[ 5*o ] 
Young woman, feventeen years old, call’d Pa- 
trizia Galiera, the daughter of a citizen of Na- 
ples, was brought to the royal holpital the twenty- 
fecond of June, 1752. and was placed in one of the 
wards aligned to the care of Dr. Cruiio ; who vifit- 
ing her in her bed, and afking her the neceflary que- 
ffions to form a right notion of her difeale, was in- 
form’d by her, that her complaint was an exceffive 
tenfion and hardnefs of her fkin over all her body, 
by which fhe found herfelf fo bound and ffraiten’d, 
that fhe could hardly move her limbs. Upon exa- 
mining her, he found her fkin hard to the touch, like 
wood, or a dry hide ; however, he obferv’d fome dif- 
ference in the degrees of the hardnefs: For in fome 
places it was greater ; as in the neck, forehead, and' 
particularly in the eye-lids ; infomuch that Dae could 
neither raife nor intirely fhut them. It was alfo very 
great in the lips, tongue, and on each lide of her 
body ; but the mufcles under the fkin feem’d not to 
be affeCted, becaule the joints could be bent ; and if 
in any place there was any difficulty in moving the 
limbs, this arofe not from any defeCt in the mufcles, 
but from the hardnefs and ten lion of the fkin and 
cellular membrane, which did not yield to their con- 
traction and relaxation. For example ; fhe could 
fcarce open her mouth ; which happen’d not from 
any fault in the digaftric, or other mufcles, but from 
the hardnefs of the fkin, that cover’d the lips and 
cheeks, and that would not permit her to draw down 
the lower jaw. In the fame manner was ihc in- 
capable of bending her neck, or turning her head : 
Neither did this happen from any defeCt in the 
mufcles 
