IN the month of January 1757, I was concerned for a young gentle-woman, who, if the number, continuance, and frequency of their returns, be considered, suffered the most violent and severe convulsions I ever knew. At some times the muscular spasms were general; at other times single muscles only, or a number of them, subservient to some particular purpose in the animal oeconomy, were affected. And such was the peculiarity of this case, that after and in proportion as any single muscle, or any determined number of muscles, had been in a state of spasm, a paralytic inability succeeded to those muscles, which very much disordered and impaired, and several times even for no small continuance prevented the patient from performing, several of her necessary functions. When the muscles, for instance, subservient to deglutition had been convulsed, for many hours after the fits had left her, she has not been able to swallow a single drop of liquid: so that when attempts have been made to cause her to drink, unless the liquor was immediately thrown back, there was imminent danger of her being strangled. When her eyes have been affected, several times a compleat _gutta serena_, and total blindness, has ensued; the patient being able to bear the strong day-light with open eyes, without being sensible of its influence, or in the least contracting her widely dilated pupils. After one of these fits the blindness continued full five days; and I began to be in fear for the return of her sight. You, Sir, who are so excellently well versed in the animal oeconomy, are not to be informed, that vocification is performed in the _aspera arteria_; but that the articulation of sounds into syllables and words is modulated principally by the tongue, and muscles about the larynx. In the case before you, very early in the disease, the spasms seized the muscles about the larynx: the consequence of which was, that after they were over, the patient was unable to utter a word. This faculty however she again once recovered; but it continued a very short time, as the fits returned, which again left her deprived of the power of speech. After having lost her voice a second time, her power of speech did not return, even after she was freed from her convulsions, and her general health restored. Fourteen months passed, whilst this patient continued absolutely speechless; when, after having violently heated herself by four hours dancing, on a sudden her power of speech returned, and it has continued perfectly free ever since.