精选一个婴儿的传略.docx
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精选一个婴儿的传略.docx
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精选一个婴儿的传略
一个婴儿的传略
ABiographicalSketchofanInfant
CharlesDarwin(1877)
FirstpublishedinMind,2,285-294.
M.Taine'sveryinterestingaccountofthementaldevelopmentofaninfant,translatedinthelastnumberofMIND(p.252),hasledmetolookoveradiarywhichIkeptthirty-sevenyearsagowithrespecttooneofmyowninfants.Ihadexcellentopportunitiesforcloseobservation,andwrotedownatoncewhateverwasobserved.Mychiefobjectwasexpression,andmynoteswereusedinmybookonthissubject;butasIattendedtosomeotherpoints,myobservationsmaypossiblypossesssomelittleinterestincomparisonwiththosebyM.Taine,andwithotherswhichhereafternodoubtwillbemade.Ifeelsure,fromwhatIhaveseenwithmyowninfants,thattheperiodofdevelopmentoftheseveralfacultieswillbefoundtodifferconsiderablyindifferentinfants.
Duringthefirstsevendaysvariousreflexactions,namelysneezing,hickuping,yawning,stretching,andofcoursesuckingandscreaming,werewellperformedbymyinfant.Ontheseventhday,Itouchedthenakedsoleofhisfootwithabitofpaper,andhejerkeditaway,curlingatthesametimehistoes,likeamucholderchildwhentickled.Theperfectionofthesereflexmovementsshowsthattheextremeimperfectionofthevoluntaryonesisnotduetothestateofthemusclesorofthecoordinatingcentres,buttothatoftheseatofthewill.Atthistime,thoughsoearly,itseemedcleartomethatawarmsofthand[p.286]appliedtohisfaceexcitedawishtosuck.Thismustbeconsideredasareflexoraninstinctiveaction,foritisimpossibletobelievethatexperienceandassociationwiththetouchofhismother'sbreastcouldsosoonhavecomeintoplay.Duringthefirstfortnightheoftenstartedonhearinganysuddensound,andblinkedhiseyes.Thesamefactwasobservedwithsomeofmyotherinfantswithinthefirstfortnight.Once,whenhewas66daysold,Ihappenedtosneeze,andhestartedviolently,frowned,lookedfrightened,andcriedratherbadly:
foranhourafterwardshewasinastatewhichwouldbecallednervousinanolderperson,foreveryslightnoisemadehimstart.Afewdaysbeforethissamedate,hefirststartedatanobjectsuddenlyseen;butforalongtimeafterwardssoundsmadehimstartandwinkhiseyesmuchmorefrequentlythandidsight;thuswhen114daysold,Ishookapaste-boardboxwithcomfitsinitnearhisfaceandhestarted,whilstthesameboxwhenemptyoranyotherobjectshakenasnearormuchnearertohisfaceproducednoeffect.Wemayinferfromtheseseveralfactsthatthewinkingoftheeyes,whichmanifestlyservestoprotectthem,hadnotbeenacquiredthroughexperience.Althoughsosensitivetosoundinageneralway,hewasnotableevenwhen124daysoldeasilytorecognisewhenceasoundproceeded,soastodirecthiseyestothesource.
Withrespecttovision,-hiseyeswerefixedonacandleasearlyasthe9thday,anduptothe45thdaynothingelseseemedthustofixthem;butonthe49thdayhisattentionwasattractedbyabright-colouredtassel,aswasshownbyhiseyesbecomingfixedandthemovementsofhisarmsceasing.Itwassurprisinghowslowlyheacquiredthepoweroffollowingwithhiseyesanobjectifswingingatallrapidly;forhecouldnotdothiswellwhensevenandahalfmonthsold.Attheageof32daysheperceivedhismother'sbosomwhenthreeorfourinchesfromit,aswasshownbytheprotrusionofhislipsandhiseyesbecomingfixed;butImuchdoubtwhetherthishadanyconnectionwithvision;hecertainlyhadnottouchedthebosom.Whetherhewasguidedthroughsmellorthesensationofwarmthorthroughassociationwiththepositioninwhichhewasheld,Idonotatallknow.
Themovementsofhislimbsandbodywereforalongtimevagueandpurposeless,andusuallyperformedinajerkingmanner;buttherewasoneexceptiontothisrule,namely,thatfromaveryearlyperiod,certainlylongbeforehewas40daysold,hecouldmovehishandstohisownmouth.When77daysold,hetookthesuckingbottle(withwhichhewaspartlyfed)inhisrighthand,whetherhewasheldontheleftorrightarmofhisnurse,andhewouldnottakeitinhislefthand[p.287]untilaweeklateralthoughItriedtomakehimdoso;sothattherighthandwasaweekinadvanceoftheleft.Yetthisinfantafterwardsprovedtobeleft-handed,thetendencybeingnodoubtinherited-hisgrandfather,mother,andabrotherhavingbeenorbeingleft-handed.Whenbetween80and90daysold,hedrewallsortsofobjectsintohismouth,andintwoorthreeweeks'timecoulddothiswithsomeskill;butheoftenfirsttouchedhisnosewiththeobjectandthendraggeditdownintohismouth.Aftergraspingmyfingeranddrawingitdownintohismouth,hisownhandpreventedhimfromsuckingit;butonthe114thday,afteractinginthismanner,heslippedhisownhanddownsothathecouldgettheendofmyfingerintohismouth.Thisactionwasrepeatedseveraltimes,andevidentlywasnotachancebutarationalone.Theintentionalmovementsofthehandsandarmswerethusmuchinadvanceofthoseofthebodyandlegs;thoughthepurposelessmovementsofthelatterwerefromaveryearlyperiodusuallyalternateasintheactofwalking.Whenfourmonthsold,heoftenlookedintentlyathisownhandsandotherobjectsclosetohim,andindoingsotheeyeswereturnedmuchinwards,sothatheoftensquintedfrightfully.Inafortnightafterthistime(i.e.132daysold)Iobservedthatifanobjectwasbroughtasneartohisfaceashisownhandswere,hetriedtoseizeit,butoftenfailed;andhedidnottrytodosoinregardtomoredistantobjects.Ithinktherecanbelittledoubtthattheconvergenceofhiseyesgavehimtheclueandexcitedhimtomovehisarms.Althoughthisinfantthusbegantousehishandsatanearlyperiod,heshowednospecialaptitudeinthisrespect,forwhenhewas2yearsand4monthsold,heheldpencils,pens,andotherobjectsfarlessneatlyandefficientlythandidhissisterwhowasthenonly14monthsold,andwhoshowedgreatinherentaptitudeinhandlinganything.
Anger.-Itwasdifficulttodecideathowearlyanageangerwasfelt;onhiseighthdayhefrownedandwrinkledtheskinroundhiseyesbeforeacryingfit,butthismayhavebeenduetopainordistress,andnottoanger.Whenabouttenweeksold,hewasgivensomerathercoldmilkandhekeptaslightfrownonhisforeheadallthetimethathewassucking,sothathelookedlikeagrown-uppersonmadecrossfrombeingcompelledtodosomethingwhichhedidnotlike.Whennearlyfourmonthsold,andperhapsmuchearlier,therecouldbenodoubt,fromthemannerinwhichthebloodgushedintohiswholefaceandscalp,thatheeasilygotintoaviolentpassion.Asmallcausesufficed;thus,whenalittleoversevenmonthsold,hescreamedwithragebecausealemonslippedawayandhecouldnotseizeitwithhishands.Whenelevenmonthsold,if[p.288]awrongplaythingwasgiventohim,hewouldpushitawayandbeatit;Ipresumethatthebeatingwasaninstinctivesignofanger,likethesnappingofthejawsbyayoungcrocodilejustoutoftheegg,andnotthatheimaginedhecouldhurttheplaything.Whentwoyearsandthreemonthsold,hebecameagreatadeptatthrowingbooksorsticks,&c.,atanyonewhooffendedhim;andsoitwaswithsomeofmyothersons.Ontheotherhand,Icouldneverseeatraceofsuchaptitudeinmyinfantdaughters;andthismakesmethinkthatatendencytothrowobjectsisinheritedbyboys.
Fear.-Thisfeelingisprobablyoneoftheearliestwhichisexperiencedbyinfants,asshownbytheirstartingatanysuddensoundwhenonlyafewweeksold,followedbycrying.Beforethepresentonewas41/2monthsoldIhadbeenaccustomedtomakeclosetohimmanystrangeandloudnoises,whichwerealltakenasexcellentjokes,butatthisperiodIonedaymadealoudsnoringnoisewhichIhadneverdonebefore;heinstantlylookedgraveandthenburstoutcrying.Twoorthreedaysafterwards,Imadethroughforgetfullnessthesamenoisewiththesameresult.Aboutthesametime(viz.onthe137thday)Iapproachedwithmybacktowardshimandthenstoodmotionless;helookedverygraveandmuchsurprised,andwouldsoonhavecried,hadInotturnedround;thenhisfaceinstantlyrelaxedintoasmile.Itiswellknownhowintenselyolderchildrensufferfromvagueandundefinedfears,asfromthedark,orinpassinganobscurecornerinalargehall,&c.ImaygiveasaninstancethatItookthechildinquestion,when21/4yearsold,totheZoologicalGardens,andheenjoyedlookingatalltheanimalswhichwerelikethosethatheknew,suchasdeer,antelopes&c.,andallthebirds,eventheostriches,butwasmuchalarmedatthevariouslargeranimalsincages.Heoftensaidafterwardsthathewishedtogoagain,butnottosee"beastsinhouses";andwecouldinnomanneraccountforthisfear.Maywenotsuspectthatthevaguebutveryrealfearsofchildren,whicharequiteindependentofexperience,aretheinheritedeffectsofrealdangersandabjectsuperstitionsduringancientsavagetimes?
Itisquiteconformablewithwhatweknowofthetransmissionofformerlywell-developedcharacters,thattheyshouldappearatanearlyperiodoflife,andafterwardsdisappear.
PleasurableSensations.-Itmaybepresumedthatinfantsfeelpleasurewhilstsuckingandtheexpressionoftheirswimmingeyesseemstoshowthatthisisthecase.Thisinfantsmiledwhen45days,asecondinfantwhen46daysold;andtheseweretruesmiles,indicativeofpleasure,fortheireyesbrightenedandeyelidsslightlyclosed.Thesmilesarosechieflywhenlookingattheirmother,andwerethereforeprobablyofmentalorigin;
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