Sect. XXXIV, i. ?, OF VOLITION. 335 



pired. And it is probable, that fhofe, who have expired from 

 immoderate laughter, have died from this paralyfis coniequent 

 to violent exertion, Mrs. Scott of StafFord was walking in her 



garden in perfect health with her neighbour Mrs. % the b.t- 



ter accidentally fell into a muddy rivulet, and tried in vain to 

 difengage herfelf by the amftance of Mrs. Scott's hand. Mr?. 

 Scott exerted her utmoft power for many minutes, firft to aflhl 

 her friend, and next to prevent herfelf from being pulled into 

 the morafs, as her diftrefTed companion would not dileng 

 her hand. After other afiiftance was procured by their unit 

 fcreams, Mrs. Scott walked to a chair about twenty yards from 

 the brook, and was feized with an apoplectic ftroke : which 

 continued many days, and terminated in a total lofs of her right 

 arm, and her fpeech ; neither of which (he ever after perfectly 

 recovered. 



It is faid, that many people in Holland have died after (taring 

 too long or too violently on their frozen canals ; it is probable 

 the death of thefe, and of others, who have died fuddenly in 

 fwimming, has been owing to this great quiefcence or paralyfis * 

 which has fucceeded very violent exertions, added to the con- 

 comitant cold, which has had greater effect, after the fuilerers 

 had been heated and exhaufted by previous exercife. 



I remember a young man of the name of Nairne at Cambridge., 

 who walking on the edge of a barge fell into the river. His 

 coufin and fellow-ftudent of the fame name, knowing the other 

 could not fwim, plunged into the water after him, caught him 

 by his clothes, and approaching the bank by a vehement exertion 

 propelled him fafe to the land, but that inftant, feized, as was 

 fuppofed, by the cramp, or paralyfis, funk to rife no more. The 

 reafon why the cramp of the mufcles, which compofe the calf 

 of the leg, is fo liable to afFeft fvvimmers, is, becaufe thefe muf- 

 cles have very weak antagonifts, and are in walking generally 

 elongated again after their contraction by the weight of the body 

 on the ball of the toe, which is very much greater than the re- 

 fiftance of the water in fwimming. See Section XVIII. 15. 



It does not follow that every apoplectic or paralytic attack u 

 immediately preceded by vehement exertion j the quiefcence, 

 which fucceeds exertion, and which is not fo great as to be term- 

 ed paralyfis, frequently recurs afterwards at certain periods ; 

 and by other caufes of quiefcence, occurring with thofe period^ 

 as was explained in treating of the paroxyfms of intermitting 

 fevers ; the quiefcence at length becomes fo great as to be in- 

 capable of again being removed by the efforts of volition, and 

 complete paralyfis is formed. SeeSeaion XXXII. 3. 2. 



Many of the paralytic patients, whom I have feen, have evi- 

 dently 



