The relation between bodily build and susceptibility to eclampsia has been controversial for nearly two centuries and the issue has been confused by modern studies of women with nonconvulsive hypertensive disorders in whom the diagnosis of preeclampsia is frequently erroneous. The present study is based upon 193 previously nulliparous and 49 multiparous eclamptic women. Sixty-three of the previously nulliparous women were compared with normal controls matched for age, race, parity, clinic, nonclinic, or private status, and as closely as possible with the time of delivery. Eclampsia spares no habitus, but has a slight predilection for underweight women.