The Origin and Nature of the Emotions; Miscellaneous PapersCrile, George Washington
Science
The Origin and Nature of the Emotions; Miscellaneous Papers
Crile, George Washington
Emotions; Psychophysiology
Figures 12 and 16 show the resemblance between the outward appearances
of a patient with Graves' disease and of a person obsessed by fear.
Fear and Graves' disease have the following phenomena in common:
Increased heart-beat, increased respiration, rising temperature,
muscular tremors, protruding eyes, loss in weight; Cannon has found
an increased amount of adrenalin in the blood in fear and Frankel
in Graves' disease; increased blood-pressure; muscular weakness;
digestive disturbances; impaired nervous control; hypersusceptibility
to stimuli; in protracted intense fear the brain-cells show marked
physical changes, and in Graves' disease analogous changes are seen
(Figs. 13 C and 15). In Graves' disease there seems to be a composite
picture of an intense expression of the great primitive emotions.
If Graves' disease be a disease of the great primitive emotions,
or rather of the whole motor mechanism, how is the constant flow
of stimulation of this complicated mechanism supplied? It would
seem that there must be secreted in excessive amount some substance
that activates the motor mechanism. The nervous system in Graves'
disease is hypersusceptible to stimuli and to thyroid extract.
It might follow that even a normal amount of thyroid secretion would
lead to excessive stimulation of the hypersusceptible motor mechanism.
This condition of excessive motor activity and hyperexcitability may
endure for years. What is the source of this pathologic excitation?
The following facts may give a clue. In suitable cases of Graves'
disease, if the thyroid secretion is sufficiently diminished by a removal
of a part of the gland or by interrupting the nerve and the blood supply,
the phenomena of the disease are diminished immediately, and in favorable
cases the patient is restored to approximately the normal condition.
The heart action slows, the respiratory rate falls, the restlessness
diminishes, digestive disturbances disappear, tremors decrease,
there is a rapid increase in the body weight, and the patient gradually
resumes his normal state. On the other hand, if for a period
of time extract of the thyroid gland is administered to a normal
individual in excessive dosage, there will develop nervousness,
palpitation of the heart, sweating, loss of weight, slight protrusion
of the eyes, indigestion; in short, most of the phenomena of Graves'
disease and of the strong emotions will be produced artificially
(Figs. 15 and 23). When the administration of the thyroid extract
is discontinued, these phenomena may disappear. On the other hand,
when there is too little or no thyroid gland, the individual
becomes dull, stupid, and emotionless, though he may be irritable;
while if a sufficient amount of thyroid extract be given to such
a patient he may be brought back to his normal condition.
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