JOseph, son of John and Mary Postle, of Ingham in the county of Norfolk, was subject to convulsive fits from his infancy; which were common and tolerable till he was about seven years of age. About that time they began to attack him in all the varieties that can be conceived. Sometimes he was thrown upon the ground; sometimes he was twirled round like a top by them; at others he would spring upwards to a considerable height, _&c._ and once he leaped over an iron bar, that was placed purposely before the fire to prevent his falling into it. He was much burned; but was rendered so habitually stupid by his fits, that he never expressed the least sense of pain after this accident. His intellect was so much impaired, and almost destroyed, by the frequency and violence of his fits, that he scarce seemed to be conscious of any thing. He did not acknowlege his father or mother by any expressions or signs; nor seemed to distinguish them from other people. If at any time he escaped out of the house without the observation of the family, he had not understanding to find and return to it; but would pursue the direction or road he first took, and sometimes lose himself. Once he was missing for a whole night; and found the next morning in the middle of a fen, stuck fast in mud as deep as his breast. He was very voracious, and would frequently call for something to eat; which was the only indication he gave of his knowing any thing. No kind of filth or nastiness can be conceived, which he would not eat or drink without distinction. He appeared to be as ill as he really was; for he was become a most shocking spectacle. He was so much emaciated, that he seemed to have no flesh upon his bones; and his body so distorted, that he was rendered quite a cripple. His parents consulted a physician at Norwich, who very judiciously (as it will appear) considered his disorder as a worm-case, and prescribed for it accordingly; but (being afraid, I presume, to give too violent medicines to the boy) without success. In short, he was so singularly afflicted, that his parents told me they could not help thinking him under some evil influence. It was observed, that his disorder varied, and grew worse, at certain periods of the moon. In these miserable circumstances the poor boy continued to languish, till he was about eleven years of age (July 1757), when he accidentally found a mixture of white lead[18] and oil, which had some time before been prepared for some purpose of painting, set by on a shelf, and placed, as it was thought, out of his reach. There was near half a pint of this mixture when he found it; and, as he did not leave much, it is thought he swallowed about a quarter of a pint of it. There was also some lamp-black in the composition; which was added to give it a proper colour for the particular use it was intended for in painting. It was, as I suppose it usually is, linseed oil, which had been mixed with the lead and lamp-black.