At first, the child seems, during the intervals of the attack, much as before; except, perhaps, that it is rather more pettish and wilful; but it is not long before graver symptoms than the occasional occurrence of an unusual sound when the child draws a deep breath excite attention, and give rise to alarm. Fits of difficult breathing occasionally come on, in which the child throws its head back, while its face and lips become livid, or an ashy paleness surrounds the mouth, slight convulsive movements pass over the muscles of the face; the chest is motionless, and suffocation seems impending. But in a few seconds the spasm yields, expiration is effected, and a long loud crowing inspiration succeeds, or the child begins to cry. Breathing now goes on naturally: the crowing is not repeated, or the crying ceases; a look of apprehension dwells for a moment on the infant's features, but then passes away; it turns once more to its playthings, or begins sucking again as if nothing were the matter. A few hours, or even a few days, may pass before this alarming occurrence is again observed, but it does recur, and another symptom of the disturbance of the nervous system is soon superadded, if it has not, as is often the case, existed from the very beginning. This consists in a peculiar contraction of the hands and feet; a state which may likewise not infrequently be noticed during infancy, unattended by any peculiarity in breathing. It differs much in degree; sometimes the thumb is simply drawn into the palm while the fingers are unaffected; at other times the fingers are closed more or less firmly, and the thumb is shut into the palm; or, coupled with this, the hand itself is forcibly flexed on the wrist. In the slightest degree of affection of the foot, the great toe is drawn a little away from the other toes; in severer degrees the toe is drawn away still further, and the whole foot is forcibly bent upon the ankle, and its sole directed a little inwards. Affection of the hands generally precedes the affection of the feet, and may even exist without it, but the spasmodic contraction of the feet never exists without the hands being involved likewise. At first this state is temporary, but it does not come on and cease simultaneously with the attacks of crowing breathing, though generally much aggravated during its paroxysms. Sometimes a child in whom the crowing breathing has been heard, will awake in the morning with the hands and feet firmly bent, though he may not have had any attack of difficult breathing during the night. When the contraction is but slight, children still use their hands; but when considerable they cannot employ them, and they sometimes cry, as if the contraction of the muscles were attended with pain. Sometimes, too, there is a degree of puffiness both of hands and feet, a sort of dropsical condition, which, whenever it is present, adds much to the anxiety with reference to the child.