As I write, there comes before my mind's eye the weary face and form of an old acquaintance, with whose life history I am familiar. This man, though[64] not yet in his forties, and with health unbroken by any serious disease, is nevertheless one of the unemployable. He is willing enough to work, he affirms, and in his time has had many positions. But he has been able to hold none of these. There has always developed friction4 between him and his employer or between him and fellow-employees. For a few days, perhaps a few weeks, after gaining a new position, things go smoothly5 with him. He is confident, even enthusiastic. Then, for no apparent reasons, he acquires a "grouch7." He conceives the idea that his "job" is not sufficiently8 remunerative9, or that he is not being treated with due respect. Sometimes he gives vent10 to his feelings in words that promptly11 effect his dismissal. More often, giving no explanation, he sullenly12 stops work of his own accord.
Yet he began life with seemingly excellent prospects14. His parents were well to do and could give him every educational advantage. And in early childhood he was both a bright boy and a well-behaved boy. A little later, when he began to go to[65] school, there was a noticeable change in his disposition. His parents learned that he did not associate with other boys as readily as might be desired. They noticed that he developed a tendency to keep much by himself, to be uncommunicative, to smile seldom—in fine, to sulk. But, though they noticed this, they fancied it was only a passing phase which he would in time outgrow15. They failed to take his sulkiness seriously—failed, that is to say, to recognise in it a sign that something was amiss which should be seriously investigated. To-day, perhaps wholly because no investigation16 was made and no corrective treatment attempted, this unfortunate man is finding life a heavy burden.
With all the emphasis at my command I would say, When a child frequently sulks, it is always a sure indication of mental or nervous stress. If parents have a child who is sulky, they should neither ignore the sulkiness nor accuse him of wilful18 naughtiness and try to improve him by scoldings and punishments. They should recognise, in his habit of sulking,[66] evidence of one of two things: either that they are not bringing him up as they should, or that he is suffering from some unsuspected physical disability, of which his sullen13, morose19, peevish20 disposition is symptomatic. It may be that this disability is an irremediable one, such as organic weakness of the brain. But the chances are that it is caused by functional21 disturbances22 easily discovered and easily cured. The parent is neglecting his full duty to his child if he fail to inquire into the child's physical condition.
One of the commonest causes of sulkiness is nothing more or less than indigestion. Everybody knows that if a baby's food disagrees with him the baby is pretty sure to be fretful and irritable25. But parents too often forget that, in the case of older children, mental and moral eccentricities26 may be traced to the same cause. When food is not properly digested, there is an impoverishing27 and poisoning of the blood. This means that the brain is poorly nourished, and a poorly nourished brain means a general weakening[67] of the power to think and to will. It means, too, a heightening of nervous irritability28, coupled with a tendency to take a gloomy view of life. Under these circumstances, it is not at all surprising to find sulkiness becoming characteristic of a child of any age, as in a typical case reported by Doctor T. A. Williams, of Washington, a specialist in the treatment of the nervous diseases of children.
Doctor Williams' patient was a ten-year-old girl, the daughter of a clergyman. She had been lovingly reared, and until the age of nine had been easy to manage, vivacious30, and happy. Then there came a marked change in her behaviour. She became easily irritated, had frequent crying spells, and frequent fits of sulkiness. Besides this, she had difficulty in studying. Thinking that she had been overworking, her parents took her out of school, although her mother noticed that she was less inclined to sulk when kept busy.
What Doctor Williams found, after a long and careful examination of the girl and questioning of[68] her parents, was unmistakable evidence of nerve deficiency, due chiefly to faulty diet, and aggravated31 by "parental32 interference, well meant, but entirely33 injudicious." She had been eating oatmeal and meat to excess, had been taking her principal meal at night, and had gone to bed soon after it. Doctor Williams ordered that her allowance of meat and oatmeal be cut down, that she eat her principal meal at noon, and that she stay up for at least an hour after her evening meal. Further, he gave these directions:
"On waking in the morning, the child must make a practice of getting up at once, instead of ruminating34 in bed. Parents must avoid criticising her about trifles, and her behaviour must be left to take care of itself at present. Her affections should be indulged and reciprocated35. She must be given plenty to do and sent back to school in a few days."
Under this treatment the girl's disposition began immediately to improve. Within two weeks her mother reported to Doctor Williams that she was as "happy and joyous36" as she had formerly37 been. No[69] longer was her stomach being loaded with food it could not digest; and with the removal of this source of toxic38 irritation39, together with the suggested changes in her parents' handling of her, she had become a different child.
On the other hand, underfeeding may be, and often is, a cause of sulkiness, owing to the inadequate40 nourishment41 the underfed child's brain receives and the general weakness of his system. Sulkiness, again, may be associated with an insufficiency of physical exercise, or with failure to make sure that the child's living and sleeping quarters are properly ventilated. Fresh air is as essential as digestible food to the maintenance of nervous balance. When, as sometimes happens, children are obliged to spend their school hours in dusty, ill-ventilated classrooms, when they return to homes with few windows, and these seldom open, and when they sleep in a tainted42, vitiated atmosphere, it is indeed hard for them to see life in bright colours. Besides which, to prevent or cure sulkiness in a child, it is not enough to keep[70] school and home well ventilated, and let the child play outdoors as much as possible. It is necessary also to see to it that the child is so conditioned that he will have no difficulty in adequately breathing the fresh outdoor air.
To a physician in a Western city there was brought a boy, nine years old, with a face so flat, expressionless, and frog-like, that persons who knew him thought he was feeble-minded. His school teacher reported that his mind seemed a blank and that he was also hard of hearing. His parents complained that he was selfish and sullen. The boy seemed doomed43 to a life of misery44.
But, making a physical examination of him, the doctor found reason to think otherwise. He discovered no real brain defect. In the cavity back of the boy's nose he found an abnormal growth of adenoid-tissue that of itself might account for the boy's stupidity and sulky disposition, as well as for his deafness. The diseased tissue acted as an irritant and a drag on his nervous energy; and, in addition,[71] by interfering45 with the intake46 of oxygen it lowered the nutrition of the brain.
The adenoid growth was removed. Gradually the appearance of the unfortunate boy's face changed for the better. His hearing improved. He began to take an interest in school work, and studied to real advantage. Consideration for others took the place of his habitual47 selfishness, and he sulked no more.
Adenoids, dullness, deafness, and sullenness48 often are intimately associated. The parents of a sulky child will therefore do well to ascertain whether adenoid trouble is present. Its presence is usually plainly indicated by the flat, insipid49 appearance of the victim's face and by his habit of breathing through his mouth, particularly when asleep. If there is any reason to suspect adenoids, parents should take their children to a competent physician without delay.
Further, and on general principles, they should have their children's teeth thoroughly50 examined by a good dentist. A child whose teeth are decayed is a[72] child suffering both from nerve irritation and from some degree of poisoning, due to his swallowing food that has become infected by its contact with the germs of dental caries. Such a child has abundant reason to feel uncomfortable, pessimistic, and sullen. So has a child whose teeth, if not decayed, are crowded together.
Yet another common, and often unsuspected, physical cause of sulkiness in children is eye-strain. Most of us are under the impression that when a person is afflicted51 with eye-strain he is certain to have painful or, at least, unpleasant sensations in his eyes. This is by no means always the case. During childhood and youth there may be no telltale eye symptoms at all. But defective52 eyesight may give rise to various nervous conditions; sulkiness is one manifestation53.
An eight-year-old girl, previously54 in good health, and with no more nervousness than is displayed by the average child, began to show traits that worried her parents. She became difficult to control, querulous,[73] and sullen to an extent that bordered on melancholia. In addition, she complained of indigestion and headache, symptoms which caused her parents to take her to a physician for treatment. His medicines and the course of diet he prescribed did her no good, and another physician was consulted. Then began for this unfortunate little girl a weary round of examinations by doctor after doctor. Every means of curing her headaches and indigestion seemed unavailing, and her nervousness and sullenness increased apace. Finally, one physician, in spite of the fact that the girl's eyesight seemed normal, suggested that she be examined by an eye specialist. Then, for the first time, it was discovered that she had a serious ocular defect. According to Doctor Percy R. Wood, who reported the case for the benefit of the medical profession in general, within six months after she first put on spectacles the girl was entirely free from digestive disturbances, her head had ceased to ache, and her melancholy55 moroseness56 had given way to normal good nature.
[74]
Occasionally sulkiness results from some special form of nervous disease. It may be an initial symptom of that strange malady57 of childhood, chorea. A child affected58 with chorea is restless, uneasy, and weak in muscular control. Muscles of the face twitch59, the child has difficulty in using his hands, and, in later stages of the disease, the arms and legs make random60, involuntary movements. In addition, just before or about the time the muscular weakness begins, there are sometimes signs of mental disturbance23, described as follows by an authority on nervous diseases:
"These symptoms consist of a slight loss of memory and inability of the patients to apply themselves to their studies as well and continuously as formerly. Children who were previously of an obedient and mild disposition become irritable, obstinate61, and perverse62. They become insubordinate, lose their love of play, and are not as affectionate as was their wont63. These phenomena64 are naturally looked upon as indubitable evidences of wilfulness65, and are punished accordingly,[75] thus frequently precipitating66 and aggravating67 the course of the disease."
Happily, sulkiness, as an early symptom of chorea, or of other grave nervous and mental disorders69, is of comparatively infrequent occurrence. The things the parents of a sulky child need more particularly to inquire into are the amount and character of the food the child eats, the state of his digestion24, his habits of exercise, the ventilation of the rooms in which he spends most of his time, the condition of his nose, mouth, and teeth, and his ability to see and hear distinctly. But it must be admitted that any or all of these common physical causes of sulkiness may be present, and the afflicted child nevertheless contrive70 to get along without sulking. And, on the opposite, when a child thus afflicted does sulk, the correction of the physical trouble is not always followed by a cessation of the sulkiness. For, precisely71 as in the case of the child who remains72 mentally backward after the correction of bodily defects responsible for his backwardness, it may be that a habit of sulking[76] has become established. What is much worse, it may also be that the sulky child has a home environment that makes sulking almost inevitable73.
Here we come to the central fact in the whole problem of sulkiness, for, nine cases out of ten, it is the home environment—the training a child receives, the parents' attitude towards him—that is primarily responsible for his sulking. The healthiest child in the world will sulk if his parents surround him with a sulk-breeding environment. He will sulk because it is child nature to react appropriately to the suggestions received from the environment. Every psychologist will bear out this statement. It also finds confirmation74 in the everyday experiences of all observant persons who have an opportunity to study children. It is all very well to exhort75 a child to be cheerful, to speak of "developing his will-power." But if the child's home surroundings are such as to fill his mind with depressing, disturbing ideas, he is bound to be influenced in his behaviour by these ideas. Parents are prone76 to forget this. They blame the[77] sulky child when, in all justice, they ought to blame themselves.
Recently a veteran New England school teacher, talking with me on this question of sulkiness, said:
"There are times when I am tempted17 to believe that the home influence is everything, and that conditions of physical ill health have virtually nothing to do with sulkiness. Of course, I know that in reality physical conditions have to be taken into account, but my experiences with sulky children have been such that now, whenever I find a sulky child, I ask myself the question, 'What is wrong in that child's home?' If I have opportunity to investigate, I invariably find that something is wrong.
"My pupils are girls, eight and nine years old. Among them last year was one bright, attractive-looking little girl, to whom I felt drawn78 when she first appeared in the class. But I soon discovered that she was a difficult child. She neglected her school work, did in a careless, indifferent manner whatever she was obliged to do, and sulked at slight[78] provocation79. She had been examined by the school physician, who gave her a clean bill of health. My suspicion deepened that the child was the victim of an unfavourable home influence, and one day I suggested this to the principal of the school.
"'I am sure you are wrong,' said he. 'I happen to know the family. They are first-rate people, in good circumstances.'
"A little later, after I had again spoken to him of the girl's misconduct and sullenness, he told me:
"'You were right and I was wrong. Outwardly, everything seemed well with that family. But I now find that the parents have for some time been on the verge80 of seeking a divorce. They are bitter against each other and dispute over the child, giving her contrary orders. The mother will tell her to do something, the father will tell her not to do it. No wonder she is sullen and hard to deal with. She is to be taken from them and put in a good home.'
"This is an extreme instance, I have no doubt. But it is in line with what I am observing all the[79] time. Therefore, I insist that sulkiness in children is, as a rule, a sure sign of unwise training in the home."
Many parents, though wholly unappreciative of the fact, inspire sulkiness in their children by setting them an example of sulkiness. A striking instance has lately come under my personal observation, in the experience of a mother who is continually being annoyed by the whining82, sulky ways of her four-year-old daughter. She scolds the girl, she spanks83 her, but all to no good. Not once does it seem to occur to the mother that possibly her own habit of sulking when things do not go right may be blamed for the sulkiness of her child. She is precisely the kind of woman to whom the learned Professor Paul Dubois addresses these scathing84 words:
"You, madam, who complain of the irritability of your little girl, could you not suppress your own?... Remember the proverb, 'The fruit does not fall far from the tree.'"
This factor of example in the causing of sulkiness[80] is something that parents frequently ignore. In a general way they realise that their children are likely to imitate them, but they do not appreciate the subtle force which imitation exercises in forming the mental states and moral attitudes of the young. Time and again we see parents talking and acting85 as though children had no eyes or ears or memories; as though, indeed, they were beings quite insensitive to the sights and sounds of their surroundings.
Yet normal children are the most sensitive and the most "suggestible" of beings. Let father snarl86 and mother sulk, and little Johnny or Mary may be pretty confidently counted on to snarl and sulk likewise—unless by a happy chance Johnny and Mary have playmates or relatives whose lives radiate sufficiently strong suggestions of cheerfulness to offset87 the parents' unhappy influence. Instruction is much, but example is more. Or, as wise Pastor88 Witte puts it, "Instruction begins, example accomplishes."
But, if the parental example is good, if the child's[81] physical condition is excellent, and if he nevertheless is a sulker—what then? Again, it must be insisted that the trouble rests with some fault in his upbringing, some error in the parental policy. If there is more than one child in the family, it may be that the sulkiness is a symptom of jealousy89. The parents should ask themselves in all seriousness whether they have given this particular child any reason to sulk, by showing greater favour, or seeming to show greater favour, to his brothers and sisters. Or, possibly, the sulkiness is indicative, not of jealousy, but of a feeling of inferiority due to the child's fear that he is not quite so bright as other children. In that case the parents may be sure that in some way, however unwittingly, they have failed to bring into their child's life enough happiness and joy to prevent the feeling of inferiority from becoming dominant90 in his mind. Perhaps, for the matter of that, they have themselves been instrumental in forcing on the child recognition of his inferior mental status.
There are parents whose behaviour when dealing[82] with a mentally retarded91 child is—often quite unconsciously—that of a censorious judge upbraiding92 a criminal. They nag29, they harass93, they urge the child to greater effort, never questioning that he can of his own accord improve his ability to learn. Perhaps he is mentally deficient94, perhaps he is suffering from some remediable physical cause of retardation95, perhaps the method by which he is being taught is not suited to his type of mind. To all these possibilities the parents do not give a moment's thought. The child is stupid; it must be his fault; he should be forced to mend his ways. So they pester96 the little unfortunate. And when to retardation he gradually adds sullenness, they are more incensed97 than before. But, in point of cold fact, whose is the fault? Not the child's, surely. Perpetual nagging98 is a first-class means of producing sulkiness in any child, whether he be mentally retarded, unusually bright, or just a plain "average" child.
Another almost equally efficacious means is untruthfulness on the part of parents in their relations[83] with the child. There are some parents who think it not at all amiss to deceive their children. They make promises to them which they do not intend to keep. They threaten them with punishments that never materialise. They make untruthful replies to questions the children put to them. The children are not imbeciles. They note these broken promises, these empty threats, these untruthful replies. They lose faith in their parents, and sometimes it happens that their loss of faith manifests itself in a gloomy brooding, a sullen resentment99 against the parents. The parents, on their side, regard the sulky child as maliciously100 naughty and evil-minded. Not an inkling do they have of their own share in the making of the condition of which they complain. They blame only the child.
Even the practice, common among parents, of telling their children "white lies" with regard to delicate matters is at times productive of sulkiness as a symptom of nervousness due to inner mental conflict. Almost every child is at an early age inquisitive[84] about his origin and the manner of his coming into the world. If his questions on these subjects are evaded101 or answered in a fantastic way, the child's curiosity is likely to be increased rather than satisfied. In exceptional cases there may result an obsessional102 pondering of the evaded topic, intensified103 when the child discovers that his parents have deceived him. Extreme nervousness, accompanied with sullenness, is then a likely result. But, apart altogether from the possibility that nervousness and sulkiness may be caused by parental deception104 of this sort, the danger of losing control over their children is itself serious enough to warn parents to be straightforward105 in answering their children's queries106 regarding sex subjects.
Havelock Ellis, the foremost authority on the psychology107 of sex, does not exaggerate when he assures us:
"Even if there were no other reasons against telling children fairy tales of sex instead of the real facts, there is one reason which ought to be decisive[85] with every mother who values her influence over her child. He will very quickly discover, either by information from others or by his own natural intelligence, that the fairy tale that was told him in reply to a question about a simple matter of fact was a lie. With that discovery, his mother's influence over him in all such matters vanishes forever, for not only has a child a horror of being duped, but he is extremely sensitive about a rebuff of this kind, and never repeats what he has been made to feel was a mistake to be ashamed of. He will not trouble his mother with any more questions on this matter; he will not confide6 in her; he will himself learn the art of telling 'fairy tales' about sex matters. He had turned to his mother in trust, she had not responded with equal trust, and she must suffer the punishment, as Henriette Fürth puts it, of seeing 'the love and trust of her son stolen from her by the first boy he makes friends with in the street.'"[5]
Joy is a natural consequence of a child's affection[86] for, and faith in, his parents. Resentfulness, bitterness, sullenness, are natural consequences of loss of affection and faith. The parents of a sullen child must always ask themselves if, through deception of any sort, they have forfeited108 the child's esteem109 for them. They must further ask themselves if, by intentional110 or unintentional unkindness of a persistent111 sort, they have embittered112 the child. They must also put to themselves the question: "Have I in some way erred113 so as to make my child sullen by the force of a bad example?" And, lastly, they must not forget to probe, through the aid of a skilled physician, for possible physical causes of mental and nervous stress.
If they do not adopt this course, if they allow the child to go on sulking, or if they increase his sulkiness by mishandling him, let me again warn them that they may be hopelessly limiting his chances for success and happiness in manhood. Character distortions of some sort are certain to result; even his bodily health itself may be affected. For, just as[87] sulkiness often is a product of some physical disorder68, so may it, in turn, become a cause of physical disorder. To sulk is essentially114 to be in a disturbed emotional state, and recent scientific research has established that such states, particularly if intense or long continued, have a highly unfavourable influence on the bodily organism. This has been most clearly shown in the case of anger and worry, the former of which always is, while the latter often is, basic in sulkiness.
All parents, indeed, ought to familiarise themselves with the physiology115 of anger and worry. Once really appreciative81 of the possible bodily effects of these emotional states, they would, on the one hand, be more careful to train their children early in emotional control, and, on the other, would be more chary116 about subjecting them to conditions involving emotional stress. Anger—and, equally, worry—is liable, for one thing, to derange117 profoundly the workings of the digestive organs. How profoundly it may derange them has recently been demonstrated conclusively[88] by some remarkable118 scientific observations on animals and human beings.
A prime requisite119 to good digestion is a free flow of saliva120 and gastric121 juice when food is chewed. There must literally122 be a preparatory automatic "watering" of the mouth and stomach. Ordinarily, this begins as soon as food is taken into the mouth—if one is hungry, it begins at the mere123 sight of food. But it has been proved that, no matter how appetising the food, the digestive flow stops almost altogether under the influence of anger.
This was first demonstrated by a Russian physiologist124, Pawlow, experimenting with dogs so conditioned that he could see into their throats and stomachs. When a dog was irritated—as by showing it a cat which it was prevented from attacking—the flow of saliva and gastric juice instantly stopped, and did not begin again for some time after the dog had been calmed. Even a slight degree of irritability in the animal was sufficient to stop gastric secretion125.
[89]
The same result has been repeatedly recorded by other scientists experimenting with cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, children, and full-grown men and women. One observer, a medical man named Hornborg, had as a patient a small boy in whom disease had caused an external opening large enough to allow a view of the workings of the stomach. Doctor Hornborg found that if he gave this boy food, after first angering him, his eating of the food was not accompanied by a flow of the gastric juice, which ordinarily flowed promptly and freely.
And, besides stopping the secretory126 processes of the stomach, anger stops its muscular movements as well, and also the movements of almost all the alimentary127 tract77. Hence, food eaten during or soon after an outburst of anger or petulance128 is not properly taken up by the alimentary canal for final digestion, absorption, and elimination129. Which means, it need scarcely be pointed130 out, that every part of the body suffers in some degree through diminished nutrition. And certain specific discomforts131 are likely to be experienced—sour[90] stomach, gastric pains, headache, and so forth132.
Equally striking is the effect of anger on the liver. One most important function of the liver is to store glycogen, or "animal starch," which is a source of energy when liberated134 from the liver into the blood in the form of sugar. Under normal conditions, an exceedingly small amount of sugar—all the body requires—is liberated. The liberation of a greater amount is a waste; and, if long continued, its excessive liberation has a fatally weakening effect on the system, constituting the serious disease known as diabetes135.
Now, as has lately been proved by an American investigator136, Doctor W. B. Cannon137, of Harvard University, anger, or strong emotional excitement of any sort, immediately causes the liver to liberate133 sugar in excess. Doctor Cannon found this to be true in the case of both animals and human beings. Almost always a man examined after he had been angry or excited showed clear indications in the[91] liquids of his body of glycosuria, or excessive sugar. Here is Doctor Cannon's summary of one of his most interesting observations:
"C. H. Fiske and I examined twenty-five members of the Harvard University football squad138 immediately after the final and most exciting contest of 1913, and found sugar in twelve cases. Five of these positive cases were among substitutes not called upon to enter the game. The only excited spectator of the Harvard victory who was examined also had a marked glycosuria, which on the following day had disappeared."[6]
Further than this, on testing the blood of excited and angry animals and people, Doctor Cannon discovered that it held in excess another substance which, like sugar, is usually present in the circulation in exceedingly minute quantities.
This substance, called adrenin, has some extraordinary properties. It is secreted139 by two small glands140 back of the kidneys. If artificially extracted[92] and injected into the blood of a human being in any appreciable141 amount, it instantly has the effect of creating a sharp rise in blood pressure, the blood vessels142 being constricted143 and the heart beat appreciably144 increased. It also alters the distribution of the blood, driving it from the abdomen145 to the head and limbs. And for the time being it enormously increases muscular power and abolishes all feeling of fatigue146.
Exactly similar effects, scientific research has proved, are brought about by the quantity of adrenin set free in the blood during periods of anger or other emotional stress. That is to say, not only does anger temporarily stop stomach action and abnormally stimulate147 the sugar-releasing function of the liver: it also imposes an unusual strain on the heart and the blood vessels.
Likewise with worry. It affects the heart, blood vessels, liver, and digestive organs as anger does. Even in the lower animals, and when occurring in comparatively slight degree, worry puts a stop to[93] stomach movements and digestive secretions148. Thus, in discussing with me the physiology of worry, Doctor Cannon stated:
"To give a significant illustration of how worry affects animals, as well as people, I might mention the case of a young male cat, the movements of whose stomach I studied by the aid of the R?ntgen rays.
"For observation purposes, it was necessary to attach the cat to a holder149. He made no resistance when this was done, but kept up a slight twitching150 of his tail from side to side, indicating that he was at least somewhat anxious as to what was going to happen to him.
"For more than an hour I watched his stomach by means of the rays, and during that time there was not the slightest beginning of peristaltic activity, the waves of muscular contraction151 being entirely absent.
"In another instance, that of a female cat with kittens, something happened to create an anxious[94] mood while the cat was attached to the holder. Until that moment the cat had been contented152, and the work of digestion was proceeding153 normally. But now the movements of the stomach entirely ceased, and the gastric wall became relaxed. Only after the cat had been petted and began to purr did the stomach movements start again.
"I have observed the same thing in dogs and guinea pigs. A very slight emotional disturbance is enough to affect their digestion unfavourably."
Affecting specifically the brain, heart, arteries154, stomach, intestines155, liver, and glands of internal secretion, worry also has a general adverse156 effect on the nervous system.
This adverse effect is unmistakably expressed by the haggard, drawn, gaunt aspect of the man who habitually157 worries, and by his persistent sensations of fatigue. What has happened is that his nerve cells are being deprived of the nutrition they need in order to energise him properly. When, on the contrary, the worrier succeeds in changing his mental[95] state—when he contrives158 to look at things confidently and contentedly—then, in the words of Professor George Van Ness Dearborn, there is a resultant and most beneficial increase in "the operative enthusiasm of the nervous system and of its affectors, the muscles and the glands."
The moral to parents is obvious. Keep children as joyous and happy as possible. By instruction and example, start them early in the path of emotional control. Protect them from needless causes of fear, worry, and anger. And make special efforts to prevent the development or continuance of that curious and most injurious mental attitude—the attitude of sulkiness—grounded in anger and frequently grounded also in sentiments of worry, envy, hatred159, and even despair.
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chronically
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| ad.长期地 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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grouch
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| n.牢骚，不满；v.抱怨 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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remunerative
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vent
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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prospects
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outgrow
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| vt.长大得使…不再适用；成长得不再要 | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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18
wilful
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| adj.任性的，故意的 | |
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19
morose
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| adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的 | |
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20
peevish
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| adj.易怒的，坏脾气的 | |
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21
functional
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| adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的 | |
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22
disturbances
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| n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍 | |
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23
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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24
digestion
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| n.消化，吸收 | |
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25
irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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26
eccentricities
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| n.古怪行为( eccentricity的名词复数 )；反常；怪癖 | |
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27
impoverishing
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| v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的现在分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化 | |
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28
irritability
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| n.易怒 | |
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29
nag
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| v.(对…)不停地唠叨；n.爱唠叨的人 | |
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30
vivacious
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| adj.活泼的，快活的 | |
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31
aggravated
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| 使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火 | |
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32
parental
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| adj.父母的；父的；母的 | |
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33
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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34
ruminating
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| v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
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35
reciprocated
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|
| v.报答，酬答( reciprocate的过去式和过去分词 )；（机器的部件）直线往复运动 | |
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36
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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37
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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38
toxic
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| adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的 | |
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39
irritation
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|
| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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40
inadequate
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| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
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41
nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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42
tainted
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|
| adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏 | |
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43
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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44
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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45
interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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46
intake
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| n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口 | |
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47
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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48
sullenness
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| n. 愠怒, 沉闷, 情绪消沉 | |
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49
insipid
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| adj.无味的，枯燥乏味的，单调的 | |
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50
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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51
afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
defective
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| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
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53
manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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54
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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55
melancholy
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|
| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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56
moroseness
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57
malady
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| n.病，疾病(通常做比喻) | |
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58
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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59
twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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60
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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61
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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62
perverse
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| adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的 | |
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63
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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64
phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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65
wilfulness
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| 任性；倔强 | |
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66
precipitating
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|
| adj.急落的，猛冲的v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的现在分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀 | |
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67
aggravating
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| adj.恼人的，讨厌的 | |
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68
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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69
disorders
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|
| n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调 | |
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70
contrive
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|
| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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71
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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72
remains
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|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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73
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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74
confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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75
exhort
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| v.规劝，告诫 | |
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76
prone
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|
| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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77
tract
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|
| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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78
drawn
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|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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79
provocation
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|
| n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因 | |
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80
verge
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|
| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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81
appreciative
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|
| adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的 | |
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82
whining
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|
| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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83
spanks
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| v.用手掌打( spank的第三人称单数 ) | |
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84
scathing
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|
| adj.（言词、文章）严厉的，尖刻的；不留情的adv.严厉地，尖刻地v.伤害，损害（尤指使之枯萎）( scathe的现在分词) | |
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85
acting
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|
| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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86
snarl
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|
| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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87
offset
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|
| n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿 | |
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88
pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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89
jealousy
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|
| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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90
dominant
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|
| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
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91
retarded
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| a.智力迟钝的，智力发育迟缓的 | |
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92
upbraiding
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|
| adj.& n.谴责（的）v.责备，申斥，谴责( upbraid的现在分词 ) | |
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93
harass
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|
| vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰 | |
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94
deficient
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|
| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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95
retardation
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|
| n.智力迟钝，精神发育迟缓 | |
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96
pester
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| v.纠缠，强求 | |
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97
incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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98
nagging
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|
| adj.唠叨的，挑剔的；使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的现在分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责 | |
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99
resentment
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|
| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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100
maliciously
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| adv.有敌意地 | |
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101
evaded
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| 逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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102
obsessional
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|
| adj.摆脱不了的 | |
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103
intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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104
deception
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| n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计 | |
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105
straightforward
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|
| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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106
queries
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| n.问题( query的名词复数 )；疑问；询问；问号v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 )；询问 | |
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107
psychology
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|
| n.心理，心理学，心理状态 | |
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108
forfeited
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| （因违反协议、犯规、受罚等）丧失，失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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109
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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110
intentional
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| adj.故意的，有意（识）的 | |
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111
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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112
embittered
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| v.使怨恨，激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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113
erred
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| 犯错误，做错事( err的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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114
essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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115
physiology
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| n.生理学，生理机能 | |
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116
chary
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| adj.谨慎的，细心的 | |
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117
derange
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| v.使精神错乱 | |
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118
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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119
requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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120
saliva
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| n.唾液，口水 | |
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121
gastric
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| adj.胃的 | |
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122
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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123
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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124
physiologist
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| n.生理学家 | |
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125
secretion
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| n.分泌 | |
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126
secretory
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| adj.分泌的，能分泌的，促分泌的n.分泌腺，分泌器官 | |
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127
alimentary
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|
| adj.饮食的，营养的 | |
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128
petulance
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| n.发脾气，生气，易怒，暴躁，性急 | |
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129
elimination
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| n.排除，消除，消灭 | |
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130
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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131
discomforts
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| n.不舒适( discomfort的名词复数 )；不愉快，苦恼 | |
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132
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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133
liberate
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| v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由 | |
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134
liberated
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| a.无拘束的，放纵的 | |
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135
diabetes
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| n.糖尿病 | |
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136
investigator
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| n.研究者，调查者，审查者 | |
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137
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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138
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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139
secreted
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| v.（尤指动物或植物器官）分泌( secrete的过去式和过去分词 )；隐匿，隐藏 | |
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140
glands
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| n.腺( gland的名词复数 ) | |
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141
appreciable
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| adj.明显的，可见的，可估量的，可觉察的 | |
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142
vessels
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|
| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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143
constricted
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| adj.抑制的，约束的 | |
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144
appreciably
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| adv.相当大地 | |
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145
abdomen
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| n.腹，下腹(胸部到腿部的部分) | |
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146
fatigue
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|
| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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147
stimulate
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|
| vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋 | |
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148
secretions
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| n.分泌（物）( secretion的名词复数 ) | |
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149
holder
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| n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物 | |
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150
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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151
contraction
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| n.缩略词，缩写式，害病 | |
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152
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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153
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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154
arteries
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| n.动脉( artery的名词复数 )；干线，要道 | |
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155
intestines
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| n.肠( intestine的名词复数 ) | |
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156
adverse
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| adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的 | |
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157
habitually
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| ad.习惯地，通常地 | |
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158
contrives
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| （不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的第三人称单数 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到 | |
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159
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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