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fuppofed were occafioned by thofe prickings. The 
limbs too were found more capable of voluntary 
motion, and feemed to receive ffrength. A man, 
for inflance, who could not the firff day lift the 
lame hand from off his knee, would the next day 
rail'e it four or five inches, the third day higher ; and 
on the fifth day was able, but with a feeble languid 
motion, to take off his hat. Thefe appearances 
gave great fpirits to the patients, and made them 
hope a perfed cure ; but I do not remember, that I 
ever law any amendment after the fifth day : which 
the patients perceiving, and finding the fhocks pretty 
fevere, they became difcouraged, went home, and 
in a fliort time relapfed ; fo that I never knew any 
advantage from electricity in palfies, that was per- 
manent. And how far the apparent temporary ad- 
vantage might arife from the exercife in the patients 
journey, and coming daily to my houfe, or from the 
fpirits given by the hope of fuccefs, enabling them 
to exert more ffrength in moving their limbs, I will 
not pretend to fay. 
Perhaps fome permanent advantage might have 
been obtained, if the eledric fliocks had been ac- 
companied with proper medicine and regimen, un- 
der the diredion of a fkilful phyfician. It may be, 
too, that a few great ffrokes, as given in my me- 
thod, may not be fo proper as many fmall ones ; 
fince, by the account from Scotland of a cafe, in 
which two hundred fliocks from a phial were given 
daily, it feems, that a perfed cure has been made. 
As to any uncommon ffrength fuppofed to be in the 
machine ufed in that cafe, I imagine it could have 
no fliare in the effed produced ; fince the ffrength 
of 
