SECT. XXXIV. i. 7. OF VOLITION. 335 



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

 immoderate laughter, have died from this paralyfis confequent 

 to violent exertion. Mrs. Scott of Stafford was walking in her 

 garden in perfect health with her neighbour Mrs. , the lat- 

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

 difengage herlelf by the afiiftance of Mrs. Scott's hand. Mrs. 

 Scott exerted her utmoft power for many minutes, firfl to aflift 

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

 the morafs, as her diftreffed companion would not difengage 

 her hand. After other afiiftance was procured by their united 

 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 fkating 

 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 fufferers 

 had been heated and exhaufted by previous exercile. 



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 

 coufm 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 initant, 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 affect fwimmers, 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 is 

 immediately preceded by vehement exertion ; the quiefence, 

 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 periods, 

 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. See Section XXXII. 3. 2. 



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



dentlv 



