In February 1977, at the age of 54, I was admitted to hospital suffering from acute supraventricular tachycardia. The attack had perhaps been brought on iatrogenically, by side effects of medication for raised diastolic blood pressure. Four days later, while still in hospital, I suffered a cerebro-vascular accident (stroke) causing a left hemiplegia which resulted in total dysphagia and dysarthria as the most notable symptoms.