PAROXYSMAL autonomic crises or attacks as a manifestation in the postencephalitic state have not been described in standard neurologic textbooks. Reports of this syndrome in the literature have been exceedingly rare in spite of the voluminous material on the sequelae of epidemic encephalitis. Consequently, when one is confronted with the striking group of symptoms that constitute the autonomic crisis in postencephalitic patients, many apparently new and troublesome questions present themselves. For this reason the following unusual case is reported. REPORT OF CASE The patient, a 41 year old Negro, had a high school education and was rather intelligent. The family history was noncontributory. In 1918, at the age of 15, he had a severe bout of "influenza," and in the following year he exhibited behavior difficulties, necessitating his remaining away from school for about a year. In 1923, at the age of 20, he had an attack or a relapse