Bodily Changes in Pain, Hunger, Fear, and Rage is a public-domain classic of science by Walter B. Cannon.
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THE GENERAL ORGANIZATION OF THE VISCERAL NERVES CONCERNED IN EMOTIONS
The outlying neurones--The three divisions of the outlying neurones--The extensive distribution of neurones of the “sympathetic” or thoracico-lumbar division and their arrangement for diffuse action--The arrangement of neurones of the cranial and sacral divisions for specific action--The cranial division a conserver of bodily resources--The sacral division a group of mechanisms for emptying--The sympathetic division antagonistic to both the cranial and the sacral--Neurones of the sympathetic division and adrenal secretion have the same action 22-39
METHODS OF DEMONSTRATING ADRENAL SECRETION AND ITS NERVOUS CONTROL
The evidence that splanchnic stimulation induces adrenal secretion--The question of adrenal secretion in emotional excitement--The method of securing blood from near the adrenal veins--The method of testing the blood for adrenin 40-51
ADRENAL SECRETION IN STRONG EMOTIONS AND PAIN
The evidence that adrenal secretion is increased in emotional excitement--The evidence that adrenal secretion is increased by “painful” stimulation--Confirmation of our results by other observers 52-65
THE INCREASE OF BLOOD SUGAR IN PAIN AND GREAT EMOTION
Glycosuria from pain--Emotional glycosuria--The rôle of the adrenal glands in emotional glycosuria 66-80
IMPROVED CONTRACTION OF FATIGUED MUSCLE AFTER SPLANCHNIC STIMULATION OF THE ADRENAL GLAND
The nerve-muscle preparation--The splanchnic preparation--The effects of splanchnic stimulation on the contraction of fatigued muscle--The first rise in the muscle record--The prolonged rise in the muscle record--The two factors: arterial pressure and adrenal secretion 81-94
THE EFFECTS ON CONTRACTION OF FATIGUED MUSCLE OF VARYING THE ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE
The effect of increasing arterial pressure--The effect of decreasing arterial pressure--An explanation of the effects of varying the arterial pressure--The value of increased arterial pressure in pain and strong emotion 95-109
THE SPECIFIC RÔLE OF ADRENIN IN COUNTERACTING THE EFFECTS OF FATIGUE
Variations of the threshold stimulus as a measure of irritability--The method of determining the threshold stimulus--The lessening of neuro-muscular irritability by fatigue--The slow restoration of fatigued muscle to normal irritability by rest--The quick restoration of fatigued muscle to normal irritability by adrenin--The evidence that the restorative action of adrenin is specific--The point of action of adrenin in muscle 110-134
THE HASTENING OF THE COAGULATION OF BLOOD BY ADRENIN
The graphic method of measuring the coagulation time--The effects of subcutaneous injections of adrenin--The effects of intravenous injections--The hastening of coagulation by adrenin not a direct effect on the blood 135-160
THE HASTENING OF COAGULATION OF BLOOD IN PAIN AND GREAT EMOTION
Coagulation hastened by splanchnic stimulation--Coagulation not hastened by splanchnic stimulation if the adrenal glands are absent--Coagulation hastened by “painful” stimulation--Coagulation hastened in emotional excitement 161-183
THE UTILITY OF THE BODILY CHANGES IN PAIN AND GREAT EMOTION
The reflex nature of bodily responses in pain and the major emotions, and the useful character of reflexes--The utility of the increased blood sugar as a source of muscular energy--The utility of increased adrenin in the blood as an antidote to the effects of fatigue--The question whether adrenin normally secreted inhibits the use of sugar in the body--The vascular changes produced by adrenin favorable to supreme muscular exertion--The changes in respiratory function also favorable to great effort--The effects produced in asphyxia similar to those produced in pain and excitement--The utility of rapid coagulation in preventing loss of blood 184-214
THE ENERGIZING INFLUENCE OF EMOTIONAL EXCITEMENT
“Reservoirs of power”--The excitements and energies of competitive sports--Frenzy and endurance in ceremonial and other dances--The fierce emotions and struggles of battle--The stimulating influence of witnesses and of music--The feeling of power 215-231
THE NATURE OF HUNGER
Appetite and hunger--The sensation of hunger--The theory that hunger is a general sensation--Weakness of the assumptions underlying the theory that hunger is a general sensation--Body need may exist without hunger--The theory that hunger is of general origin does not explain the quick onset and the periodicity of the sensation--The theory that hunger is of general origin does not explain the local reference--Hunger not due to emptiness of the stomach--Hunger not due to hydrochloric acid in the empty stomach--Hunger not due to turgescence of the gastric mucous membrane--Hunger the result of contractions--The “empty” stomach and intestines contract--Observations suggesting that contractions cause hunger--The concomitance of contractions and hunger in man 232-266
THE INTERRELATIONS OF EMOTIONS
Antagonism between emotions expressed in the sympathetic and in the cranial divisions of the autonomic system--Antagonism between emotions expressed in the sympathetic and in the sacral divisions of the autonomic system--The function of hunger--The similarity of visceral effects in different strong emotions and suggestions as to its psychological significance 267-284
ALTERNATIVE SATISFACTIONS FOR THE FIGHTING EMOTIONS
Support for the militarist estimate of the strength of the fighting emotions and instincts--Growing opposition to the fighting emotions and instincts as displayed in war--The desirability of preserving the martial virtues--Moral substitutes for warfare--Physical substitutes for warfare--The significance of international athletic competitions 285-301
A LIST OF PUBLISHED RESEARCHES FROM THE PHYSIOLOGICAL LABORATORY IN HARVARD UNIVERSITY 302-303
INDEX 305
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure Page 1. Diagram of the more important distributions of the autonomic nervous system 25
2. Diagram of the arrangements for recording contractions of the intestinal muscle 49
3. Intestinal muscle beating in inactive blood 53
4. Alternate application of “excited” blood and “quiet” blood, from the same animal, to intestinal muscle initially beating in Ringer’s solution 55
5. The effect of prolonging the excitement 55
6. Failure of the cava blood to produce inhibition when excitement has occurred after removal of the adrenal glands 57
7. Effect of adding adrenin to formerly inactive blood 58
8. The effect of bubbling oxygen through active blood 59
9. Intestinal muscle beating in normal vena cava blood 62
10. The shielded electrodes used in stimulating the splanchnic nerves 87
11. Contraction of the tibialis anticus and stimulation of the left splanchnic nerves 89
12. Arterial blood pressure with membrane manometer, contractions of tibialis anticus, and splanchnic stimulation 91
13-17. Effect of varying arterial blood pressure upon muscular contraction over time 98-104
18. Threshold stimulus of muscles during an experiment 116
19. Threshold stimulus of muscles during an experiment 122
20. Threshold stimulus of muscles during an experiment 124
21. Effect of adrenin injection upon blood pressure and contractions of the tibialis anticus muscle 128
22. Effect of amyl nitrite injection upon blood pressure and contractions of the tibialis anticus muscle 128
23. Effect of adrenin injection upon blood pressure and contractions of the tibialis anticus muscle when denervated 131
24. Diagram of the graphic coagulometer 139
25. Record of five successive tests of coagulation 145
26. Shortening of coagulation time after injection of adrenin 151
27. Differing effects upon the coagulation time of slow and rapid injections of adrenin 153
28. Persistent shortening of the coagulation time after injection of adrenin when brain and upper cord pithed 154
29. Shortening of coagulation time after stimulation of the left splanchnic nerves 163
30. Shortening of coagulation time after stimulation of the left splanchnic nerves 164
31. Results of stimulating the left splanchnic nerves after removal of the left adrenal gland; and of stimulating the right splanchnic nerves with right adrenal gland present 169
32. Three shortenings of coagulation time after stimulation of the left sciatic nerve 174
33. Shortening of coagulation time during an operation under light anesthesia 175
34. Record of rapid clotting after emotional excitement 180
35. Rapid clotting after emotional excitement, with slowing of the process when the splanchnic nerves were cut in the thorax 182
36. Adrenal secretion produced by asphyxia 208
37. Intragastric pressure, respiration and report of hunger pangs against time 257
38. The same conditions as in Fig. 37 259
39. Compression of thin rubber bag in the lower esophagus, and report of hunger pangs against time 260
BODILY CHANGES IN PAIN, HUNGER, FEAR AND RAGE
THE EFFECT OF THE EMOTIONS ON DIGESTION
The doctrine of human development from subhuman antecedents has done much to unravel the complex nature of man. As a means of interpretation this doctrine has been directed chiefly toward the solving of puzzles in the peculiarities of anatomical structure. Thus arrangements in the human body, which are without obvious utility, receive rational explanation as being vestiges of parts useful in or characteristic of remote ancestors--parts retained in man because of age-long racial inheritance. This mode of interpretation has proved applicable also in accounting for functional peculiarities. Expressive actions and gestures--the facial appearance in anger, for example--observed in children and in widely distinct races, are found to be innate, and are best explained as the retention in human beings of responses which are similar in character in lower animals.
From this point of view biology has contributed much to clarify our ideas regarding the motives of human behavior. The social philosophies which prevailed during the past century either assumed that conduct was determined by a calculated search for pleasure and avoidance of pain or they ascribed it to a vague and undefined faculty named the conscience or the moral sense. Comparative study of the behavior of men and of lower animals under various circumstances, however, especially with the purpose of learning the source of prevailing impulses, is revealing the inadequacy of the theories of the older psychologists. More and more it is appearing that in men of all races and in most of the higher animals, the springs of action are to be found in the influence of certain emotions which express themselves in characteristic instinctive acts.
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