From George Green Gascoyen   7 July 1870

Dear Sir.

Our friend Mivart asked me if I could give him information on two points respecting the Platysma Myoides which you wished to know;¹ one of them I could at once affirm, the other I had not noticed, and have since been making observations, hence the delay in writing to you which I hope you will pardon.

The Platysma is always in a state of violent contraction when a person is struggling for breath. this I have long noticed & I believe is invariably the case.²

In the few patients whom I have had the opportunity of observing during the past week and to whom Chloroform was about to be administered for an operation, the action of the Platysma was not so constant or so marked as in the former instance. in most there was distinct contraction but much more in some than in others— the knowledge that the operation will be painless allays greatly the fear of the patient and altho’ there is some distrust of the chloroform it is not extreme. I have no doubt that when a person was expecting a severe operation without chloroform the muscle would contract strongly—in company with those which assist in causing the expression of fear by depressing the angles of the mouth.³

I yesterday asked a friend who has administered Chloroform in many hundred cases. he said it was a point that had not occurred to him to notice but he was quite sure he had repeatedly seen it— others of whom I asked the question could give me no satisfactory answer.

I remain, Dear Sir, | faithfully yours | Geo. G. Gascoyen

Cha^s. Darwin Esq^r. F.R.S.