tic spasm, because
we are more inclined to exert the muscles subservient to mastication from
their early obedience to violent efforts of volition.

But in the case related in Sect. XIX. on Reverie, the cataleptic lady had
pain in her upper teeth; and pressing one of her hands vehemently against
her cheek-bone to diminish this pain, it remained in that attitude for
about half an hour twice a day, till the painful paroxysm was over.

I have this very day seen a young lady in this disease, (with which she has
frequently been afflicted,) she began to-day with violent pain shooting
from one side of the forehead to the occiput, and after various struggles
lay on the bed with her fingers and wrists bent and stiff for about two
hours; in other respects she seemed in a syncope with a natural pulse. She
then had intervals of pain and of spasm, and took three grains of opium
every hour till she had taken nine grains, before the pains and spasm
ceased.

There is, however, another species of fixed spasm, which differs from the
former, as the pain exists in the contracted muscle, and would seem rather
to be the consequence than the cause of the contraction, as in the cramp in
the calf of the leg, and in many other parts of the body.

In these spasms it should seem, that the muscle itself is first thrown into
contraction by some disagreeable sensation, as of cold; and that then the
violent pain is produced by the great contraction of the muscular fibres
extending its own tendons, which are said to be sensible to extension only;
and is further explained in Sect. XVIII. 15.

6. Many instances have been given in this work, where after violent motions
excited by irritation, the organ has become quiescent to less, and even to
the great irritation, which induced it into violent motion; as after
looking long at the sun or any bright colour, they cease to be seen; and
after removing from bright day-light into a gloomy room, the eye cannot at
first perceive the objects, which stimulate it less. Similar to this is the
syncope, which succeeds after the violent exertions of our voluntary
motions, as after epileptic fits, for the power of volition acts in this
case as the stimulus in the other. This syncope is a temporary palsy, or
apoplexy, which ceases after a time, the muscles recovering their power of
being excited into action by the efforts of volition; as the eye in the
circumstance above mentioned recovers in a little time its power of s