680 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO IjOS, 



almost to the thighs. Of all her limbs, the left arm only preserved any motion. 

 Of this the joint of the shoulder was rigid, that of the elbow extremely impaired ; 

 but the wrist, hand, and fingers, were reasonably pliant. The various muscles 

 subservient to the motions of the eyes, eyelids, lips, and tongue ; as well as 

 those internal ones at least, which assist in performing the offices of respiration 

 and deglutition, did not seem in the least to partake of the rigidity. 



From the end of Sept. to the middle of Nov. the disease, though it had ex- 

 erted all its power, was at a stand. The feverish heat had left her, and her pulse 

 beat generally between 80 and 90 strokes in a minute. But during this interval 

 the poor patient v/as seized many times, both in the night and in the day, with 

 violent convulsions in those muscles of the eyes, face, and right arm, which had 

 any mobility left. These were so severe, that in her weak and wretched 

 state, her attendants imagined every attack would put an end to her dis- 

 tresses. In this state, partly from the severity of the disease, and partly 

 from the very small quantity of food which could be given to her, and 

 which' was only through a small opening made by extracting 2 of her teeth, and 

 without which she must inevitably have been starved, she was emaciated in a 

 most extraordinary manner. Her belly was contracted, and drawn inwards to- 

 wards the spine. Her whole body to the touch felt hard and dry, and much 

 more like that of a dead animal than a living one. This, added to the very great 

 distortion of her back and lower limbs, heightened the disagreeable spectacle, 

 and called to mind that admirable passage of Aretaeus (cap. vi.), who when treat- 

 ing of and contemplating this disease, calls it ' inhumana calamitas, injucundus 

 aspectus, triste intuenti spectaculum, et malum insanabile.' And he subjoins, 

 that ' their distortions are such, that they cannot be known by their most inti- 

 mate friends; which in this case was most strictly true. 



During the continuance of this disorder, which had lasted more than 4 

 months, nothing had been omitted that they could suggest for her relief. While 

 worms or foul bowels could be suspected to have occasioned this illness, as her 

 stools were at first very offensive, and she had voided 2 worms, vermifuges of the 

 most celebrated kind, linseed oil both by the mouth and by clysters, and such 

 other medicines as tend both to carry off or destroy the worms, and cleanse the 

 bowels, were assiduously administered. But no relief arising from these, bleed- 

 ing with leeches at the temples, when her fever ran high, blisters behind the 

 ears, round the neck, on the head, and in various parts of her body, were from 

 time to time applied, as the disorder seemed to indicate. Nor during tins time 

 were antispasmodic remedies of various kinds omitted, and that in very liberal 

 doses. Among these, as in several cases of locked jaws, related by authors of 

 undoubted credit, opiates had been found to have been attended with great suc- 

 cess, tinctura thebaica was copiously given. So that between the 12th of July 



