The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals typically accompanies blushing. A German translation of "The Expression" appeared in 1872; Dutch and French versions followed in 1873 and 1874. A second edition of the book, with only minor alterations, was published in 1890. Before Darwin, human emotional life had posed problems to the western philosophical categories of "mind" and "body". Darwin's interest can be traced to his time as a medical student and the 1824 reprint of Sir Charles Bell's "Anatomy and Philosophy of Expression" which argued for a spiritual dimension to the subject. In contrast, Darwin's biological approach links mental states to the coordination of movement, and
The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals initial correspondence with the psychiatrist James Crichton-Browne Darwin set aside his material concerning emotional expression in order to complete "The Descent of Man", which covered human ancestry and sexual selection. Darwin concluded work on "The Descent of Man" on 15 January 1871. Two days later, he started on "The Expression of the Emotions" and, on 22 August 1872, he finished work on the proofs. In this book, Darwin brings his evolutionary theory into close approximation with behavioural science, although many Darwin scholars have remarked on a kind of spectral Lamarckism haunting the text of the "Emotions". Universal Nature of Expression: