and in a short time relapsed; so that I never knew any advantage from electricity in palsies, that was permanent. And how far the apparent temporary advantage might arise from the exercise in the patients journey, and coming daily to my house, or from the spirits given by the hope of success, enabling them to exert more strength in moving their limbs, I will not pretend to say. Perhaps some permanent advantage might have been obtained, if the electric shocks had been accompanied with proper medicine and regimen, under the direction of a skilful physician. It may be, too, that a few great strokes, as given in my method, may not be so proper as many small ones; since, by the account from Scotland of a case, in which two hundred shocks from a phial were given daily, it seems, that a perfect cure has been made. As to any uncommon strength supposed to be in the machine used in that case, I imagine it could have no share in the effect produced; since the strength of the shock from charged glass is in proportion to the quantity of surface of the glass coated; so that my shocks from those large jars must have been much greater than any, that could be received from a phial held in the hand. I am, with great respect, SIR, Your most obedient Servant, R. Franklin. London, Dec. 21, 1757. LX. _Observations on the late Comet in_ September _and_ October 1757; _made at the_ Hague _by Mr._ D. Klinkenberg: _In a Letter to the Rev._ James Bradley, _D. D. Astronomer Royal, and F.R.S. and Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at_ Paris. _Translated from the_ Low Dutch. [Read Jan. 12, 1758.] SIR, I Hope you will be pleased to excuse the liberty, which I take, of troubling you with my observations on the comet, which made its appearance here, and in other parts of Europe, in the months of September and October last; and which, according to the news-papers, was first observed the 11th September by Mr. Gartner, at Dorlkeurtz near Dresden; then, by me, on the 16th of the said Month, here in the Hague; and afterwards in different places. As I find, that you have observed the comet, I doubt not but that you have done it in the most accurate manner; and my great love for this science induces me to beg, that I may have the happiness of knowing some of your observations. My good friend Mr. Struyk at Amsterdam wrote me some time ago, that he intended to ask the same favour of you; but I have not since heard any further from him. I observed this comet from Septemb. 16th in the morning, until Octob. the 11th in the morning; and found its situations, according to my method, as follows: