[ 3 8 3 1 
I drew fparks upon the epileptic perfon, who was 
prefent, from the firft thunder* clap. At firft he bore 
them; but in two or three minutes I perceived his 
countenance change ; and, for fear that any accident 
fhould happen to him, I begg’d he would retire. He 
was no fooner returned home, than his fenfes fail’d 
him, and he was feized with a mod: violent fit. His 
convulfions were taken off with fpirit of hartfhorn ; but 
his reafon did not return in an hour and half. He went 
up-and-down-ftairs, like one who walks in his deep, 
without fpeaking or knowing any perfon, fettling his 
papers, taking fnuff, and offering chairs to all that 
came in. When he was fpoken to, he pronounced 
inarticulate words, which had no connexion of fenfe. 
When this poor man recovered his reafon, he fell 
into another fit. His friends told me, that he was 
more affedted with this diftemper when it thunder’d, 
than at any other time; and that if at any time it hap- 
pen’d, which it rarely did, that he then efcaped, his 
eyes, his countenance, and the confufion of his ex - 
prefiions, fufficiently demonftrated the weaknefs of 
his reafon. 
The next day I learned from himfelf, that the 
fear of thunder was not the caufe of his difeafe; but 
that, however, he found a fatal connexion between 
phenomenon and that diftemper, with which Provi- 
dence was pleafed to afflict him. He added, that, 
when the fit feized him, he perceived a vapour rifing 
in his breaft, with fo much rapidity, that he loft all 
his fenfes, before he could call for help. 
Such are the obfervations, Sir, which my moments 
of leifure fuffer’d me to make : I fhould have been 
very 
