VOL. II.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 2lp 



thought myself obliged, in consequence of many false rumours, to give you a 

 faithful and exact account of the condition to which this poor man was reduced 

 before the transfusion ; of what passed during that operation ; and of the sur- 

 prising effects that have followed upon it hitherto. 



The patient is about 34 years of age. His phrensy began first of all to ap- 

 pear seven or eight years ago, and as far as c^n be judged, it was occasioned by 

 a disgrace he received a little before in some amours where he hoped to gain a 

 very considerable fortune. This first fit of extravagance was very violent, and 

 lasted 10 months without any lucid interval ; but returning afterwards by de- 

 grees to his wits, and having given all possible marks of a sound understanding, 

 he was married to a young gentlewoman, who was persuaded that his madness 

 was the relick of a sickness he had before, and that there was no appearance he 

 would ever relapse into it. But this was far from proving so, and even the 

 first year of his marriage ended not without his returning to his fonner extra- 

 vagancies. 



Thus then he relapsed, and has been several times restored within these seven 

 or eight years. But what is chiefly to be observed, is, that the fit always lasted 

 at least eight or ten months without any respite, notwithstanding all the care 

 and means used to relieve him. It is also worthy of notice, that a person of 

 quality having determined to attempt his cure by all manner of ways, caused 

 him to be bled in his feet, arms, and head, even 18 times, and made him bathe 

 himself 40 times, not to mention innumerable applications to his forehead, 

 and potions. But instead of amendment, the distemper seemed to be provoked 

 by those remedies, and this poor creature fell into such a rage, that it was ne- 

 cessary to bind him up from doing mischief. His madness has been always 

 periodical, and never abated but by little and little, and that rather at times 

 when nothing has been done to him, than when he has been tormented with 

 medicines. 



His last relapse was about four months since, in a place twelve leagues from 

 Paris; and his wife hearing of it went immediately to him to relieve him. Shfe 

 soon shut him up, and was even constrained to tie him for some time, because 

 he was in such an extraordinary rage as to beat her. But notwithstanding all 

 her care, he once got loose stark naked, and ran away to Paris, though in a 

 dark night. His wife had him searched for in all the neighbouring villages, 

 whilst he ran up and down the streets of Paris without finding any place to re- 

 tire to, as those who at first had the charity to receive him into their houses, 

 began to fear the danger they were exposed to. 



He was not less outrageous in this last fit than in the former. He has spent 

 three or four months without sleep, and his greatest diversion during that time 



E £ 2 



