Paradox

I always thought the spleen was associated with ill-humour, or melancholy, not with silly laughter. I know my Shakespeare. How did Pliny come up with that idea? I'd better ask him.

Pliny, I've just looked up spleen in the dictionary, and it says, ill-humour, melancholy. How do you explain that?

Let me see, says Pliny. Ah, well, the spleen you know is the repository of black bile. The spleen's job is to prevent the onset of melancholia by containing the fluid that produces the mental state. A person's ability to laugh shows that their spleen is working well.

What about the person who exhibits silly laughter ?

That is caused by an excess of black bile in the spleen.

Well what causes excessive melancholy then?

That is also caused by an excess of black bile in the spleen.

How do you account for that?

Most easily. I account for that by calling it a paradox.