Ɛpsilon

From J. J. Eyre   12 November 1880

15 Edwards Terrace | Cardiff

Nov 12th/80

Sir,

Just now I happen to be reading your very observant & entertaining work “The Expression of the Emotions”. Last evening on reading the paragraph on the action of the depressores anguli oris muscles in griff, it directly recalled a painful personal episode.

Some time ago I received a telegram to the effect that my only sister1 to whom I was much attached was dying & that I was to go home at once.

On telling the painful news to some people with whom I was then staying & did not know very intimately I felt very much moved & it was only by the most extreme effort of the will that I controlled myself from giving way altogether. However in spite of that effort I felt the depressores anguli oris act markedly & I found for a few minutes that I could not prevent their acting. I trouble you with this personal experience as I believe it bears out your inferrence that the depressor anguli oris is one of the muscles of the face least under the control of the will.2

I have the honour to be, Sir, | Yours faithfully | John J. Eyre |Physician

Charles Darwin Esq

1
Mary Teresa Eyre died in 1876 (Rootsireland.ie, accessed 13 November 2019).
2
In Expression, pp. 193–5, CD had described the contraction of the depressores anguli oris muscles in movements of the mouth, upper lip, and nostrils during grief; on the difficulty of controlling these muscles by the will, see Expression, p. 195.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12810,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12810