To Francis Darwin   25 March [1871]1

Down

March 25.

My dear Frank

Do you attend the Hospital? If so, see if you can observe in a shivering fit, as in cold stage of ague, whether the Platysma is contracted.2 In young men, the contraction makes divergent longitudinal ridges as on your own neck, when fluting; in old & thin men it makes chiefly fine transverse wrinkles, and folds on sides of chin & lower parts of cheeks.— I fancy touching neck would tell best.—

I fear you cannot aid me about operations: I want much to know whether with patients much frightened, before chloroform is given, whether the Platysma contracts.3

Yours affect | C. Darwin

I write for mere chance of aid.—

1
The year is established by the reference to Francis’s attending the hospital and by the subject matter of the letter (see n. 2, below).
2
Francis began studying medicine at St George’s Hospital, London in 1871 (ODNB). CD was studying the movement of facial and neck muscles, including the platysma myoides, for Expression, which was published in 1872.
3
In Expression, pp. 300–1, CD described the contraction of the platysma in frightened patients, and cited William Ogle as his informant.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.1 the] after del ‘the’
1.2 men] altered from ‘man’
1.2 contraction 1.3] interl
2.2 is] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-7626,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-7626