A Case of Recurrent Attacks of Prolonged Sleep.

History.-The following account was given by patient's mother. The patient was born in Edinburgh 22 years ago. It was a difficult labour, forceps being used, and there was some doubt whether the child would live. When she was one year old, the family removed to China and remained there for twelve years. The father was a marine engineer on a Chinese coaster and, because of the nature of his work, was seldom at home. Life in the East proved difficult. At times they were boycotted, and sometimes without food. Fighting was constantly going on, and patient's attendance at school was necessarily irregular; however, these events do not appear to have caused her any particular anxiety and her memories of the country itself are of the pleasantest. In childhood patient was not subject to any neurotic traits, such as stammering, nail-biting, bed-wetting, etc., but she did, on numerous occasions, walk in her sleep, and the mother recalls one occasion on which she unbolted the door and was discovered in the garden. She was on intimate terms with her mother and confided freely in her. Her father she knew less well, mainly because of his long absences when at sea, but she had a deep affection for him. She was an imaginative child, impressionable, thoughtful, but friendly and sociable. When patient was aged 10, her mother had a second confinement. Three years later the mother and her two children returned to this country for a holiday. While in this country, news reached them that the father had died suddenly at sea. The man who was looking after their affairs proved to be unreliable and appropriated most of their possessions. The family were left almost penniless, and the mother, in order to earn a livelihood, invested such money as she had in a hairdressing business, which she herself managed. Patient was sent to school, where she found that she was much behind the standard expected for one of her age, but by hard work she soon made good the deficiency, and, in fact, took a high place in her class. She left school at the age of 16 having obtained her Leaving Certificate and commenced work in a large