A Statistical Inquiry Into the Nature and Treatment of Epilepsy

by Alexander Hughes Bennett

Attacks occur at regular intervals in	21.1 per cent.
Attacks occur at irregular intervals in	78.8 per cent.

Time of Attack.—The following particulars alone could be definitely ascertained:—

Attacks only during sleep in	8.8 per cent.
Attacks only during day while awake in	8.8 per cent.
Attacks only during early morning in	15.5 per cent.
Attacks at no particular time in	55.4 per cent.

The chief feature of this observation is that in 15.5 per cent. of cases of E. Gravior the attacks always took place immediately after the patients had wakened in the morning, and this is probably due to the sudden alteration of the cerebral circulation from the sleeping to the wakeful state.

Symptoms immediately after the Attack.—The moment the attack is over sometimes the patient is in his usual condition, and feels no ill effects from the paroxysm. More commonly, however, he suffers from various symptoms, the chief of which, and their relative frequency, is as follows:—

Return to usual condition in	12.2 per cent.
Drowsy in	66.6 per cent.
Confused in	14.4 per cent.
Stupid in	13.3 per cent.
Irritable in	14.4 per cent.
Excitable in	3.3 per cent.
Vertigo in	13.3 per cent.
Headache in	41.1 per cent.

The above conditions may last from an hour to several days.

Present condition, or state between the Attacks.—It is impossible to enter minutely into the actual physical and mental health of all the epileptic cases under notice, but the following statement gives a sketch of some of the more important conditions associated with the disease, and the frequency with which they occur. In the inter-paroxysmal state the condition of the patients were—

Healthy in every respect in	17.7 per cent.
With some abnormal peculiarity in	82.2 per cent.
General health good in	75.5 per cent.
General health impaired in	24.4 per cent.
Robust in	66.6 per cent.
Not robust in	33.3 per cent.
Intelligence intact in	74.4 per cent.
Intelligence impaired in	25.5 per cent.
Loss of memory in	58.8 per cent.
No loss of memory in	41.1 per cent.
Stupid in	16.6 per cent.
Dull in	31.1 per cent.
Irritable in	25.4 per cent.
Frequent headaches in	41.1 per cent.
Frequent vertigo in	22.2 per cent.
Nervous in	21.1 per cent.
Special diseases in	21.1 per cent.

Of the 21.1 per cent. under the heading of special diseases, there were—