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Germany hired musicians to give them music； and provided them with sturdy companions to dance with。 Their endurance was marvelous。 Plater speaks of a woman in Basle whom he saw； that danced for a month。 In Strasburg many of them ate nothing for days and nights until their mania subsided。 Paracelsus； in the beginning of the sixteenth century； was the first to make a study of this disease。 He outlined the severest treatment for it； and boasted that he cured many of the victims。 Hecker conjectures that probably the wild revels of St。 John's day； 1374； gave rise to this mental plague； which thenceforth visited so many thousands with incurable aberrations of mind and disgusting distortions of the body。 Almost simultaneous with the dance of 〃St。 With；〃 there appeared in Italy and Arabia a mania very similar in character which was called 〃tarantism；〃 which was supposed to originate in the bite of the tarantula。 The only effective remedy was music in some form。 In the Tigre country； Abyssinia； this disease appeared under the name of 〃Tigretier。〃 The disease； fortunately； rapidly declined； and very little of it seems to have been known in the sixteenth century； but in the early part of the eighteenth century a peculiar sect called the 〃Convulsionnaires〃 arose in France； and throughout England among the Methodist sect； insane convulsions of this nature were witnessed； and even to the present day in some of the primitive religious meetings of our people； something not unlike this mania of the Middle Ages is perpetuated。
Paracelsus divided the sufferers of St。 Vitus's dance into three classes 。
（1） Those in which the affliction arose from imagination （chorea imaginativa）。
（2） Those which had their origin in sexual desires depending on the will。
（3） Those arising from corporeal causes （chorea naturalis）。 This last case； according to a strange notion of his own he explained by maintaining that in certain vessels which are susceptible of an internal pruriency； and thence produced laughter； the blood is set into commotion in consequence of an alteration in the vital spirits； whereby are occasioned involuntary fits of intoxicating joy； and a propensity to dance。 The great physician Sydenham gave the first accurate description of what is to…day called chorea； and hence the disease has been named 〃Sydenham's chorea。〃 So true to life was his portrayal of the disease that it has never been surpassed by modern observers。
The disease variously named palmus； the jumpers； the twitchers； lata； miryachit； or； as it is sometimes called； the emeryaki of Siberia； and the tic…convulsif of La Tourette； has been very well described by Gray who says that the French authors had their attention directed to the subject by the descriptions of two American authorsthose of Beard upon 〃The Jumpers of Maine；〃 published in 1880； and that of Hammond upon 〃Miryachit；〃 a similar disease of the far Orient。 Beard found that the jumpers of Maine did unhesitatingly whatever they were told to do。 Thus； one who was sitting in a chair was told to throw a knife that he had in his hand； and he obeyed so quickly that the weapon stuck in a house opposite； at the same time he repeated the command given him； with a cry of alarm not unlike that of hysteria or epilepsy。 When he was suddenly clapped upon the shoulder he threw away his pipe； which he had been filling with tobacco。 The first parts of Virgil's aeneid and Homer's Iliad were recited to one of these illiterate jumpers； and he repeated the words as they came to him in a sharp voice； at the same time jumping or throwing whatever he had in his hand； or raising his shoulder； or making some other violent motion。 It is related by O'Brien； an Irishman serving on an English naval vessel； that an elderly and respectable Malay woman； with whom he was conversing in an entirely unsuspecting manner； suddenly began to undress herself； and showed a most ominous and determined intention of stripping herself completely； and all because a by…standing friend had suddenly taken off his coat； at the same time she manifested the most violent anger at what she deemed this outrage to her sex； calling the astonished friend an abandoned hog； and begging O'Brien to kill him。 O'Brien； furthermore； tells of a cook who was carrying his child in his arms over the bridge of a river； while at the same time a sailor carried a log of wood in like manner； the sailor threw his log of wood on an awning； amusing himself by causing it to roll over the cloth； and finally letting it fall to the bridge； the cook repeated every motion with his little boy； and killed him on the spot。 This miryachit was observed in Malaysia； Bengal； among the Sikhs and the Nubians； and in Siberia； whilst Beard has observed it in Michigan as well as in Maine。 Crichton speaks of a leaping ague in Angusshire； Scotland。
Gray has seen only one case of acute palmus； and records it as follows： 〃It was in a boy of six； whose heredity； so far as I could ascertain from the statements of his mother； was not neurotic。 He had had trouble some six months before coming to me。 He had been labeled with a number of interesting diagnoses； such as chorea； epilepsy； myotonia； hysteria； and neurasthenia。 His palmodic movements were very curious。 When standing near a table looking at something； the chin would suddenly come down with a thump that would leave a black…and…blue mark； or his head would be thrown violently to one side； perhaps coming in contact with some adjacent hard object with equal force； or； while standing quietly； his legs would give a sudden twitch； and he would be thrown violently to the ground； and this even happened several times when he was seated on the edge of a stool。 The child was under my care for two weeks； and； probably because of an intercurrent attack of diarrhea； grew steadily worse during that time； in spite of the full doses of arsenic which were administered to him。 He was literally covered with bruises from the sudden and violent contacts with articles of furniture； the floor； and the walls。 At last； in despair at his condition； I ordered him to be undressed and put to bed； and steadily pushed the Fowler's solution of arsenic until he was taking ten drops three times a day； when； to my great surprise； he began to improve rapidly； and at the end of six weeks was perfectly well。 Keeping him under observation for two weeks longer I finally sent him to his home in the West； and am informed that he has since remained perfectly well。 It has seemed to me that many of the cases recorded as paramyoclonus multiples have been really acute palmus。〃
Gray mentions two cases of general palmus with pseudomelancholia； and describes them in the following words：
〃The muscular movements are of the usual sudden； shock…like type； and of the same extent as in what I have ventured to call the general form。 With them； however； there is associated a curious pseudomelancholia； consisting of certain fixed melancholy suspicious delusions； without； however； any of the suicidal tendencies and abnormal sensations up and down the back of the head； neck； or spine； or the sleeplessness； which are characteristic of most cases of true melancholia。 In both of my cases the palmus had existed fo