From E. B. Baxter   8 July 1874

Dear Sir

On p.41 of your work on The Expression of the Emotions, you state that “the iris is not known to ⁠⟨⁠be⁠⟩⁠ under the conscious control of the will in any animal.”

The following sentence which I came across the other day in Virchow’s Gedächtnissrede über Johannes Müller, seems to be of some interest in this connexion.¹ It is the only instance of the kind I have ever seen alluded to and,—unless it be an example of carefully veiled irony—it should be a trustworthy one, since its subject was ⁠⟨⁠an⁠⟩⁠ eminent physiologist, personally ⁠⟨⁠fa⁠⟩⁠miliar to Professor Virchow.

“Denn mann weiss es ja, dass Müller es gelernt hatte, fast jeden einzelnen Muskel seiner Willkür zugänglich zu machen,—dass er die Iris, die Ohren, selbst die Gehörknöchelchen willkürlich bewegte.” (Gedächtnissrede, p: 45).²

I remain | Your obedient Servant | E B Baxter.