a movement as opening the mouth under surprise, & this holds good in all parts of the world, shd. be so perplexing to understand. I shall consider all that you say with my best attention.
Believe me | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Expression: The expression of the emotions in man and animals. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1872.
Summary
Agrees that in a deaf person the jaw may fall because of concentrated attention.
In surprise, mouth is opened suddenly and chest filled with air. This expression occurs in all parts of the world. Odd that so simple a movement is so perplexing to understand.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-7596
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- William Ogle
- Sent from
- Down
- Postmark
- MR 19 71
- Source of text
- DAR 261.5: 8 (EH 88205906)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7596,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7596.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19